Date of Conferral

8-4-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Joseph McMillan

Abstract

African American Black men are more likely to report unreasonable, unnecessary, and unwarranted experiences with U.S. law enforcement than men of other racial groups, and they higher mistrust toward law enforcement than any other racial group. These experiences have been described as unjustifiable due to the level of force used by police. In some cases, excessive force by law enforcement has resulted in the death of Black men. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore Black men’s perceptions of law enforcement and to understand their distrust. The study centered on the facilitators and barriers to Black men trusting law enforcement and the sequel to their willingness or unwillingness to report crime or contact police for assistance. Personal construct theory provided a framework for the investigation. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 African American men residing in a predominantly Black area in Southeast Texas. A manual coding system was used to organize and report codes and themes. The identified themes describe positive and negative perceptions regarding law enforcement and the inclination to contact law enforcement for assistance or report crime. The findings indicate that reduced fear and increased trust may cause African American men to trust law enforcement, report crime, and call police for assistance. The study may promote positive social change by increasing law enforcement officials’ awareness of the need to improve community-based policing, adopt public safety strategies, and enhance policing outcomes.

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