Conflict theory and police killings∗

Abstract

Although there has been considerable interest in the homicide of law enforcement officers, there has been little systematic analysis of the effects of structural variables on police killings across macro social units. Recently, Peterson and Bailey (1988) have examined the macro social determinants of police killings within a theoretical context and concluded that social conditons which bring civilians and law enforcement officers into conflict are central to an understanding of police killings. This study attempts to extend this research by evaluating hypotheses derived from the conflict perspective of crime control. Consistent with conflict theory, the analyses indicate that the racial and economic composition of states has a significant impact on the average rate of police killings.