Summary

Tension and distrust between people of color and police in the US is an overlooked public health crisis. While incidents of police violence grab headlines, the daily mental, emotional, and physical health impacts of policing practices on communities of color—particularly Black communities—and police officers are less visible but equally harmful.

This report shows that many Black people and other people of color communities experience frequent, stressful encounters with police, which negatively impact their physical and mental health. For police officers, chronic job-related stress increases risks of cardiovascular disease, substance abuse, depression, and suicide. However, the report also finds that changes in policing models and practices can build trust, improve public health, and enhance public safety.

In Ohio, survey results from Cincinnati and Akron reveal stark disparities: only 40% of Black respondents reported trust in police, compared to 70% of white respondents. Nearly one in five Black respondents reported being stopped by police weekly, and two-thirds feared injury or death by police. White respondents reported significantly lower rates of such stops and fears. These disparities illustrate the deep mistrust many Black residents feel toward police and highlight the urgent need for reform.

The report assessed the effectiveness of four policing models: community-oriented, problem-solving, focused, and standard policing. Evidence suggests that a combination of community-oriented and problem-solving policing is most effective at reducing crime, building trust, and addressing inequities. Additionally, the report analyzed four specific policing activities designed to improve public trust and reduce misconduct: civilian review boards, expanded performance measures, officer training and evaluation, and use of body-worn cameras. These activities show promise but require full, intentional implementation to be effective.

Recommendations

1. Publicly acknowledge the historical and systemic factors that shape police-community relationships.
2. Implement community-oriented and problem-solving policing practices.
3. Fully adopt key trust-building activities: civilian review boards, department-wide performance measures, officer training and evaluation, and use of body cameras.
4. Issue an annual State of Police report with transparent, race-disaggregated data beyond crime statistics.
5. Align police department resources and skills with community needs and partner with community-based organizations to fill service gaps.

Full implementation of these recommendations is expected to increase public trust in police, reduce fear and use of force, and improve mental and physical health outcomes for communities.