Crime is “an intentional act or omission in violation of criminal law, committed without defense or justification, and sanctioned by the state as a felony or misdemeanor” (Tappan, 1947). Here in the United States we have police officers that are here to protect and serve the citizens and stop those who commit crimes. Police officers originate from Slave Patrol, the procedures, policies in use, even the badge and uniform all originate from armed white men who monitored and “disciplined” slaves (Kappeler). In todays society we still face numerous civil issues with countless incidents of racism and discrimination. In the eyes of our police officers and judicial system, do they see color?
Society has given the African American man the stereotype of being violent, dangerous, and uneducated. In the process of doing so, capitalist America has made billions of dollars profiting off of black culture such as clothes, music, hair and the things that they do and how they live on a daily basis yet feel threatened by them at the same time. Feeling the need to arrest and prosecute them while in the process. White America is intimidated by the African American people yet imitate their culture for their own profit.
After shooting an innocent civilian, a policeman will claim they felt threatened for their life, and or in danger. Even if the person whom they shot had no weapon or anything that resembled it. Do they consider the fact that they are the ones approaching a civilian who hasn’t been trained and tested and usually unarmed? In a simple police encounter, whether it be traffic stop etc. African Americans are more than three times as likely as white people to be killed by the police (Harvard). This is due to a number of things, from police training needing more work, to some people are simply racist and see color, and even if not racist they obviously feel threatened by just the color of their skin. I also find this interesting because according to the National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, police officer is not even top ten listed and well under 20 deaths per 100,000 officers in 2018 (NCFOL). Therefore when they say they feel in danger or threatened by a civilian it is purely very bad training, a new psych test is needed, and or they are racist or feel entitled to play as God and do as they please.
Yes there is data showing that there are more arrests made in low income, African American neighborhoods but that is due to the fact that they are over patrolled and searched at times for doing nothing but being alive, outside in the world. Police patrol more in African American neighborhoods and search them more because they assume they have contraband yet they rarely ever search a white person when they make up most of the population anywhere else. In Los Angeles the LAPD released some data that supports this.
In Los Angeles of 2019, an article was released showing how police stopped and searched people and what they found out. 24% of African americans, and 16% of latinos were stopped and searched while only 5% of whites had searched in the ten months they recorded this data. Which also meant that an African American was more than four times as likely to be searched by police compared to a white person. Just by the color of their skin. Ironically enough, whites were found with the most contraband, 20% of just that 5% of whites had contraband (Chang,Poston). Imagine if they had searched 16% or 24% of whites, and the amount of contraband they would have found then.
It has been shown many times that the judicial system has failed its citizens, especially those of color. Numerous incidents of two people committing the same exact crimes with lesser punishment for the white offender and far too harsh for the African American. In Virginia Beach 2019, Austin Foley, a young white man had a car accident, he had no drivers license, and he killed a teenage girl in the process. He was released on bond with an involuntary manslaughter charge (Harper). In Virginia Beach 2019, Matthew Rushin, a young African American man had a car accident, he had a valid drivers license, no one died. He was denied bond and charged with Attempted Murder, and Aggravated Malicious Wounding and was given 50 years with 40 suspended (PublicPolice). This is justice? The system saw no color? Two young men, same accident, one actually more devastating than the one who was charged with the harsher crime. Had a license, and no one died. It is almost as if being an African American you have to be perfect in this society to not end up dead or in jail. This event is a clear cut showing of racism in the flawed judicial system.
Even the juvenile system also itself needs work. African American and Hispanic youth were treated worse than white teenagers at each level of the juvenile justice system. Minorities were more likely than white people to be arrested, referred to juvenile court, detained prior to trial, formally processed by juvenile courts, found guilty in juvenile court, waived to adult criminal court, placed in juvenile prisons, and admitted to adult state prisons. The same report found that blacks charged with drug offenses are 48 times more likely than whites to be sentenced to juvenile probation (Hagan). Another prime factual example of another level of the government wrongfully treated people of color. There must be change, and reevaluation at how each level, and body of government operates regarding the treatment of people of color.
In conclusion, it is fair to say that America and its police force and judicial system still to this day have along way to go. They still have way too many incidents of unfair treatment to their African American and minority citizens. Countless acts of violence and hate towards them for in most cases just being alive. The judicial system, police training and psych tests all need reevaluation, there is no reason for things to be how they are right now in 2020 with the knowledge and tools we have to be better and improve as a nation together. It is very accurate to say that currently police do indeed see color, the government sees color, and in the court of law color is seen. America sees color.
References
Black people more than three times as likely as white people to be killed during a police encounter. (2020, July 08). Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/blacks-whites-police-deaths-disparity/
Hagan, Frank E.; Daigle, Leah E.. Introduction to Criminology (p. 74). SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition.
Harper, J. (2019, July 30). Bond granted to Virginia Beach teen involved in crash that killed 17-year-old girl. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://www.pilotonline.com/news/crime/article_21b48ac8-b2d9-11e9-929c-0b8310776fb9.html
Kappeler, V. (2014, January 07). A Brief History of Slavery and the Origins of American Policing. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/brief-history-slavery-and-origins-american-policing
MATTHEW RUSHIN Inmate 19-000223: Virginiabeach County Jail near Virginia Beach, VA. (2019). Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://www.publicpolicerecord.com/virginia/virginiabeach-jail/RUSHIN_MATTHEW/19-000223
National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, PDF, 2018 https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf
Poston, B., & Chang, C. (2019, October 08). LAPD searches blacks and Latinos more. But they’re less likely to have contraband than whites. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-lapd-searches-20190605-story.html
Tappan, P. (1947). Who is the Criminal? American Sociological Review, 12, 96–102.