LAUSR

Key Points Question Is living in a neighborhood with high police presence associated with increased risk of preterm birth? Findings In this cross-sectional study of 1059 Minneapolis residents who gave birth to a live singleton in 2016, the odds of preterm birth for pregnant people living in a neighborhood with high police presence was significantly higher compared with the odds of their racial counterparts in a low-presence neighborhood (90% increase for White individuals, 100% increase for US-born Black individuals, and 10% for Black individuals born outside of the US). The higher the proportion of Black residents in the neighborhood, the greater the number of police incident reports. Meaning These findings suggest that greater police presence in Black vs White neighborhoods may contribute to the persistent Black-White preterm birth disparity in Minneapolis.