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Although research has shown that court-ordered hiring quotas increase the number of minority
police officers in litigated cities, there has been little insight into how workforce diversity, or
lack thereof, may impact police violence against civilians. Using an event study framework, we
find that the threat of affirmative action litigation reduces police killings of non-White civilians
in the long-run. In addition, we find evidence of lower arrest rates for non-White civilians and
more diverse police departments 25 years after litigation. Our results highlight the vital role
that federal interventions have in addressing police behavior and the use of lethal force.
