Replication Data for: Complaints About Police Misconduct Have Adverse Effects for Black Civilians

One solution advanced in response to the problem of racial bias in law enforcement is the establishment of civilian oversight agencies (COAs) that receive and investigate civilian complaints about police misconduct. While there is a growing literature on the effectiveness of COAs in reducing racial bias and misconduct, little to no quantitative research explores possible adverse consequences of this accountability mechanism. Utilizing time series analysis of administrative data on aggregate monthly civilian complaint and police behavior in the largest American city, this article offers evidence of racial inequality in police response to civilian complaint. For White civilians, complaint against the police abates subsequent police stops. For Black civilians, complaint is associated with subsequent intensification of police stops. Additional analyses reveal that this surge only follows complaints against White officers, is conditional upon officer knowledge of the complaint, is confined to stops involving greater officer discretion to perform the stop, and is only observed in police precincts with large Black civilian populations.