More scrutiny, less vigour? How depolicing manifests differently following local rather than nationally prominent fatal use of force incidents

Abstract

Increased scrutiny of police departments and police officers can occur after high-profile events such as police use of force incidents. A Ferguson Effect is often hypothesized regarding claims of subsequent depolicing following such incidents. This study examines whether the proximity of the incident affects the behaviour of police officers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The effects of scrutiny upon officer proactivity—measured in pedestrian and vehicle stops—are examined, differentiating between scrutiny derived from highly publicized fatal police use of force incidents that occurred within the local jurisdiction and scrutiny subsequent to similar incidents that occurred elsewhere in the nation. The results show that officer behaviour differs in terms of their vigour depending on whether the incident has national prominence or just local impact. The study also reveals temporal variation in the impact of incidents across subsequent months.