African American Police Vs Society

The brutality of the police force has been a long worldwide problem, but especially between the years of 2012-2016. Black people are being unjustly beaten and shot in plain sight for doing nothing while being unarmed. Journal of African American Studies “Blacks are viewed as deserving of harsh treatment in the criminal justice system” (482). “Black males with more “Afrocentric” features may receive longer sentences than blacks with less Afrocentric features like lighter skin and straighter hair”(482). Nowadays it is important to know about the police force. It’s important to know our rights as citizens and be careful around cops. Not everybody is good, but not everybody is bad also. In The New York Amsterdam News 21 people were killed by Chicago police in 2008. Entire families were being attacked. They believe it’s because of their skin color and how they are different. The year of racism started off with the world seeing the police murder of Oscar Grant. “The media have pushed people away from hearing the issue of police brutality, and it has fallen off of the radar screen.”(2) “You can’t give in. They will try to make an example out of you, try to break your spirit!”(2) African Americans say do not trust the cops with anything. “They will ruin you.”(2)

Chapter 4 in The Color of Justice: Race, ethnicity, and crime in America, was about the relations between society and law enforcement officers. This has been a major topic, especially in the United States for a long time. The unfortunate statistic that minorities are more likely to encounter being killed, arrested, and victimized by excessive physical force; has been a real issue even in today’s society. However, police departments are trying to combat the way police officers interact with the community; especially those of color. Although steps have been takes there are still some instances where police aggression happens. With all of the issues that arise between certain minority populated community’s police it is evident that conflict

Throughout the last one hundred and fifty years, there has been a history of tension and conflict between the police and minority communities in the United States. In principle, the police exist to enforce the law and protect all citizens regardless of race or ethnic background, yet police departments across the country have been repeatedly accused of targeting and harassing racial minorities, and of failing to root out racist attitudes and practices within their ranks. In recent years, high profile cases such as the beating of Rodney King in Los Angles and the assault on Abner Louima in New York have only served to heighten concerns over the mistreatment of minorities by the police, resulting in widespread calls for major legal and institutional reforms. The recent shootings of Michael Brown, Ezell Ford, Eric Garner, and Terrance Crutcher underscore the danger Black men and boys face when they cross paths with law enforcement officers. In the absence of a coordinated national strategy, state and local police departments have largely been left to develop their own solutions to the problems of policing minority communities and improving cultural sensitivity amongst their officers. Many departments have sought to reform recruitment and selection policies in the hope of attracting greater numbers of minority applicants, while others have instituted diversity training and education programs aimed at improving police understanding of minority cultures and communities. To date, however, these efforts have yielded mixed results. Some departments have achieved notable successes, but on the whole, relations between the police and minority communities across the country remain strained. of cultural diversity and the police.

Another factor in conflicts with this nation’s police force is the differences in races between American neighborhoods and their police force. In order to reduce the presence of racism in law enforcement, the race and ethnicities of the police force must be representative of the population they are responsible

The OJ Simpson murder case was an event that transfixed the nation over 20 years ago, with everyone who was around back then having some recollection of the whole ordeal. Today, that same case in entering back into the public consciousness, as a new television series dramatizing the events, entitled “The People vs. OJ Simpson”, just premiered. In an op-ed for the New York Times, John McWhorter pens an argument that the case was symbolic of race relations between the police and the African-American community. McWhorter, an African-American, goes into detail about how he did not understand why his community was cheering back in 1995 about Simpson being acquitted. McWhorter even believed that Simpson was guilty. However, he does now

Many of the problems and conflicts between the community and the police are based on situations involving police misconduct and race. Other issues occur because of an experience one has had with the police because he or she is minority. Early resentments from White officers cause a different outcome when handling a police situation that involves a different race as oppose to his or her own. This begins to shape the perception of the residents that witness these actions. It has been shown that an officer’s attitude and behaviors when dealing with a minority is harsher and unfair. Several situations like the Rodney King story and police brutality where a minority was the victim is viewed by the public and discriminatory behavior solely caused by a person’s race or ethnicity. This creates distrusts and suspicion with regard to the way a police department handles these issues. The public is disappointed and reluctant to construct a relationship with his or her fellow officer.

