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Publication Date

2022-05-09

First Advisor

Mariyana Zapryanova

Document Type

Honors Project

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Economics

Keywords

Black Lives Matter, police, crime, arrest rates

Abstract

Following the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, there have been nationwide large scale Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests against racism and police brutality. This study uses a difference-in-differences and an event study empirical strategy to examine the effect of BLM protests on arrest rates. Using crime data from Chicago and the timings of BLM protests, I find that arrest rates decrease the month following a BLM protest but increase in the months after that. This pattern is especially prominent for crimes that occur on the street and in public spaces. Additionally, I find an increase in arrest rates for more serious offenses, but no evidence on less serious offenses. However, these results should be interpreted with caution given the pre-trends.

Rights

©2022 Carol Xiaomiao Gao. Access limited to the Smith College community and other researchers while on campus. Smith College community members also may access from off-campus using a Smith College log-in. Other off-campus researchers may request a copy through Interlibrary Loan for personal use.

Language

English

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