Racial Bias in Policing

by Coded Logic 31 Replies latest social current

• 

  Coded Logic

  You can also find this in the report:

  African Americans are likewise subjected more often to false arrests. Indeed, for each misdemeanor street offense that we examined, local prosecutors and booking officials dismissed a higher proportion of African-American arrests upon initial review compared to arrests of people from other racial backgrounds. BPD officers also disproportionately use force—including constitutionally excessive force—against African-American subjects. Nearly 90 percent of the excessive force incidents identified by the Justice Department review involve force used against African Americans.
  
• 

  Simon

  Community policing relies on the notion of "community" and that has clearly completely and utterly broken down in a lot of places (differentiating between "community" being the geographical neighbourhood vs the people that live there).

  How can the police do community policing when there simply isn't one there anymore?

  We need to be careful that we don't make the mistake of thinking the loudest voices are the only voices. I'm sure for all the people shouting and bemoaning when some criminal get's shot, there are others that would like fewer of them in their neighbourhoods so they could get a community back. Their voices are not as loud. They don't riot or burn things down or block highways. They are often the real victims in all of this and suffer due to the poor behaviour of others.
• 

  EndofMysteries

  The template provides a blueprint for arresting an individual standing on or near a public housing development who cannot give a “valid reason” for being there—a facially unconstitutional detention.

  
  

  Public housing developments are still private property for those who live there and work there. If the area has a drug and crime epidemic, and it's common for somebody to 'stand around' to deal business, or case for theft opportunities, then if they don't live there, and can't give a reason for being there, (visiting family/friends) then probably up to no good. Do random people just hang out in your backyard? Now if it's a public park or area for the public to just hang out, then that would be a different story.
  
  
• 

  EndofMysteries

  Just saw this story. THIS is the true solution. These men have taken control of their lives, identified what they needed to do to be successful, and they are trying to bring change to their community. Change from within is the true solution. Government trying to babysit and fix everything won't ever be nearly as effective.

  http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2016/8/18/_smart_is_the_new_ga.html
  
• 

  never a jw

  Rather, the words “black male” are automatically included in the description of the arrest. The supervisor’s template thus other presumes that individuals arrested for trespassing will be African American.

  Can you explain? What difference does it make if the race has a specific place for it or is part of the general description. The fact that they write black male, implies that there is other possible gender/races.

  Can you post a copy of that form and clarify your point?

  Some food for thought:
  

  Have you noticed that most police reports are written with black ink on white paper? Perhaps the coverage by black ink (usually about 5% of the total page) represents the inferiority of black.
  

  Also, why are police cars painted black and white? Why not all grey, thus indicating the peaceful coexistence of black and white?

  NOTE: there is sarcasm somewhere in this comment
  
• 

  Coded Logic

  Never a JW,

  The point is under the description of "race" the race is already filled in as "black male". You can't put in another option because it's already assumed the trespasser is a black male. It can be found on page 37, 38 of the report.

  http://civilrights.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/20160810_DOJ%20BPD%20Report-FINAL.pdf

  
  
• 

  Coded Logic

  Public housing developments are still private property for those who live there and work there.
  -End of Mysteries

  
  

  You are mistaken. The homes are private property. However, the developments are public property. This means the streets and sidewalks are for public use. The report outlined numerous examples of black men arrested or stopped merely for walking down the sidewalk or sitting on steps outside a private home - essentially stopping people on the street for no good legal reason.

  “These and similar arrests identified by our investigation reflect BPD officers exercising nearly unfettered discretion to criminalize the act of standing on public sidewalks.”
  
  
• 

  never a jw

  Thank you coded logic. My apologies. I see clearly what you meant.

  It is however a strange form. It reads more like a description of a specific trespassing case and not as a general form..
  
• 

  EndofMysteries

  
  

  Funny coded logic, the things I mentioned as a reason, an area with a drug problem and high crime, and those are the reasons.

  
  
  Also what you posted is not a form and it's a screenshot of somebody rewording things. Let's see what page 28 in the original form says....

  Further more if your screenshot is supposed to be proof that black male is prefilled in and can't be changed meaning it's on all of them, then so is officer "John Doe".

  So this person is loitering in a known area for selling/buying drugs. The officer asks him what he is doing there, etc, no answer, no id, etc, so he brings him in to verify who he is and if any warrants, etc. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. Either you want police to help reduce crime, so cities like Baltimore don't turn into the 2nd worst in the entire USA for violent crime and drugs or you pretend that there are no problems and tell them to back off (and then it becomes the 2nd highest crime in the USA).

  Why does America even have a military? How many civilians have died in Iraq, Afganistan, and any country USA soldiers have fought to defend the country from terrorists who killed just a couple hundred/thousand people. Those civilian casualties are acceptable but somebodies hurt feelings or not being politically correct by taking them in for identification when they didn't cooperate and then safely releasing them, those hard feelings are not acceptable to help combat the thousands of murders in the USA every year?
• 

  EndofMysteries

  “These and similar arrests identified by our investigation reflect BPD officers exercising nearly unfettered discretion to criminalize the act of standing on public sidewalks.”

  That is BS. Were they charged with anything? If not then it's not criminalized. But when there is a drug and murder epidemic and the dealers like to loiter in certain areas, then the law abiding citizens who want to put an end to that will appreciate the proactive measures. I used to sell security systems, drove all over several states from living in a few with that job, and been in every type of neighborhood imaginable. City, rural, inner city, white, black, etc. In all cases I was never approached if in my car on the side of the road (usually checking my maps for the next route or getting paperwork ready, etc). But EVERYTIME I would be on the side of the road in certain neighborhoods, I was always approached by somebody within a minute or so looking to sell. It didn't matter what street I was on. It would be one thing if this was happening everywhere and anywhere, but those reports specially even admitted in high drug and high crime areas. I think Baltimore residents will prefer that then what they have happening now.