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Racial profiling: Still a problem?Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2007/05/08 - 3:23pm.
A new report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, "Contacts Between Police and the Public, 2005," says that while the number of citizens of all races stopped or searched by law enforcement has dropped since 2002, minorities are still more likely than whites to be searched, arrested, and/or have force used against them. Read more... From the report (PDF format): • In both 2002 and 2005, white, black, and Hispanic drivers were stopped by police at similar rates, while blacks and Hispanics were more likely than whites to be searched by police. Further, perceptions about whether contact with police was justified vary by race: Blacks (82.2%) were less likely than whites (91.6%) to feel the police acted properly during a contact. Racial differences in opinion about police behavior were not found across all types of contacts. No differences were found in the percentages of whites and blacks who felt the police behaved properly when helping with a traffic accident or providing assistance, such as giving directions. The authors of the report say findings of racial disparities are not evidence that minorities are treated differently, and "might be explained by countless other factors and circumstances that were not taken into account in the analysis." The ACLU takes a somewhat different view. Dennis Parker, Director of the ACLU’s Racial Justice Project, stated in a recent press release: "These findings demonstrate clear and significant racial disparities in the way in which motorists are treated once they have been stopped by law enforcement. The report found that blacks and Hispanics were roughly three times as likely to be searched during a traffic stop, blacks were twice as likely to be arrested and blacks were nearly four times as likely to experience the threat or use of force during interactions with the police. There are also questions regarding why the Justice Department does not provide breakdown by race of cases where evidence of a crime was found following a search. The ACLU believes that this would show that many such searches are not justified: "Moreover, there was a significant figure left out of this report – the racial breakdown of the number of searches that resulted in the discovery of illegal contraband. Previous reports demonstrated that while black and Hispanic drivers were more likely than whites to be searched by law enforcement during traffic stops, they were less likely to be harboring contraband. In 2005 the Justice Department went so far as to try to conceal these numbers. They even demoted the official, Lawrence A. Greenfeld, who compiled them. This report makes no mention of the racial breakdown of the hit rate. It’s an eerie silence and the Justice Department needs to explain why this is not in the report." The press release mentions a letter to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in Aug. of 2005 from The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights signed by several prominent civil rights leaders regarding the suppression of the findings: We are deeply concerned and dismayed by the reported efforts of political appointees in the Department to suppress or downplay these important findings. All of us who care about the fair administration of justice, including law enforcement agencies across the country, rely on the unbiased and apolitical work of BJS. Its reports are the gold standard for analysis of the state of our nation's criminal justice system. Integrity in law enforcement research should be a bedrock principle of the Department's work in this area. Attempts to undermine that integrity should not be tolerated. There is no indication if A.G. Gonzales has any recollection of remembering if he received the letter or read it, but this appears to be more evidence that political influence in the Department of Justice is undermining civil rights enforcement. This article first appeared at Facing South. ( categories: )
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Was anyone listening to WUOT yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon? During the afternoon program All Things Considered, the local host who provides regional and local news informed the listeners that a "six foot black man" (note that this was the *complete* description) who robbed a Bearden bank was still at large. My husband called the station to complain, and the first person to answer the phone hung up on him after he voiced his complaint, and the second person with whom he spoke argued with him over the issue before asking him the color of his own skin! Both people stated that they were "just reading" the news that was given to them. Exactly...
I heard this myself and was shocked at the carelessness (I prefer to believe they are just ignorant and not actually malicious, but your husband's experience makes me wonder).
I am appalled that your husband was treated that way when he called WUOT. He had a reasonable cause for concern, and now I'm concerned.
Anyone with half a brain should know that generic descriptions of suspects like "six foot black man" only contribute to the racist association of blacks with criminal behavior. When you accuse one black person you condemn an entire group of individuals, but I bet no one at WUOT ever considers this fact, so the crap continues to pile up.
When is the media going to take responsibility for their role in promoting fear and intolerance? I really expected more from NPR. Why would they reinforce a negative stereotype about an entire community if it can be easily avoided?
Gravity sucks. Water is wet. Republicans lie. Beer is good. The pope wears a funny hat. And bears do what they want in the woods.
Well DUH!!!
CAFKIA
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It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument.
- William G. McAdoo
Anyone remember the black guy on Dandridge Avenue who officers pants in full public view in a gas station convience store and then proceeded to spread open his butt to look for contraband? It was disgusting and the people on the scene weren't all black. One young white woman was still trembling from outrage when the TV crew interviewed her. No white guy in any other part of town would ever have been treated that way.
Prejudice lies deep in all of us. It has deep roots and takes continual vigilance to free ourselves from it.
When I am not allowed to tell you something without making you mad that is the truth what is this called?
Seems like we get overly mad about things that can't be helped. Why would you not tell someone a description of a robber. Why would hearing this make you mad? How would you describe something or someone if you were not allowed to give any detail?
If it is local radio and the report is of a robbery or some similar crime where the suspect is not caught, the description of the suspect (whatever it may be) seems like news.
This particular scenario does not seem to be a racial issue to me. I'm not saying there aren't plenty others but to say what the on-the-loose robber looks like is news.
This hurts to agree with River Dog. I mean if he admits agreeing with me that's one thing, but me agreeing with him... ouch.
