Running head: POLICE ETHICS: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
Police Ethics: Racial Discrimination
Riley Harris
Northern Arizona University
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POLICE ETHICS: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
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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.
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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
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racial bias are considered unethical which is spoiling the nature of the police department.
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Ethical Dilemma of Police Department in Racial Discrimination
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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 required to publish the statistics data of
the arrests made in every month. Youth advisory committee will help in advising the youths on
strategies of avoiding unnecessary arrests. Anti-racism training will be needed to help the police
officers in handling criminals of every race (Simmons, 2011). Also, awarding the officers due to
their actions towards ending racial discrimination will help in curbing the unnecessary arrests
and killings; hence; improving the policing activities in the country. Therefore, the incorporation
of the suggested moves will help the minority ethnic groups in gaining the courage to live in the
United States.
Conclusion
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Racial discrimination in the policing department should be handled carefully as a way of
enhancing equal treatment of crime suspects. The cases of police use of excessive force and
extrajudicial killings in the US have raised the alarm on whether the police department is acting
ethically. The ethical dilemma is still seen in stereotype where the minority ethnic races are
deemed to be criminals regardless of their innocence. Therefore, the incorporation of law
enforcers and lawmakers in finding long-lasting solutions towards the menace will help in
minimizing police profiling and protect the African American community as they are the
affected victims in the country. Therefore, the suggested solutions should help end racial
discrimination and promote ethical conducts in the police department.
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References
Brantingham, P. (2013). Crime pattern theory. In Environmental criminology and crime
analysis (pp. 100-116). Willan.
Correll, J., Park, B., Judd, C. M., & Wittenbrink, B. (2002). The police officer's dilemma: Using
ethnicity to disambiguate potentially threatening individuals. Journal of personality and
social psychology, 83(6), 1314.
Doane, A. (2006). What is racism? Racial discourse and racial politics. Critical Sociology, 32(23), 255-274.
Field, S., & Roberts, P. (2002). Racism and police investigations: individual redress, public
interests and collective change after the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. Legal
Studies, 22(4), 493-526.
Harris, D. A. (2006). US experiences with racial and ethnic profiling: History, current issues, and
the future. Critical criminology, 14(3), 213-239.
Pérez Huber, L., & Solorzano, D. G. (2015). Racial microaggressions as a tool for critical race
research. Race Ethnicity and Education, 18(3), 297-320.
Ransby, B. (2015). The class politics of black lives matter. Dissent, 62(4), 31-34.
Shusta, R. M., Levine, D. R., Harris, P. R., & Wong, H. Z. (1995). Multicultural law
enforcement. Strategies for Peacekeeping in a Diverse Society, 9.
Simmons, K. C. (2011). Beginning to end racial profiling: Definitive solutions to an elusive
problem. Wash. & Lee J. Civil Rts. & Soc. Just., 18, 25.
Smith, M. R., & Alpert, G. P. (2007). Explaining police bias: A theory of social conditioning and
illusory correlation. Criminal justice and behavior, 34(10), 1262-1283.
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Weisburd, D. (2015). The law of crime concentration and the criminology of
place. Criminology, 53(2), 133-157.
White, R., Haines, F., & Asquith, N. L. (2017). Crime & criminology.
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Comment Summary
Page 2
1. This is very unorganized.
i. The paper probably doesn't need to discuss slavery in relation to racial discrimination in police
departments.
Page 3
2. Again, this is very unorganized. The paper should further explain police use of force in this paragraph and
connect it to the above paragraph.
3. How does this connect back to use of force?
4. Clarify
Page 4
5. Proofread for clarity
6. What is paramilitary training? Why is this problematic?
7. Unorganized.
Page 5
8. I'm unsure what this paragraph is driving at. Its very vague. Be more specific.
9. What kinds of social changes did this have?
Page 6
10. This is very repetitive of information in other parts of the paper.
11. What does the paper mean by structural racism? How does this relate back to law enforcement?
12. How have laws and legal changes impacted police brutality? This should be the focus here.
13. How does this relate back to politics?
Page 7
14. How?
15. Again, the connection to politics here is unclear. This would have been a good place to talk about politics and the
war on drugs.
Page 8
16. This is really well done, but I'd like to see this expanded upon.
17. Not important.
18. Pick 1 theory, and explain. Don't briefly list and explain each theory.
ii. Militarization might be a good theory to focus on here.
Page 9
19. How does this connect with theory? Or sociological impacts?
Page 10
20. Expand.
iii. Be more specific.
Page 14
21. Finish this
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