Effects of Indigeneity and involuntary contacts with police on confidence in the police in Canada

1. Effects of Indigeneity and involuntary contacts with police on confidence in the police in Canada Amy Alberton, Kevin Gorey, G. Brent Angell, and Harvey McCue

2. Abstract • This study considers Indigenous identity and involuntary contacts with police and the impact these factors have on confidence in police in the Provinces of Canada in 2014. • Indigenous peoples were more than twice as likely to lack confidence in police compared to non-Indigenous people. • Individuals who reported involuntary contacts with police were four times more likely than those with no such contacts to lack confidence in police.

3. Background

4. Relations between Indigenous peoples and police have been marred by the historic effects of colonialism and continue to be damaged by continuing neocolonial attitudes, practices, and policies • Few studies have investigated Indigenous peoples attitudes toward police (confidence, trust, satisfaction, fear)

5. Cao (2014) found Indigenous peoples in the Provinces of Canada have significantly less confidence in police than others • Cheng (2015) found Indigenous peoples were less than half as likely than non-Indigenous people to be satisfied with the Saskatoon Police Service

6. Alberton & Gorey (2018) identified need for national studies examining the effects of specific ethnicity and specific types of contact on attitudes toward police in Canada • Also identified need to examine the potential interactions of ethnicity and contacts with police

7. Hypotheses • Indigenous peoples have less confidence in police than non-Indigenous people. • The more involuntary contacts people have with police the less confidence they will have in police. • The effect of involuntary contacts on lack of confidence in police will be stronger for Indigenous peoples than for non-Indigenous people.

8. Methods

9. Secondary Data Analysis • General Social Survey – Victimization (Cycle 28, 2014) • Random sample: • Non-institutionalized Canadian residents, 15 or older

10. Practical Statistical Analyses • Prediction of lack of confidence in police • Tested main predictive effects of Indigenous identity and involuntary contacts with police as well as the interaction effect of being Indigenous and having involuntary contact(s) with police

11. results

12. Descriptive Statistics

13. Regression ModelsEstimating Predictors of Lack of Confidence in Police

14. discussion

15. Summary • Indigenous peoples weremore than twice as likely to lack confidence in police (OR = 2.35). • Individuals with two or more involuntary contacts with police were four times as likely to lack confidence in police (OR = 3.95) • The associations of involuntary contacts with lack of confidence in police were similar for Indigenous peoples and white people.

16. Interpretations • Indigenous peoples have substantially more involuntary contacts with police and much less confidence in police than non-Indigenous people. • These findings challenge the attitudes, practices, and policies of neocolonialism

17. Conclusions • Evidence suggests that colonization and neocolonialism have had detrimental effects on Indigenous peoples’ confidence in police. • Individual, institutional, organizational, and systemic biases within police forces must be addressed.

18. Limitations • Data from territories were not included • Unable to test significance of location of residence or compare differences across regions • Measurement limitations may have compromised observation of a significant interaction effect

19. Co-Investigators Amy Alberton, Kevin Gorey & G. Brent Angell School of Social Work, University of Windsor Harvey McCue Harvey McCue Consulting

20. Principal Investigator Amy Alberton For additional information please contact me at: albert3@uwindsor.ca