3 - Racially Biased Policing

Summary

This chapter examines four types of racialized policing: discrimination against minority individuals, discrimination against minority neighborhoods, racial prejudice among police officers, and racial profiling during traffic stops. Like the misconduct examined in the previous chapter, the frequency and scope of racially biased policing remains unknown. Despite a recent flurry of studies of racial profiling during traffic stops, there are no reliable estimates of how many stops are motivated entirely or largely by the drivers' race. Similarly, we do not know how often police discriminate in other ways against individuals because of their race. Almost no studies have investigated whether the race of officers affects citizen attitudes toward the police, despite the conventional wisdom that officers' race does make a difference. Although racial prejudice among officers is thought to be commonplace (Jefferson 1988:522) and likely influences their behavior at least to some degree, the extent of racial animus on the part of police is opaque.

Citizens' views of racialized policing may be considered just as important as the objective reality of policing. Behavior perceived as racially motivated may increase the frequency of face-to-face altercations between minorities and officers and generate broader distrust of the police. Such perceptions also may make people less inclined to call the police to report crimes, to cooperate with police investigations, and to consider police work as a career. In short, the belief that policing is racialized and thus unjust can have serious ramifications for both the public and the police.