The following paper has been written to provide a glimpse into the mindset of how the minorities’ percieve the police force and what has stemmed this notion. Ethnic minorities have been subject to undue discrimination on the hands of police personnel; this has caused the minorities to distrust the police and have a general negative attitude towards the force. This paper aims to understand the co relation and decipher the underlying principles regarding this impression.
Ethnicity and the Police
1. Introduction:
a) Concept: The society today is plagued with racial discrimination; this holds true not just amongst the common man but ethnic divide is glaringly obvious within the society regulators. The police, who is considered the epitome of justice fails to exercise fairness and instead shows partiality towards ethnic minorities.
b) Mindset: Minority groups have reported unjust actions by police officials which prove the corruption within the police force.
2. Body:
a) Problem faced: Inner city neighbourhoods are regular targets of police discrimination. Racially biased opinions have been prevalent from a long time especially towards African-Americans. A number of cases where the accused have been Afro-Americans have been unjustly put behind bars, without much investigation.
b) Perceived notions of the Minorities: Unfair practices by the police have triggered unrest and distrust amongst the ethnic minorities towards the police force. This has further resulted into increasing number of crimes amongst the ethnic minorities.
c) Previous studies: Past studies clearly indicate that most minorities have a negative attitude towards the police than the Whites. It is a sorry state as this distrust has arose from perceived notions, rather than actual data.
Conclusion:
Social discrimination has been prevailing from a long time, but is yet practiced today, even though in a more dignified manner. It is time that in a nation like USA, which embodies democracy, should take up the cause of unjust discrimination of ethnic minorities on the hands of police and regulate the functioning of the forces so as to benefit all. Even though there have been times when the ethnic minorities have merely formed an opinion without any basis, it is important in such a case for the government to portray a better picture of the police force in order to regain the trust of ethnic minorities.
Refrences:
1. Jonas, A.B.J. and Whitfield, E.A. (1986), ``Postal survey of public satisfaction with police officers in New Zealand’’, Police Studies, Vol. 9, pp. 211-21
2. Hurst, Y.G. and Frank, J. (2000), ``How kids view cops: the nature of juvenile attitudes toward the police’’, Journal of Criminal Justice, Vol. 28, pp. 189-202.
3. Walker S. (2012). Ethnicity and Criminal Justice. 26 April 2012. Retrieved from web. http://samuelwalker.net/issues/race-ethnicity-and-criminal-justice/
