Too Close to Home? Proximity to BLM Protests and Support for Police Spending

This study explores the relationship between physical proximity to Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests and support for police spending. Proximity may either amplify awareness of police underperformance or heighten personal safety concerns, compared to experiencing protests indirectly through media. Focusing on Chicago, our research employs a difference-in-differences design and unique measures of spending support and protest locations. Overall, we observe a significant decrease in support for police spending in 2020 compared to 2019 across all neighborhoods. However, living near protest sites did not, on average, play a notable role. There was some variation in response based on subgroup characteristics and protest conditions. Specifically, neighborhoods with higher percentages of non-Black residents and lower crime rates experienced an additional decrease in demand for police spending near protests, while areas with higher Black populations, higher crime rates, or prolonged protests saw a smaller decline in demand. This evidence deepens our understanding of how protests shape public opinion and suggests potential pathways for police reform.