Shifting law enforcement executive demographics: reflections in line-level officers

Although White men still make up a majority of law enforcement officers in the United States, explicit efforts to diversify the workforce have been effective at increasing the proportion of women, racial minorities and LGBTQ+ identified individuals. Drawing on the frameworks of representative bureau...

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
VerfasserInnen: Cohn, Benjamin K. (Verfasst von) ; Matusiak, Matthew C. (Verfasst von)
Medienart: Elektronisch Aufsatz
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: 2026
In: Journal of ethnicity in criminal justice
Jahr: 2026, Band: 24, Heft: 1, Seiten: 47-74
Online-Zugang: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Verfügbarkeit prüfen: HBZ Gateway
Schlagwörter:
white Americans
Race/ethnicity
Race and policing
Affirmative Action
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Although White men still make up a majority of law enforcement officers in the United States, explicit efforts to diversify the workforce have been effective at increasing the proportion of women, racial minorities and LGBTQ+ identified individuals. Drawing on the frameworks of representative bureaucracy, self-legitimacy and White backlash, this study seeks to understand the potential negative reactions to increased heterogeneity, specifically when people of color become chief law enforcement executives. We use LEMAS data from 2007, 2013, 2016, and 2020 to analyze whether leadership became more diverse as well as changes in agencies’ racial makeup. The data demonstrated an increase in the relative percentage of non-White executives. The agencies involved in a transition during this time experienced unique shifts in officer demographics.
ISSN:1537-7946
DOI:10.1080/15377938.2025.2590216