GALLUP POLL – Five years after George Floyd’s tragic passing brought national attention to issues of race and policing, there are encouraging signs that Black Americans’ views on certain aspects of policing in their communities are improving. Yet, it is important to acknowledge that these perceptions still lag behind the national average and those of White Americans.
According to the aforementioned recent Gallup poll, 64 percent of Blacks and 77 percent of Whites expressed confidence in their local police. Confidence from Whites is down 3 percent from 2021. However, trust in police among Blacks has surged 9 percent in the same period.
In a May 2025 Pew Research Center survey, more than half of U.S. adults (54%) believe that the relationship between police and Black people is about the same as before Floyd’s death, while a third say things are worse, and only 11% think they have improved. Notably, the survey found that these views do not vary much by race and ethnicity, suggesting a narrowing in the racial divide on this specific perception compared to the immediate aftermath of Floyd’s killing.
Not surprisingly, political affiliation plays a larger role in shaping perceptions: 39% of Republicans say the relationship is worse, compared to 28% of Democrats. At the same time, Democrats are more likely to say things are unchanged.
Despite fewer high-profile police encounters, Black Americans continue to face higher rates of enforcement actions and police use of force compared to other groups, even with similar rates of police contact. Black Americans are still 2.5 times as likely to be shot and killed by police as whites, and Latinx people are 1.2 times as likely. Also, Black and Latinx drivers are more frequently searched during traffic stops, despite police being less likely to find contraband compared to searches of White drivers.