Aboriginal People and Confidence in the Police

Abstract

No nationally representative study has been conducted about differential confidence in the police between Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal persons in Canada. Based on the 2009 General Social Survey of Canada, this article examines the influence of Aboriginal status on confidence in the police. Consistent with the theoretical prediction, results of multiple regression analyses show that Aboriginal people and visible minorities have a significantly lower level of confidence than other Canadians do, after the effects of both expressive and instrumental concerns are controlled for. The persistent effects of Aboriginal or visible minorities status raise questions about racial relationships in Canada. Other significant predictors of confidence in the police are expressive concerns, such as trust, and instrumental concerns, such as community context, crime experiences, perceptions of crime in one’s own neighbourhood, and police contact. Findings indicate that continued reform measures are needed for the police force to gain the confidence of Aboriginal people and visible minorities in Canada.