Police Officers must make quick determinations of wrong doing in most situations. Sometimes, that leads to what could be considered a mistake of judgment. Depending on the race of the officer, this could now be considered racism, causing the community to reach out, making an issue of an officers’ judgment call. Media concentrates on the bad things officers do relating to racism and police brutality, rather than efforts made to prevent racism. Some may ask, what is being done in police departments to prevent racism?
Racial Profiling is when a single group or race is singled out and watched closely because the police feel that they are more likely to commit crimes. The example that is most common is “driving while black”. This means that black people are pulled over and searched more often then others. Racial Profiling is currently illegal but it still happens. Racial Profiling is a violation of the people’s civil rights.
Even though all of these strains have an influence on the racial differences in crime, I believe that the community contributes a lot to these differences. By observing at a community, one can derive that a community branches out to numerous types of strain. According to the text, African Americans show a disproportionate number of residents who occupy areas where there are higher rates of violence and economical disadvantages. These disadvantaged neighborhoods usually lack good public schools, job opportunities, and more often promote criminal behavior. With the lack of job opportunities in a poverty infused area, one might succumb to criminal
Further, because most hate-crime legislation puts added effort into prosecuting crimes against certain individuals or groups, what about the same crimes committed against someone who doesn't fit into one of those groups? Will the crime be prosecuted to the same extent? If not, you're making things worse for the majority, who are likely to feel underprotected. If the problem is that too many people (of any group) are being mugged, or assaulted, or their belongings vandalized, you should put more effort into prosecuting muggings, assaults, or vandalism. Not to protect any one group, but to protect all
Individuals have also made good arguments about the negative outcome that racial profiling might bring to our society. Obviously it has led the dominant race to have superiority to the minorities – racial discrimination. James Zogby, the president of the Arab-American Institute have made a point that he have seen a lot of dark skinned people being searched and treated with humiliation, which is really wrong – Racial Relations. David Harris, a writer and Professor at Toledo College, have already written a couple of books about racial profiling. He states that law enforcers think that they would be more accurate in targeting a suspicious group, but in reality, what happens is the total opposite wherein officials have inaccurate results in targeting the suspect—Race Relations.
This may be because Black Prisoners often enter from impoverished backgrounds with higher rates of violent crimes; therefore “import “their cultural norms which condone violent behaviour. The other model of institutional aggression is the deprivation model. This claims that the characteristics of the prison itself is the reason rather than the prisoners. They argue that it is the experiences of imprisonment that causes extreme stress and frustration which in turns leads to violence. Sykes argues how the loss of freedom, heterosexual relationships, isolation and boredom leads inmates needing to engage in violence which is a reaction to the hurt they feel.
This legacy of discrimination in U.S. drug policy amplifies the burgeoning gap in opportunities available to White youth and youth of color. To correct this discrepancy policies must be enacted that make education a priority over incarceration. Americans are reinforced to believe that individuals are largely in control of their own destiny. We are told that hard work, sacrifice, and personal effort, determines what happens to us. The fundamental institutions of the American society function unfairly, restricting access and opportunity for millions of people.
If the only reason to pull someone over depends on his or her race, this causes a discriminatory impact. Police departments begun to review data on stops and change police officers behaviors, arguments and attitudes towards the leading of stereotype based discriminatory treatment. (Racial profiling, 2012) This researcher frowns much upon racial profiling but with surveys conducted every day on who is likely to commit a crime, and what age, and what sex, and what minority group then people tend to lean towards these surveys proving that race is a huge part of crime involvement. In conclusion, criminal profiling works as an investigative tool to help solve crimes. Criminal profiling has come a long way and still needs a lot of improvement.
The media’s portrayal of African American’s is both inaccurate and highly degrading. The racism present in today’s media needs to be addressed and dealt with. African Americans suffer from institutional racism, are misrepresented in the news, and their portrayals on television are based on negative stereotypes that do not accurately portray reality. If this issue is never resolved then our main stream media will continue to be tainted by racism and the African American stereotype will go on to contaminate the minds of the next
Laws are there to protect against unfair and unjust treatment; however, there are always loopholes when it comes to obtaining a conviction for White person. When the scenario is opposed, the conviction is usually excessive. Legislation to constrain race within prejudicial boundaries included Jim Crow Laws. Jim Crow laws were “Laws that enforced racial segregation in the South that required separation of whites from “persons of color” in public facilities, transportation, and schools.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015) During the Civil Rights Movement, many people fought to overturn this law. They protested, marched, wrote letters to Congress, wrote letters to the President, etc.