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Do Peers Matter in the Police Academy?

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  • Roman Rivera

Abstract

Increasing underrepresented groups' representation in police departments is a common proposal to reduce aggressive policing. This paper documents the effects of peer composition in the Chicago police academy on officers' future arrests by exploiting the lottery system, which provides exogenous variation in cohort composition. I find that higher shares of peers from groups that police less aggressively, such as female and older officers, reduce all officers' future low-level arrests. Peer race matters by amplifying the effects of gender and age. Overall, the results are most consistent with peers' preferences for less aggressive policing shifting officers' preferences and changing future behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Roman Rivera, 2025. "Do Peers Matter in the Police Academy?," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 17(2), pages 127-164, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejapp:v:17:y:2025:i:2:p:127-64
    DOI: 10.1257/app.20220348
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H76 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Other Expenditure Categories
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J45 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Public Sector Labor Markets
    • J78 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Public Policy (including comparable worth)
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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