UNDERSTANDING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' ENGAGEMENT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT: A STUDY OF CONTACT AND CONFIDENCE

Аннотация

INTRODUCTION The relationship between Indigenous peoples and In contemporary society, despite efforts to improve law enforcement agencies has long been shaped by police-community relations, Indigenous peoples a complex history of systemic inequality, cultural continue to experience significant disparities in misunderstandings, and marginalization. In many their interactions with law enforcement. Issues regions, Indigenous communities have historically such as racial profiling, the overrepresentation of faced disproportionate levels of policing, Indigenous individuals in the criminal justice criminalization, and violence, creating a deep- system, and a lack of culturally competent policing seated mistrust of law enforcement. This mistrust have all contributed to a strained relationship is rooted in the legacy of colonization, where police between Indigenous communities and police forces were often used as instruments of control, forces. The consequences of these strained forcibly displacing Indigenous populations, relations are far-reaching, affecting not only public suppressing cultural practices, and undermining safety but also the broader social and economic Indigenous sovereignty. As a result, the perception well-being of Indigenous peoples. of police as adversaries, rather than protectors, Understanding the nature and extent of Indigenous persists in many Indigenous communities. peoples' engagement with law enforcement is https://www.theamericanjournals.com/index.php/tajpslc 7 THE USA JOURNALS THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE LAW AND CRIMINOLOGY (ISSN- 2693-0803) VOLUME 06 ISSUE11 critical for identifying ways to bridge the divide perceptions of police services. between these communities and police services. Data Collection: The data collection process This study aims to explore the level of contact involved two primary methods: structured surveys Indigenous peoples have with law enforcement and semi-structured interviews. and to assess their confidence in the police. By examining factors such as personal experiences, Surveys: A standardized questionnaire was perceptions of bias and discrimination, and the developed to assess participants' contact with law cultural competence of police officers, the research enforcement, levels of trust, and perceptions of seeks to uncover the underlying causes of mistrust police conduct. The survey included both closed- and identify potential solutions for improving ended questions (e.g., Likert scale items assessing police-Indigenous relations. confidence in police, frequency of police encounters, and perceived fairness of law Ultimately, this research will contribute to the enforcement practices) and open-ended questions ongoing dialogue about how law enforcement to capture additional insights into their agencies can better serve Indigenous communities, experiences. The surveys were distributed both in- promoting fairness, accountability, and mutual person and online, depending on the accessibility respect. Addressing the concerns of Indigenous and preferences of the participants. peoples and fostering more positive, productive interactions with law enforcement is essential for Interviews: In-depth, semi-structured interviews building safer, more inclusive societies. were conducted with a subset of participants to further explore personal experiences with law