Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (MACJ)

Department

Criminal Justice, Criminology, & Forensics

First Advisor

Dr. Jacqueline Helfgott

Second Advisor

Dr. Matthew Hickman

Third Advisor

Carmen Best

Abstract

Amid social justice protests in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, Seattle was at the center of national attention due to the development of a police-free autonomous zone in the city’s East precinct. The autonomous zone was short-lived as it quickly experienced high rates of violent crime with police unable to respond. Considering the extraordinarily low perceptions of police that led to the creation of this zone followed by high crime rates in the area, it is vital to examine how police legitimacy and fear of crime were impacted in the East precinct compared to the rest of the city over time to inform next steps in improving community-police relations. This study employs a panel regression utilizing six years of data from the annual Seattle Public Safety Survey. Implications for community-police engagement are explored.

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