Who Should Police the Police? Partisanship, Racial Attitudes, and Public Support for Civilian Oversight

There are more than 200 independent review boards tasked with investigating police misconduct in cities across the United States. As more cities consider the creation of these boards to address police misconduct, it is critical to understand public appetite for specific board components (e.g., subpoena power). This study examines support for individual components and tests the hypothesis that there are specific segments of the public who prefer civilian review boards with constrained powers, limiting their capacity to independently investigate or discipline officers. This study also tests one theoretical explanation for why those on the political right may oppose police reform. Results reveal strong public support for boards powered by the resources and authority to investigate and discipline officers for misconduct independent of internal police processes. Yet, partisan differences and racial attitudes separate people who support strong boards from those who do not.