Exploring Police-Community Relations Through Homicide.

Homicide, as one of the most serious violent crimes, deeply affects communities worldwide. This thesis investigates how police-community relations influence the homicide clearance rate and cold case homicide investigations. Using a mixed-methods approach, it draws on two studies: in-depth interviews with stakeholders (police officers, victims’ families, and victim support workers) in Chicago, and a national survey of residents across twenty U.S. cities with high rates of homicide.

Findings reveal that while police-community relations do not directly determine homicide clearance rates, they significantly shape public perceptions of justice, trust, and police legitimacy. Poor communication, legal estrangement, and perceived bias in victim worthiness contribute to the emotional trauma of bereaved families and their sense of exclusion from the criminal justice process. Interview data identified systemic factors, such as intergenerational inequality, trauma, and social disinvestment, as key contributors to violence, while survey results showed that perceptions of safety and police-community relations and trust vary by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, and location [neighbourhood effects]. Participants also possessed a dichotomised view of policing.

This thesis proposes a Police-Community Relations (PCR) model derived from stakeholder data, offering practical strategies to enhance procedural justice, transparency and collaborative homicide investigation practices. It also highlights new initiatives in Chicago, including the introduction of family liaison officers and enhanced investigative teams, alongside emerging legislation such as the Illinois Homicide Victims’ Rights and Data Transparency Acts. The research concludes that improving homicide outcomes and restoring public trust requires systemic structural reform across the criminal justice system, including culturally competent trainings, expanded victim support, and consistent communication protocols. Future research should continue to explore how police-community relations currently operate as transactional relationships that are shaped by systemic inequities.