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African American Police Research Paper

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Recommended: The effects of racial profiling

The presence of this hidden practice of the police is also prevalent in African American communities and has shaped African Americans’ perception of the police. One quote that explains the temperament of African Americans towards the police is, “One of the most reliable findings in research on attitudes toward police is that citizen distrust is more widespread among African-Americans than whites” (Brunson 2007:73). “African Americans have had to deal with aggressive policing associated with racial profiling and other direct experiences with racial discrimination that lead to lasting adverse effects on individual perceptions of the police. For example, in predominantly black neighborhoods they are always pat down for drugs no matter where they go” (Brunson 2007:76). “If they see us every five …show more content…

Or we be chillin’ in front of the store, [they] get out checking everybody” (Brunson 2007:84). Experiences such as these have led to a domino effect in the African-American community, where if one person has a negative personal experience with the police it will be shared with friends and family and they will also have disdain for law enforcement. To them, the police do not see high hopes for African Americans. “If an African American had fancy clothes or had a lot of money their first thought would not be that this person worked hard but more along the lines of this person has been selling drugs” (Brunson 2007:85). Also, the police officers are seen as crooked by African Americans because they have been known as lawbreakers instead of law-enforcers (Brunson 2007:85). For example, William described how the police took $300 from his cousin who they suspected of selling drugs. He explained: “[The police] took his money ‘cuz he had like a large amount of money on him, but he didn’t sell no drugs or

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Brent Staples’s essay is still relevant today because of the fear that lives inside people who don’t understand or accept others, which often leads to authorities abusing their power so that they can feel safe while others live their lives cautiously. This relates to how both African Americans and the police live their lives in fear and with caution. The police fear African Americans due to their own prejudice reasons which causes them to abuse their authority by acting more aggressive which helps themselves feel safer and stronger. This forces African Americans to live their lives with caution and patience because if they don’t, they put themselves at a higher risk of endangering themselves. Brent Staples wrote the article “Black Men in Public

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When it comes to the perceptions of the criminal justice system and the role that the police play in society, blacks and whites live in different worlds. African Americans do not receive equal

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Police officers are more likely to stop and arrest African Americans, compared to other ethnic groups in America, and this has to do with stereotypes. Mainstream media portrays black men as violent, thugs or drug sellers which shapes the perceptions majority of Americans have towards African Americans (Hurwitz & Peffley, 2005). Therefore, these stereotypes become a method to dehumanize and make it acceptable for black people to be treated in a certain way in the criminal justice system. Also, there is a big gap when it comes to how to black people and white people view the criminal justice system because they experience it differently. Whites are significantly more likely to approve police aggression compared to their black counterparts, because they are not subjected to violence from Criminal Justice system (Hadden, Tolliver, Snowden, & Brown, 2016).

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Throughout history, the failure of the government to protect black people from ruthless enforcement officers, forced blacks to act in their own interests. During the 1930s, the National Negro Congress organized massive rallies against police brutality, the Black Panther was created to stem the tide of police abuse, and in the 1970s the Congress of African Peoples sponsored the “Stop Killer Cops” Campaigns (Fitzgerald, 2007). The list goes on and on of groups and campaigns that African Americans formed to protect themselves from white supremacy and most importantly police brutality. Although some observers claim that racial profiling doesn’t exist, there are an abundance of stories and statistics that document the

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Synthesis Research Paper Everyday growing up as a young black male we have a target on our back. Society was set out for black males not to succeed in life. I would always hear my dad talk about how police in his younger days would roam around the town looking for people to arrest or get into an altercation with. As a young boy growing up I couldn’t believe some of the things he said was happening. However as I got older I would frequently hear about someone getting killed by the police force.

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As a young black male in 2017, our society has me racially profiled. Anytime they see a young black male like myself, eyebrows raise. Society does not view us as equals, they view us as a minority even though we are a majority. We are viewed as the ground the walk on. They think we will never amount to anything.

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Police brutality is a serious injustice which impacts many individuals in the United States and is an issue that needs to be addressed and resolved. Millions of American citizens interact with law enforcement, “about 1 million of these civilians experience police threat or use of force during these interactions”(Law Enforcement Epidemiology Project). Police brutality against Black people in the US is nothing new; it has existed here for a very long time. Historical evidence confirms that Black people are the victims of police brutality.

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However, research demonstrates that often times men of color are treated harshly which leads to negative perceptions of police officers. Police brutality is a crime that is has been surfacing in the news recently. Some people are just starting to realize that these injustices against the black community really occur, while others are well aware. The recent shootings, different run-ins with officers being filmed while doing such harmful actions against African American men is an example of police brutality and, that reminds us that as a society work needs to be done to improve police and community relations. A black male cannot even walk down the street on a cold night because he might be a suspect from something or he may be of danger to the people around.

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Throughout history, disputes and tensions between law enforcement officials and communities of minorities have endured hostility and violence between each other. Racial profiling has become a “hot topic” for researchers as well as for politicians and by now it is likely that most citizens are at least aware of the common accusations of racial bias pitted against law enforcement (Cochran & Warren, 2013). Communities of color are being discriminated against and racially profiled by white police officers for any suspicion of criminal activities. It has been widely assumed by policy makers and citizens alike that allegations of racial profiling are mostly associated with the policing practices of white officers and their treatment of racial and ethnic minorities (Cochran & Warren, 2013). Also, individuals of minority descent will certainly recognize that they are being racially profiled during a stop that is being conducted by a white police officer.

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An occurrence observed by the population of Los Angeles, California conveys the existence of racism and police brutality. According to The Polls-Trends: Racial Differences in Attitudes Toward the Police, “…three quarters of blacks, but only 38 percent of whites, continued to view police brutality as a common occurrence” (Tuch and Weitzer

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Random sample surveys were conducted in Seattle, Washington by telephone, which asked citizen’s various questions concerning their feelings towards police. These questions included their level of happiness in regards to police problem-solving, their views on police hassling citizens, and if they had ever experienced, or perceived to experience racial profiling or bias by law enforcement (Wu, 2014). Of all the citizens that took part in the survey, 64% of African Americans felt that racial profiling was a problem inside their neighborhoods, 28% of Asians, 20% of whites, and 34% of Hispanics agreed (Wu,

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