Date of Award

3-1-2017

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Abstract

The Black Lives Matter movement places a huge amount of attention on police procedures and behaviors. In many areas of the United States, police officers use of force against minorities was accepted and commonplace before the movement gained momentum. The killing of Trayvon Martin created instant media exposure for officers, public officials, and citizens alike. Social media’s ubiquitous nature and the proliferation of cell phones use with the capability to make any citizen a reporter forced many changes among the ranks of police officers. Along with this additional attention, a perceived drop in use of force incidents against minority members of the community was observed. Collected data from several interviews with high level officers in San Francisco Bay Area police departments will help to provide a deeper understanding of the inner workings of those police departments. A review of relevant literature examines police policies and procedures both before and after the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement. The results of this study will provide information on whether the Black Lives Matter movement played an integral role in the reduction in uses of force by the police. The study will also identify other factors that may be responsible for the reduction. The author of this research study is currently a student at Golden Gate University completing his Executive Master’s Degree in public administration. He is a Major and serves in the US Army Reserves located in Dublin, California.

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