Racial/Ethnic Diversity in Positions of Power in U.S. Law Enforcement: An Examination of Active Representation and Disparities in Vehicle Stops.

The article examines the extent of Black and Hispanic representation in leadership, mid-level management, and supervisory positions within U.S. law enforcement agencies, using data from the 2016 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey. It finds that racial/ethnic minorities are significantly underrepresented in these positions of power compared to their overall presence in police departments. The study further investigates whether increased minority representation in these roles correlates with reductions in racial/ethnic disparities in vehicle stops in Illinois and Missouri, concluding that higher representation does not significantly reduce such disparities. These findings suggest that while improving minority representation is important for institutional legitimacy, it may be insufficient alone to address persistent racial disparities in policing outcomes.