Representative bureaucracy and equitable public services: Evidence from deaths in custody
研究警察队伍中少数族裔代表性对羁押死亡人数的影响，发现代表性更强的警队能减少死亡，且效果在少数族裔稀疏地区更明显。
The police officers are the first contact with many individuals who have complex health and social care needs. This study investigates the role of representative bureaucracy in fostering equitable public services in a policing context. Specifically, this study examines the effect of ethnic minority representation in the police force on deaths in custody. The analysis exploits the case of exogenous policy intervention implemented in England and Wales and use an instrumental variable design. The findings indicate that the police forces being more representative of their community reduce the number of deaths in police custody. The findings also suggest that the representation effect is strengthened in regions that are sparsely populated by minorities. This study opens the possibility of greater equity through policing in that the affected are citizens who are difficult to engage with community services.