I think you may have missed the main complaint. "Six foot black man" is hardly going to lead you, me, or the police to the suspect. What was the outcome really supposed to be? Were all people in the Bearden area that day supposed to be on the look out for a six foot black man? That is ridiculous. Why weren't further descriptions given? (I should note that after my husband called with the complaint, more descriptions were added later on in the newscast--the man had short hair and graying facial hair. why were these adjectives left out earlier?)
This is really a part of a longer, complicated history in which the black male body has become a symbol of criminality in white cultural outlets. Perhaps some people think that reacting to the singular incident is an over-reaction, but taken in a broader context, moments such as these are not just robbery reports.
I should also mention that there has been, in recent months, a community conversation in knoxville about how the local media (especially the news sentinel) has chosen to represent people and communities of color. The questions must be asked: who controls the media? what are their motives? what biases have been built into the media? my husband's complaint did not occur in a vacuum. it's one more incident in a chain of events.
...while black and Hispanic drivers were more likely than whites to be searched by law enforcement during traffic stops, they were less likely to be harboring contraband.
WOW - that statistic is next thing to direct proof of profiling.
Unfortunately, our recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings fail to protect our liberty in this area. If an officer says he stops a person for a traffic violation (say, a lane violation) but it can be proven that the officer's motive was really to shake him or her down, that is not an unconstitutional stop. In the defense of our rights we are now told that it is not relevant whether we can prove profiling, if there's an otherwise objective reason for the stop. (Antonin Scalia in Whren v. United States (1996))
The state vs. liberty game is rigged.
I wonder if it's possible to get a Knoxville/Knox County statistic to compare with this national data?
I enjoy debating but I sure don't want to really make anyone mad. I appreciate the nice comment S. Carpenter wrote. This is to me like being back in school where we intelligently explored political issues.
An NPR liberal radio station gives out a partial description of a robbery suspect as it came in to them. They updated it as they were pressed by you for more detail? Good for you! More detail was needed. But a conspiracy?
My vote would be for more detail from all the media outlets, rather than dumbing down the news to fit a politcial correctness standard. Why are they not allowed to describe the crime suspect? I can't see how that helps neighborhoods struggling with violent crime problems and it assists in the concealment of the suspect.
"liberal," "conspiracy," "political correctness standard." jargon that doesn't get us anywhere. i did not say that the media is "not allowed to describe the crime suspect."
the media plays a role in racial profiling. does river dog want to continue playing devil's advocate, or sincerely address the more complicated issue?
"Black men all look alike."
" They're often times up to no good."
" Many are dangerous."
That's what is behind the comment and the outrage.
If it happened to be a white man would they only have said a six foot tall white man? It most likely would have been--a six foot tall white man with brown hair wearing a t-shirt and jeans with a red baseball cap. Chances are more description (and a more accurate details might have been offered. Because we don't "see" black people in a social way, we don't see the details that differentiate one of them from another.
It isn't just this one incident. It's accumulative anger because of the thousands of times things like this are happening every day to black, Asian., and Latino peoples.
Until we can dig deep and realize we tend to treat minorities with a bias, we can never enjoy the freedom that comes from unshackling ourselves from prejudice. We will always be scared of "them', and they will be scared of "us" and all for the most misguided reasons.
We really ought to have a national "Take Someone Different From Yourself to Lunch Day". You can't judge any race white, black, green, or yellow, from what you read in the media. The dirty little secret racists don't want anyone to know is--when we get to know each other we're very much the same with a few pinches of different spices and colors mixed in.
There is no "them". They are "us". We the people.
The suspect should have been described by where he was last seen or what he was wearing, anything rather than the generic and often racially devastating (sometimes deadly) phrase six foot tall black man.
At the News Sentinel (where I work) the policy is to only use race when it's pertinent, such as in a complete description of a crime suspect, emphasis on *complete*.
I don't know that we've always 100 percent followed that policy, but I do know that if I came across "the suspect was described as a 6-foot black man" in the course of my editing duties, I would never allow that through.
Not all black men are "black" in the way we white people usually assume. Many black men looks Hispanic, Italian, or Middle Eastern. Skin shades vary tremendously more than most people assume.
If used in a complete description as you described, that seems fair, as it would prevent every man on the street from being a suspect. Anyone who thinks this isn't a common occurence is naive.
If you hear "a black man" only, you're looking at everyone you see as a possible suspect.
So if it makes some people mad to read the description of a criminal who committed the crime or a partial description your editors will not allow you to report it?
Read my post again. I'm doing the editing. While you're at it, read some of the posts above. "6-foot-tall black man" is not a description, any more than "6-foot-tall white man" is. Why would you print (or broadcast) either?
A man is accosting women at a popular park in Knoxville. He is taking their purses.
Here at the Sentinal I am not allowed to tell you any more details as it would offend the sensibilities of a few readers even though I have a few more details that would let you narrow down who to watch for and maybe let you help us catch him.
In another reported form of racial profiling:
From what my brother told me, my niece, who is half Latino and half white was in a small selected group from her Air National guard unit sent to Iraq. Oddly enough, it seems that no whites, or at least very few of them from her unit, were selected for this tour of duty.
I'm glad to report that she is now back home safe with her children once again.
Adrift in the Sea of Humility
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