By Tanna M. Friday, sponsored content
In July 2020, the Pew Research Center surveyed Americans’ attitudes toward law enforcement, race, and political persuasion, but the findings were significantly skewed. The poll was conducted in June, shortly after the killing of George Floyd sparked nationwide protests over police brutality. The survey’s findings suggest that the opinions of the police are less favorable today than in 2016, when Pew conducted a similar poll showing that 68% of white Americans, 40% of Blacks and 59% of Hispanics had a favorable view.
Only two-thirds who were surveyed rejected the notion of “qualified immunity,” where officers should be shielded from lawsuits unless they commit clear violations of the law. The majority, including 86% of Black respondents, 60% of whites, and 75% of Hispanics, agreed that “civilians need to have the power to sue law enforcement in order to hold them accountable for excessive use of force and misconduct.”