Dr. Terrence Allen
Dr. Terrence Allen

Dr. Terrence Allen, assistant professor at the School of Social Work, was interviewed by Southern California Public Radio about his research on whether police residency makes a difference on reports of misconduct. Listen to KPCC AirTalk interview here.

As the AirTalk site states, across the country most police officers don’t live in the cities they serve. In light of the crisis in Ferguson, Missouri, new questions have emerged about whether having law enforcement residing in the communities they serve makes a difference in police conduct.

Allen’s research shows that residency requirements do not affect police conduct nor misconduct. But for him, the tipping point is the importance of perception.

“People in minority communities prefer to have minority officers, so that should be respected because policing has the potential to be so explosive,” he said to AirTalk.