01 Jul Proofread my essay
Running head: POLICE ETHICS: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION Police Ethics: Racial Discrimination Riley Harris Northern Arizona University 1 POLICE ETHICS: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 2 Police Ethics: Racial Discrimination Introduction Police brutality and excessive use of force are linked to racial discrimination in the United States. Racism in the law enforcement department has been affecting the provision of equal opportunities to the minority ethnic groups in the country. For instance, cases of extrajudicial killings and unnecessary arrests are higher towards the minority races such as the African American youths compared to the whites. The police are likely to arrest or use excessive force in arresting an African American, Latino, or Hispanic youth more than the arrest for white youth. The laws protecting the crime suspects have been ignored when it comes to other races except for whites. The history of racial discrimination is dated in the mid-twentieth century when the people of color were discriminated and segregated by the white supremacists, and the efforts of ending racism in the police department are futile. Therefore, the idea of incorporating the cooperation between the entire American community, the policing department, the lawmakers, and the government will help in ending racial discrimination as a way of minimizing unnecessary arrests and police brutality towards the minority ethnic races. History and Background Information of Racial Discrimination by the Police Department Racial discrimination in the United States is a national social challenge affecting equality and justice implementation policies. The racial discrimination issues emerged in the slavery era where the minority races received prejudice and unjust treatment by the white superiors. Cases of racial discrimination have been rampant in the country which has also affected the implementation of justice in the police department (Harris, 2006). The police department requires the law enforcers to act by police ethics and avoid unjust police practices such as excessive use of force and racial discrimination. 1 POLICE ETHICS: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 3 2 The minority races in the US have suffered racial discrimination on various grounds. The initial racial discrimination was the slavery period which later changed to racial segregation after the end of slavery (Shusta et al., 1995). Racial discrimination in the segregation era drove the minority races in the country to injustice in various grounds such as court decisions, policing activities, and unequal treatment in formal grounds. The minority races include the black community, the Hispanic community, and the Latinos. However, the black communities are subject to racial discrimination compared to other races in the country. The police department is considered the most affected in the cases of racial discrimination. For instance, the black community members are likely to be subjects of criminal victimization. Cases of a police shooting or arresting black community suspects are high compared to other races. Also, the African-American is likely to be subject to assault, rape, arrested, or killed by the white police members. Furthermore, the history of racial discrimination in the police department being against police ethics is evident in the twentieth century. Cases of racial discrimination were evident such as the killing of Fred Hampton in the 1960s (Harris, 2006). Fred Hampton was an AfricanAmerican activist fighting for the rights of the black community when the police department killed him. The killing of the young man was based on racial discrimination, but the police department covered the incidence claiming that the police had acted towards self-defence. Also, other cases such as the Metcalfe hearings 1970s, Jon Burge 1990s, widespread disorderly arrests in the 1980s, and the widespread investigatory stops and frisks in the 21st century provides evidence to the cases of unethical police conduct in racial discrimination (Shusta et al., 1995). The police department is expected to act in accordance with ethics, but racial discrimination and 4 racial bias are considered unethical which is spoiling the nature of the police department. 3 POLICE ETHICS: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 4 Ethical Dilemma of Police Department in Racial Discrimination 5 The police department has an ethical dilemma in implementing policing activities to the US citizens. The police department had received paramilitary training has a problem of facing 6 the black community with a biased attitude. For instance, police are likely to be faced with dehumanization factor when dealing with minority races. The biases are based on various attitudes and beliefs of stereotyping where the minority races are discriminated (Correll et al., 2002). The theory of stereotyping the black community as criminals influences the police officers in acting or making decisions against the minority races which leads to racial discrimination. For example, a non-black police officer is likely to assault or shove a black civilian for various crimes. Also, the minority races are believed to be in connection with various crimes such as public disorder, drug-related crimes, and possession of illegal weapons. The unnecessary arrests or assaults towards racial discrimination are a result of stereotype association of the black community with violence. Furthermore, the police dilemma in using excessive force in handling criminal cases is relatable to racism where the police department acts differently to violence cases when dealing with either the black community or the white. For instance, Correll et al., (2002) investigated the acts of police towards crime cases when dealing with different races. The study found that the police are faced with the dilemma of shooting crime suspects where it is easier and quicker to shoot a black individual compared to shooting a white individual. The study used a video game, and the participants were being investigated the presence of stereotypic actions against the minority races in the United States. Also, the research provided information about an incidence when the police officers shot a black civilian by mistake. The innocent civilian was shot 49 times when the officers mistakenly thought he was a rape suspect simply because he looked like the 7 POLICE ETHICS: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 5 suspect. It was later discovered that the victim was not armed and the police had acted through the dilemma of facing a suspect (Correll et al., 2002). The victim was a suspect by the stereotype of being a criminal. Additionally, the ethical dilemma facing the police department is based on various practices. For instance, the police officers are faced with a situation in which the law enforcers are not aware of the right course of action they should respond. The cases of racial 8 discrimination based on stereotype victimization are evident when the police officers are unaware of what to do when they meet the minority races in crime-related scenes. Also, the police officers are in a dilemma when the course of