Reimagining public safety: Public opinion on police reform and gun violence prevention by race and gun ownership in the United States

Abstract

Inequitable experiences of community gun violence and victimization by police use of force led to nationwide calls to "reimagine public safety" in 2020. In January 2021, we examined public support among U.S. adults for 7 policy approaches to reforming policing and investing in community gun violence prevention. Using a nationally representative sample (N = 2778), with oversampling for Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, and gun owners, we assessed support overall and by racial, ethnic, and gun owner subgroups. Overall, we found majority support for funding and implementing police and mental health co-responder models (66% and 76%, respectively), diversion from incarceration for people with symptoms of mental illness (72%), stronger laws to assure police accountability (72%), and funding for community-based and hospital-based gun violence prevention programs (69% and 60%, respectively). Support for redirecting funding from the police to social services was more variable (44% overall; White: 35%, Black: 60%, Hispanic: 43%). For all survey items, support was strongest among Black Americans. Gun owners overall reported lower support for public safety reforms and investments than respondents who did not own guns, but this distinction was found to be driven by White gun owners. The views of Black gun owners were indistinguishable from Black non-owners and were similar to White non-owners on most issues. These findings suggest that broad public support exists for innovative violence reduction strategies and public safety reforms.

Keywords: Gun violence; Police reform; Public opinion; Public safety.

Fig. 1.

Percent of U.S. adults who endorse police reforms and funding gun violence prevention strategies overall and by race/ethnicity, 2021. Denotes significant differences in support: *p < .05, **p ≤ .01, ***p ≤ .001. Reference category = Non-Hispanic White.

Fig. 2.

Percent of U.S. adults who endorse police reforms and funding gun violence prevention strategies by gun ownership status, 2021. Denotes significant differences in support: *p < .05, **p ≤ .01, ***p ≤ .001. Reference category = Not gun owners.

Fig. 3.

Percent of gun owners who endorse police reforms and funding gun violence prevention strategies by race/ethnicity, 2021. Denotes significant differences in support: *p < .05, **p ≤ .01, ***p ≤ .001. Reference category = Non-Hispanic White Gun Owner.