5.6 Conclusion
Attempting to address issues of racial injustice within policing is not an easy task. Researchers, scholars, politicians, and community members have different interpretations of the related problems and how to address them. Policing and the race relations within the institution are just one part of a massive criminal justice system. However, racial justice within this component of the system is very important, as police action or inaction has very real, direct consequences on people and communities.
One thing is certain that we cannot ignore the history and evolution of policing or the legislation passed that officers have been tasked with enforcing. Prejudice and racism can exist at individual and systemic levels. However, effective solutions will not just apply to those who are prejudiced, but must also address those who fail to call out and condemn discriminatory behavior. If you are a student planning to enter the criminal justice field in some capacity, you can have a direct impact on the ground. Even if you do not intend to work in this area, you have the power to improve the system. As a taxpayer, voter, and contributor to this society, you will interact with, fund, and influence policy in the criminal justice system; don’t stop learning or caring!
Discussion Questions and Chapter Resources
Discussion questions
- Is policing an inherently racist institution? Explain.
- Officers enforcing discriminatory laws during the 1960s may say that they were just doing their job and that racial segregation was socially acceptable. How would you respond to this argument?
- How important is representation in law enforcement? Do you think a local law enforcement agency’s officers should racially/ethnically mirror the community’s residents? Why or why not?
- How do you think the field of law enforcement has changed over time for historically underrepresented individuals who join the force?
- Take this Implicit Association Test [Website]. Did your results surprise you? How might implicit associations impact officer discretion and decision-making?
Chapter resources
- To learn more about Amelia Boynton Robinson’s experience on Bloody Sunday, see Selma 50 Years Later: Remembering Bloody Sunday [Streaming Video].
- To learn more about the relationship between slavery and American policing, see How American Slavery Helped Create Modern-Day Policing [Streaming Video].
- To learn more about the Los Angeles Police Department’s raids on “crack houses,” see Toddy Tee’s lyrics for the rap song Batterram [Website].
- To see a documentary about racial justice issues in the history and evolution of American policing, go to Sound of the Police [Website] (available on Hulu).
- To learn more about the buoy chain in the Rio Grande and the related ethical concerns, see Border Patrol and Security Topical [Website].
- To learn more about the Tulsa Race Massacre, see 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre [Website].
- To learn more about Jon Burge and the Midnight Crew, see Chicago Police Torture Archive [Website].
- To learn more about the investigation of the corruption in Baltimore and the accountability measures that were taken, see Gun Trace Task Force Investigation [Website].
- Consider listening to podcast episode 33 with Tanya Meisenholder, the Deputy Commissioner of Equity and Inclusion for the New York City Police Department: Reducing Crime [Podcast].
- Consider reviewing Say Their Names: Green Library Exhibit Supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement [Website].
- To learn more about CAHOOTS, see Mobile Crisis Intervention Team Responding to Mental Health Calls Without Police [Streaming Video].
- Documentary about Dontre Hamilton: The Blood Is at the Doorstep [Website].
Licenses and Attributions for Conclusion
“Conclusion” by Jessica René Peterson is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
a category of people grouped because they share inherited physical characteristics that are identifiable, such as skin color, hair texture, facial features, and stature
an individual attitude based on inflexible and irrational generalizations about a group of people and literally means “judging before.”
a form of prejudice that refers to a set of negative attitudes, beliefs, and judgments about whole categories of people, and about individual members of those categories because of their perceived race and ethnicity.
a group of people living in a defined geographic area that has a common culture
Name for March 7, 1965, when police and a citizen posse violently attacked civil rights protestors marching from Selma to Montgomery