action considered right was difficult to do and when the wrong course of action was tempting (Correll et al., 2002). Therefore, the police department will be faced with the dilemma of making quick and instant decisions which mostly affects the minority races and increase racial discrimination within the police department. The Social Issues of Racial Discrimination in the Police Department Racial discrimination in the police department is coined to the increased social issues in the United States. The increase in racial discrimination by the police department has stirred the social conflicts within the community. For instance, the killings and shooting of the black community have birthed the black community movements such as Black Lives Matter (Ransby, 2015). The movements have been installed to fight for equality and extrajudicial killings of the minority races. The community is raged by the increased cases of shootings and killings of the black community mostly the youths (Smith & Alpert, 2007). The social issues within the racial discrimination affecting the community involve the police structural racism and residential segregation where the minority races are at risk. 9 POLICE ETHICS: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 6 11 Structural racism involves the increase arrests of the black community members in the society which has raised the alarm to the government and community leaders. Racial disparity is evident in the fatal police shootings of black community youths. The cases of youth shootings 10 have increased which is a social issue affecting the community. Also, residential segregation where the minority races are discriminated compared to others races is evident in the search and frisk stops, unnecessary arrests, frequent raids, and false imprisonment whereby the black community suffer in the hands of the police officers (Smith & Alpert, 2007). The cases of social issues have raised the concern of the ethical conduct of the police department. The social issues of police officers attacking innocent black civilians have as well constructed a racism disparity within the country. The disparity has birthed racism which was on the verge of ending where the black community sees the white as enemies. The Political Issues of Racial Discrimination in the Police Department The issue of racial discrimination in the United States has affected even the political stability in the country. Police brutality towards the minority races has brought consequences 12 whereby the public has questioned the contribution of the government towards fighting the menace. Political racism is coined to the increased cases of police brutality to the African American population (Doane, 2006). For instance, the government is aware of the challenges, but little efforts are taken to handle the situation. Therefore racial politics is based on the struggle of the population towards fighting of ending racism in the country. Racial politics affects the equal distribution of power where the minority races are discriminated in all sectors. The dominant races in the country have been affecting the political 13 stability by enjoying almost all the vehicles of progress which leaves the minority races out of the managerial positions. The political dominance of the white supremacy has extended the POLICE ETHICS: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 7 efforts of fighting for equality and racism has taken its roots (Doane, 2006). For instance, the superiors governing the police sector are predominantly from the white race where the minority races take the lesser effective positions. Therefore, the war against racism in the police sector has 14 been politicized from the top officials. Additionally, political racism affecting American society involves the efforts of the American government to help the minority races. For instance, the government has failed to fight drug business in the black communities as a way of spoiling the youths in the affected society. 15 Also, the government investigates the few elected blacks in prominent offices which show mistrust to the individuals based on the skin color. Cases of arrests and killings are rampant to the African American population compared to the white population (Doane, 2006). For instance, most cases of assaults and daily arrests are from the black community regardless of the crimes committed. It is easier to arrest a black individual that it is to a white person whether they both committed similar crimes. Therefore, the political issues affecting the policing activities are related to the politics within the law enforcement department. Legal Issues of Racial Discrimination in the Police Department The legal challenges facing the police department in the fight against racial discrimination involve the procedures and representation of the minority races in the court system. The amendment of The Race Relations Act 2000 was meant to promote the mode of investigations against the black community in legal premises. The Act was to facilitate equal treatment of the people of color in matters of law as there were reported cases of unequal treatment and unjust incarceration of African American citizens (Field & Roberts, 2002). Also, the Act helps in minimizing discrimination in investigations towards the African American suspects. The Act indicates the procedure of suing and seeking for justice when the suspect is POLICE ETHICS: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 8 wrongly mistreated or unequally represented in the court system. However, the court and legal system have failed to fight racial discrimination by having a long list of pending unheard and 16 unsolved cases of the black community suspects. The legal system is no longer helping to curb racial discrimination, and cases on injustice to the minority races are pending in the court system (Field & Roberts, 2002). Also, the court is not punishing the arrested police officers found guilty for racial discrimination or use of excessive force against the black community suspects. Criminology and Sociological Theories Criminology theories explain the reasons behind committing of crimes within human life. Different people have diverse reasons for engaging in crimes. The study of crimes also helps in 17 understanding the causes of crimes and ways of avoiding offenses. Examples of criminal theories include choice theory, classical theory, conflict theory, critical theory, labelling theory, and life course theory (White, Haines, & Asquith, 2017). The sociological theories try to explain the social phenomenon where the people in society behave in certain ways and the reason behind their actions. The three sociological theories include the symbolic interactionist perspective, the functionalist perspective, and the conflict perspective theory. Rational choice theory is based on how the people act by the self-interest and later decide to commit a crime even after weighing the risks associated with the crime. The social disorganization theory explains the social environment of an individual as the cause of a crime. For instance, living in slums and poverty can cause an individual in engaging in criminal activities. The strain theory is based on the