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I’d reeeeally like to believe that increasing the proportion of minority officers would fix the problems of policing in America.
It wouldn’t.
THREAD 1/9 (+ sources) https://twitter.com/madblacktwlnk/status/1266056721161760769
It wouldn’t.
THREAD 1/9 (+ sources) https://twitter.com/madblacktwlnk/status/1266056721161760769
Any effort to make policing a just system has to address the problems of excessive force, overpolicing, and disrespect for the public.
While public debate often focuses on reform, most reform methods fail to deal with the fundamental problems inherent in policing.
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While public debate often focuses on reform, most reform methods fail to deal with the fundamental problems inherent in policing.
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Putting aside the issue that POC shouldn’t have to join oppressive systems to fix those systems, the idea that recruiting more officers of color to treat communities with greater dignity, respect, and fairness is wishful thinking.
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There’s a wide body of evidence that suggests that recruiting officers of color makes no impact on use of force. Distressingly, some studies indicate that Black officers are more likely to use force or make arrests, especially of Black civilians.
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“There’s no evidence to suggest that increasing the proportion of officers that are black is going to offer a direct solution.”
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2017/02/27/having-more-black-officers-not-direct-solution-reducing-black-killings-police-iu-research-shows/98164296/
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https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2017/02/27/having-more-black-officers-not-direct-solution-reducing-black-killings-police-iu-research-shows/98164296/
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At the dept level, more diverse forces are no better at community satisfaction (esp among nonwhite residents) than their counterparts, and as shown in federal interventions in Cleveland, Detroit, and Miami, they’re still likely to have excessive use of force problems.
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This is because the fundamental problems with policing don’t begin and end with individual officers—they begin systemically, because departmental priorities are set by political leaders, who drive policies that by their nature target communities of color.
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Broken-windows policing, with emphasis on public disorder. The War on Drugs, waged almost exclusively in nonwhite neighborhoods. The list goes on and on. These policies aren’t set by individual officers (though they are complicit in their enforcement), they’re systemic.
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Sure, having more black and brown officers might sound like an appealing reform, but as long as the larger systems of policing are in place, there’s no evidence that would give cause to expect a significant reduction in brutality or overpolicing.
9/9 See sources cont’d:
9/9 See sources cont’d:
Main source: The End of Policing by Alex S. Vitale
https://www.versobooks.com/books/2426-the-end-of-policing
https://www.versobooks.com/books/2426-the-end-of-policing
Other sources/additional reading:
“Police Background Characteriztics and Performance: Summary” by Bernard Cohen and Jan Chaiken, (1972)
https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R999z1.html
“Police Background Characteriztics and Performance: Summary” by Bernard Cohen and Jan Chaiken, (1972)
https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R999z1.html
“Racial Differences in Resolving Conflicts: A Comparison Between Black and White Police Officers” by Ivan Sun and Brian Payne (Crime and Delinquency 50, no. 4, 2004) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0011128703259298
“Race and Officer Decision Making: Examining Differences in Arrest Outcomes between Black and White Officers” by Robert Brown and James Frank (Justice Quarterly 23, no. 1, 2006) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259077953_Race_and_Officer_Decision_Making_Examining_Differences_in_Arrest_Outcomes_Between_Black_and_White_Officers
