Police ride-along programs: exploring student perceptions

ABSTRACT In recent years, police agencies across the United States have been facing increasing scrutiny from the public. Consequently, police organizations have been encouraged to refocus their attention on garnering a positive image. While ride-along programs have existed since the 1950s and have been aimed at promoting a positive police image, no research in recent years has tested whether ride-along programs serve this purpose effectively. Using qualitative essay responses and a pre/post-survey design across four cohorts of introductory-level policing classes at one university, this study sheds light on the extent to which police ride-along programs impact the way respondents perceived police image and the profession in general. The current study found that while the sample largely already had positive perceptions of the police, these perceptions were often further reinforced, occasionally challenged, and became more nuanced after ride-alongs. These findings have important implications for practitioners and scholars.