How do Black Americans feel about police? New poll finds shift in recent years

Brendan Rascius, The Charlotte Observer on May 23, 2025

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Black Americans’ perceptions about police have grown slightly more favorable in recent years, though they remain below the national average, according to new polling.

In a Gallup survey released on May 23, Black respondents expressed more positive views about local police — including on satisfaction in community relations and expectations of treatment — as compared to earlier this decade.

The poll comes five years after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of second- and third-degree murder. Floyd’s death sparked nationwide racial justice protests, the largest since the Civil Rights era.

Breaking down the poll

In the poll — which sampled 48,981 U.S. adults throughout 2024 — 64% of Black respondents said they have confidence in their local police force. This is up from 58% in 2023 and 55% in 2022. In 2021, this figure stood at 59%.

In contrast, 77% of white respondents expressed confidence, while the national average stood at 74%, both of which remained relatively constant over time.

Additionally, 64% of Black respondents said they are satisfied with the relationship that the police have with their local community. By comparison, 61% said the same in 2023, as did 59% in 2022.

Meanwhile, 81% of white adults and 76% of total respondents telegraphed satisfaction — largely on par with previous years.

One of the largest shifts in opinion came on the subject of fairness, according to the poll, which has a maximum margin of error of 1 percentage point.

About two-thirds of Black respondents, 67%, said police treat “people like you” fairly. This is up from 63% in 2023 and 58% in 2022, marking a nine-point increase in two years. This figure stood at 63% in 2021.

The vast majority of white adults, 90%, by comparison, said they believe “people like you” are treated fairly by law enforcement, as did 85% of total respondents.

Further, respondents were asked if they thought police in their area would treat them with respect and courtesy in the event of an encounter.

Seventy-five percent of Black respondents said yes, marking an increase from 71% in 2023 and 69% in 2022 and 2021.

Ninety-one percent of white respondents and 87% of total respondents said the same. These figures were, again, mostly unchanged from previous years.

Additionally, Black respondents diverged in views toward police along generational lines. Those aged 65 and older expressed more positive opinions than those aged 40-64 and 18-39.

“These divides may reflect differing life experiences,” Gallup said.

The polling organization concluded that, “The modest gains among Black adults suggest efforts to rebuild trust in law enforcement are having some effect but are difficult to eradicate.”

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