Editorial Standards

Latest News Today maintains rigorous editorial standards. Our team verifies information from trusted sources and provides context to help readers understand complex stories.

Last Updated: Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 07:19 PM
Category: Meet-the-press

Editor's Note

Latest News Today provides comprehensive coverage and analysis of breaking news stories. This article is part of our ongoing coverage of stark racial disparity perceptions police n349726, bringing you verified information from trusted sources with added context and expert perspective.

Why This Matters: Understanding the full context of this story helps readers make informed decisions and stay updated on developments that impact our community.

The Stark Racial Disparity in Perceptions of Police

Less than a third of African-Americans say they're confident that the police in their community treat white and black people equally.

As Baltimore braces for more possible violence in the wake of clashes between police and rioters, the NBC Political Unit took a look back at polling last year showing stark racial differences in perceptions of police.

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll in September 2014 found that less than a third – 28 percent - of African-American respondents say they’re confident that police officers in their community treat blacks and whites equally, while 69 percent of white respondents said the same.

And while 70 percent of white respondents said that they have “a great deal” or a “fair amount” of confidence that police officers in their community will not use excessive force on suspects, just 40 percent of African-Americans agreed. Forty-three percent of black respondents replied that they have “very little” or “no” confidence that law enforcement officers will refrain from using excessive force.

- Carrie Dann