The Effects of Suspect Characteristics on Arrest: A Meta-Analysis

• Black individuals were 1.40 times more likely to be arrested.
• Males were 1.5 times more likely to be arrested.
• Hispanic individuals were 1.25 times more likely to be arrested.
• Age was not significantly related to arrest.
• Effects persisted across the majority of moderator categories.

PurposeSynthesis research on the correlates of arrest has had a long history of analysis in police decision making research. Yet, much of this line of synthesis research has found mixed results and has been unable to definitively state whether relationships exist between suspect demographic characteristics, race, gender, age, and ethnicity, and arrest. This research attempts to clear this confusion created by previous synthesis attempts particularly.MethodsMeta-analysis was used to generate weighted mean effect sizes of the effect of race, gender, age, and ethnicity on arrest. Effect sizes were weighted using the inverse variance method and random effects modeling was also used. Moderator analyses were also performed.ResultsBlack individuals, males, and Hispanic individuals were significantly more likely to be arrested than white individuals, females, and non-Hispanic individuals. These effects persisted across the majority of moderator categories. Age was not a significant predictor of arrest.ConclusionsThe results here bring some degree of order to a large amount of arrest decision making literature. The findings confirm the results of a previous meta-analysis on race and arrest and also expand upon that research. These results expand “what we know” about the effect of race on arrest.