expectations of society and people tend to commit a crime in an attempt to fit in a community (Brantingham, 2013). Social learning theory explains the motivation and skills obtained from the people an individual associates with. The criminology theories are meant to explain why people engage in crimes and the remedies behind 18 POLICE ETHICS: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 9 handling the situations. The social control theory explains that people would have committed crimes if not for the availability of social structures such as school, church, workplaces, and families. Moreover, labelling theory indicates that the government officials decide what is wrong or right which drives the definition of a crime. Therefore, the legal system labels an individual as a criminal and nothing could be done to change the issue (Brantingham, 2013). Evolution theory of criminology indicates the biological causes of crime such as mental illness, bad-brain chemistry, and aggressiveness is perpetrators of criminal activities. However, the police department takes advantage of the criminology theories and mistreats some individuals who perpetrate racism in the law enforcement department. The strategy of instigating racial discrimination in the police department is coined to the understanding of criminology theories. For instance, many police officers in the United States have the notion of branding the minority races towards crimes. The African American community is deemed or stereotyped to be criminals (Weisburd, 2015). Also, the police department believes that the Latinos and the Hispanic community are connected to every drugrelated activities. The different ideas stereotyped to the minority races in the country have worsened the criminal activities. The issue of stereotyping the minority races in criminal activities has affected the community’s view towards the police department. Many members of the minority races in the country would respond differently to a police officer regardless of being in the good side of the law (Weisburd, 2015). The black youths are likely to run away after seeing a police officer. The issue of racial discrimination in the United States is affecting cohesiveness and should be reevaluated to connect the entire society as a community. Solutions to Racial Discrimination in the Police Department 19 POLICE ETHICS: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 10 The solutions to police brutality against the minority races in America will be based on cooperation between the government, law enforcement department, and the American citizens. Ideas and logical solutions are being aired to the public to come up with long-term resolutions that will help curb the menace. For instance, the African American communities will be required to participate in the war against the use of drugs and petty crimes as a way of minimizing the stereotyping the black civilians into crime (Perez-Huber & Solorzano, 2015). The strategy will be built within the measure of incorporating African American police forces which would act as friendly negotiators against crime. Need for Improvement The solutions towards the racial discrimination in the police department would start with joining the scholars in documenting the vices and racial discrimination practices against the minority races in the country. Scholars help in advocating for documentation of the deaths related to racism and excessive use o force by the police officers. Also, society should collaborate and partner among communities, the policymakers, and law enforcement personnel to find a long-lasting solution to racial discrimination (Perez-Huber & Solorzano, 2015). The black community would play a major role in enforcing for reliable changes in the police department. The community should as well investigate the magnitude of the policies, laws, and guidelines on whether they have a negative impact on the lives of the minority races. Creating awareness to the society on the negativity of the policies will enlighten the community and act accordingly to fight for equal rights and fair treatment. The society should support movements like Black Lives Matter to raise awareness on equal rights regardless of race or ethnicity. Therefore, the strategies will help in advocating for changes for the benefit of the minority races in the country. 20 POLICE ETHICS: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 11 Suggested Reforms The solution to police brutality towards the minority ethnic groups in America can be addressed by finding the root cause of racial discrimination. The society in collaboration with the government has the mandate to execute plans and strategies to find the cure for the issue. For instance, the government has initiated the program where the police officers will be wearing public surveillance cameras while on duty. The initiative will assess the interaction between the officers and the civilians and would detect any misconduct or police use of excessive force when handling crime suspects (Simmons, 2011). Also, the police require laser scanners suitable for detecting firearms at a distance which would end the issue of imagining an African American civilian with a gun. The law enforcers also require amending various laws to protect the civilians from police brutality. For example, the Fourth Amendment Law slows down the arresting process which will give the civilians and crime suspects time to explain their situations. Furthermore, the suggested remedies to the situation would involve de-escalation training where the police officers will obtain racial intelligence training suitable for handling racially involved cases. The police department would as well be require …
Our website has a team of professional writers who can help you write any of your homework. They will write your papers from scratch. We also have a team of editors just to make sure all papers are of HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE. To make an Order you only need to click Ask A Question and we will direct you to our Order Page at WriteDemy. Then fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Fill in all the assignment paper details that are required in the order form with the standard information being the page count, deadline, academic level and type of paper. It is advisable to have this information at hand so that you can quickly fill in the necessary information needed in the form for the essay writer to be immediately assigned to your writing project. Make payment for the custom essay order to enable us to assign a suitable writer to your order. Payments are made through Paypal on a secured billing page. Finally, sit back and relax.
About Writedemy
We are a professional paper writing website. If you have searched a question and bumped into our website just know you are in the right place to get help in your coursework. We offer HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE Papers.
How It Works
To make an Order you only need to click on “Order Now” and we will direct you to our Order Page. Fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Are there Discounts?
All new clients are eligible for 20% off in their first Order. Our payment method is safe and secure.