The above study, proves that police officers show different characteristics, then they would to someone who was Caucasian. As mentioned formerly, it is almost as it is in the police officials ‘nature’; just like women may hold their purse a bit tighter when passing a man of colour on the street. It is set into our culture to be cautious of some individuals of a minority group, just like it is part of the police culture to use “extensive force”. Much like how it is part of the African American’s culture to be more cautious around police officers. Following the same point, African Americans may not feel safe in the hands of police officers, which may cause the distaste. “The internalization of negative Black stereotypes may be outside of his or her conscious awareness, the individual seeks to as simulate and be accepted by Whites, and actively or passively distances him/herself from other blacks.” (James, 2001, p.18) This statement shows evidence that it is hard-wired into minority groups inner brain to be cautious around people who are of high authority; especially if they are Caucasian. Based off of the on-going discrimination that is being brought upon them.

"Relations between the police and minority groups are a continuing problem in many multiracial societies. Surveys consistently document racial differences in perceptions of the police, with minorities more likely than whites to harbor negative views." (Weitzer and Tuch, Race and Perceptions of Police Misconduct, 2004)

Many researchers have conducted numerous studies analyzing the police interactions and arrest records of African Americans to see if there is a discernible disparity between the number of African Americans and Caucasians arrested. Studies conducted by researchers has led to the disclosure of many out of important stats including on which states that African Americans believe police do a poor job of handling their fellow officers accountable for misconduct and treatment of racial and ethnic groups equally (CQ Researcher,373). Addition research has shown that 57 percent of African Americans believe police use excessive force when detaining suspects while only 25 percent of white

Weitzer and Tuch depicted that “African Americans will see police misconduct as both a general problem and one that is primarily targeted towards blacks” (Weitzer and Tuch 1011). A test was given to a sample group to decide whether minorities believe police in their city treats them worse than whites. Results show that minorities are virtually treated worse than whites. When testing the white sample group, results displayed that police in their city treated whites

African Americans, Whites, and Hispanics often perceive American social institutions, including the criminal justice system in starkly different terms. Research has shown that race is one of the most salient predictors of attitudes toward the police and other criminal justice institutions: African Americans are more likely than whites to express dissatisfaction with various aspects of policing. Whites tend to hold a favorable opinion of the police, favor aggressive law enforcement, and are skeptical of criticisms of the police. African Americans and Hispanics, however, are more included to viewing the police as contributing to their subordination through both legal and extralegal practices, as frequently involved in mistreatment of minority citizens. Their position increases the chance that they will see police misconduct as both a general problem and one that particularly afflicts Hispanics and African Americans. The reality is that most African Americans and Hispanics, like many Whites, want law enforcement amplified, though they want it achieved in a fashion that reduces abuses. (Weitzer & Tuch, Race and Perceptions of Police Misconduct, 2004)

Past experiences have shown that African Americans tend to have a more hostile relationship with police officers than other races. Research from multiple scholars confirms that there is in fact a correlation between a person’s race and the attitude they have towards officers. This experiment aims to verify that race is responsible for this difference in attitude. A survey containing multiple demographic questions and inquiries about attitudes and reactions to police officers was distributed to my Research Methods class as well as my family and friends. The results of this

The largest component of the criminal justice system is the law enforcement. This section includes police officers, sheriffs, and marshals. The discrimination people of color experience start with these authoritative figures. “Seven in ten blacks said that the blacks in their community were treated less fairly than whites in dealing with police.” (Pew Research Center). The intended role policemen/women play is to protect and serve the citizens they represent. Yet, this study reports 70% of African Americans feel they are unequally treated in their communities by these law enforcers. Stevenson also writes about the statistic concerning African Americans and the police, “I found that

Many people in the minority community believe that white police officers are far more responsible for abusive conduct toward minorities than any other group(2). The authors of Beyond the Rodney King Story conclude that “ Police abuse in America largely consists of white officers abusing minority citizens. Rickie Clark of the National

There have been many explanations about citizen’s perception or including others minority groups on how they feel about law enforcement and racial profiling. Moreover, there has not been numerous quantitative study but not a real qualitative study. However, the research will be completed through qualitative study approach of an ethnography experience with African-American’s attitude toward law enforcement (Regulus, Taylor,& Jackson, 2000). Also, it does not address the perception of African-American community alone or even if there is a racial issue. Understanding the challenges that blacks faced as a group enslaved by white Americans has impacted America. The research will try to dig into the mindset of the African-American community on