Police and other law enforcement officials are called on to perform a variety of important
functions in modern society. They are expected to protect and serve members of the general
public, and to do so equitably, without regard for race, class, gender, or any other extra-legal
variable. There is evidence, however, that law enforcement officers do not exercise their
authority uniformly across differing population groups, and that their actions are influenced not
just by what people do but also by their social status. Indeed, studies show that minorities and
members of the lower socio-economic status tend to receive inferior police protection and
services while simultaneously being subjected to disproportionately
high rates of police scrutiny,
arrests, and use of force (cite). Especially among blacks and the poor, these differences have
exacerbated, if not engendered, distrust of the police and dissatisfaction with police job
performance (Brunson and Miller 2006; cite).
While correlates of differential reliance on the part of individuals has been well
documented, much less is known about variations in reliance on police across differing
neighborhood contexts. While some scholars argue that residents of disadvantaged
neighborhoods are reluctant or unwilling to involve the police in their affairs (Anderson 1998;
Black 1978; Bursik and Grasmick 1993), others have anticipated greater reliance on police in the
absence of informal alternatives in these communities. (Conklin 1975; Gottfredson and
Hindelang 1979; Laub 1980; see also Manning 1978). As of yet, extant research has not
provided clear support for either of these positions, uncovering few neighborhood differences in
victim notification of police (Baumer 2002; Bennett and Wiegand 1994; Goudriaan et al. 2006).
However, because these studies are based entirely on victimization data, they include only a
limited set of criminal offenses and do not permit adequate tests for ecological variations in
reliance on the police for less serious matters, which are likely involve a greater degree of
discretion. Using data on calls for service to police for a mid-size city in the Pacific Northwest,
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Convention