Preventing Violent Encounters Between Police and Young Black Men: A Comparative Case Study

Introduction: In the past several years, high profile events have drawn attention to the longstanding problem of violent encounters between police and young black men in the U.S. This paper highlights the results of a 1-year qualitative study to describe (1) perceptions of police–youth violence prevention policies, programs, and practices; and (2) existing infrastructures that can be leveraged to strengthen police–youth violence prevention efforts. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 48 key stakeholders from four groups (young black men aged 14–24years, parents and educators, police officers, and staff in youth serving organizations) in 2017. Stakeholders were asked to (1) identify any policies, programs, or practices aimed at police–youth violence prevention; (2) evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts and how they might be improved; and (3) envision any new efforts to prevent future violent encounters between police and young black men. Data were collected and analyzed in 2017 using content analysis methods. Results: Key stakeholders demonstrated high awareness of efforts, particularly programs to deter youth violence. However, none of them were able to identify specific efforts to reduce violent encounters between local police and young black men. Responses differed across key stakeholder groups. Young people often stated that police needed to become more involved in the communities they serve; however, police believed they were building relationships with the community. Conclusions: Future violence prevention efforts must incorporate policies, programs, and practices that explicitly address violent encounters between police and young black men. Supplement information: This article is part of a supplement entitled African American Men's Health: Research, Practice, and Policy Implications, which is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.