Minority Threat Hypothesis and NYPD Stop and Frisk Policy

Abstract

This study analyzes New York Police Department (NYPD) stop and frisk policy using a minority and Black threat framework. Using Blacks in White-dominated neighborhoods as the reference group, this study compares four distinct police actions (frisks, searches, sanctions, and force used) during 481,027 stops in 2012 in 297 geographic information system (GIS)-defined New York City (NYC) neighborhoods. Descriptive analysis reveals the scope of isolation between Whites and Blacks as well as the ratios of police action for each group within each neighborhood type, with Blacks in White-dominated and nondominated high White neighborhoods exceeding their population proportion and crime propensity ratios across all four police actions, consistent with the Black threat hypothesis. Logistic regression results provide further support for the application of Black threat hypothesis to NYPD stops and frisks. When controlling for other factors, race/neighborhood factors remain significant though the odds ratios are far below the population proportion and crime propensity benchmarks. These results are placed in the context of previous research findings and the implications of minority threat hypothesis are discussed in light of the specific Black threat in NYC. In the aggregate, the findings also include limited support for the “out of place” and defended neighborhood perspectives though much less for the criminogenic perspective relative to Blacks in White-dominated and other race/neighborhood categories.