Panel Presentation Abstract: Law Enforcement and Latinos: A Report Card

This presentation will report the findings of the first study to investigate the effect of new immigration patterns on police-community relations in small Midwestern communities impacted by the development of a large food processing plant and the subsequent addition of a large Latino population. Much of the research on police-community relations in the United States has focused on large police agencies located in metropolitan areas. This research suggests that demographic change and new industrialization waves have a significant influence on police-community relations and police agency operation. Little research, however, has addressed the relationship between demographic change and police response in small communities, particularly in the Midwestern region of this country.

Using a case study approach, multiple sources of data from law enforcement agencies and community leaders and residents were collected from three communities in Missouri: Sedalia, Knob Noster and Warrensburg. Based on the findings of this study, this presentation will address the status of police-Latino relations in these communities and challenges/barriers to developing a cooperative working relationship between the two groups. Law enforcement efforts to meet the needs of the Latino community and identified areas of needed improvement will also be discussed.