Abstract: Centering Lived Experience In the Service of Democracy: Participatory Research to Transform Policing and Build Community Trust (Society for Social Work and Research 31st Annual Conference)

Schedule:

Friday, January 22, 2027

Union Station 3 & 4 (Hilton San Francisco Union Square)

* noted as presenting author

Camille Quinn, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI

Charles Lea, PhD, MSW, Professor, Columbia University, Houston, NY

Durrell Washington, PhD, Assistant Professor, Rutgers School of Social Work, IL

Donte Boyd, PhD, MSW, Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

J Lloyd Allen, PhD, Associate Professor, Morgan State University

Anthony Boyd, Research Assistant, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, MI

Maya Richardson, Research Assistant, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, MI

Jade Lewis, Research Assistant, Xavier University of Louisiana, LA

Henrika McCoy, PhD, Morris Endowed Dean and Professor, University of Denver

Background: Democracy depends on equitable access to safety, dignity, and civic belonging, yet Black young adults (BYAs)—particularly those experiencing housing instability and intersecting forms of surveillance and discrimination—often encounter policing that erodes trust in public institutions. This study examines how BYAs with histories of being unhoused interpret law enforcement encounters and how they shape their sense of safety, agency, and democratic inclusion.

Methods: This qualitative study draws on data from 28 BYAs in metropolitan Detroit who frequent a local drop‑in center. Using a participatory approach, the conversation guide was co‑developed with organization staff, individuals with lived experience, and a Young Adult Advisory Board. Three 60‑minute focus groups were conducted from May to June 2025. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis informed by an intersectional framework, with iterative coding and team consensus to ensure rigor. Preliminary findings were shared with participants for member checking.

Results: Analysis revealed pervasive racialized surveillance, with routine stops signaling scrutiny rather than protection. Participants described aggressive encounters that produced harm, fear, and mistrust. LGBTQ+ youth—particularly transgender and non-gender conforming—faced intensified harassment and lack of procedural respect. These experiences highlight how policing reinforces structural exclusion and erodes safety, dignity, and democratic belonging.

Conclusion and Implications: Findings show that current policing practices intensify trauma and erode democratic trust among BYAs. Advancing the common good requires culturally responsive de‑escalation training and the creation of paid lived‑experience fellowships that position system‑impacted BYAs—including LGBTQ+ youth of color—as public safety reform partners. Centering their expertise strengthens civic participation, institutional accountability, and community trust.