Race and police reliance on suspicious non‐verbal cues

Abstract

PurposeThis study seeks to evaluate the accuracy of non‐verbal behaviors in differentiating between criminals and innocent citizens in real‐life police‐citizen encounters, and evaluate the impact of race as a confounding influence on the display of these non‐verbal behaviors.Design/methodology/approachThis study involved the frame‐by‐frame analysis of 240 videotaped interactions between citizens and police officers to determine the frequency with which citizens of different races and differing roles (offender versus non‐offender) display specific non‐verbal behaviors officers are trained to believe are indicators of suspicion.FindingsThe findings suggest that the non‐verbal cues of frequent speech disruptions, frequent or inappropriate smiles, the avoidance of eye contact, and increased hand gestures are poor indicators of criminal involvement and are strongly influenced by the race/ethnicity of the individual.Research limitations/implicationsThe videotaped police‐citizen interactions on which this study was based were from a “reality television” show, thus preventing a random sample.Practical implicationsThis study would be useful to police officers who rely on the use of non‐verbal cues, training personnel who instruct in the areas of non‐verbal communication, and researchers who examine the potential causes of racial bias in the actions of police officers.Originality/valueWhile earlier studies have investigated this issue with laboratory experiments under artificial conditions, this study provides a test of the influence of race on non‐verbal behavior during real life official police‐citizen interactions in the field.