Afro-Americans and Police. What causes the clash?

[We Never Know]

This thread is meant with good intentions. I hope it offend no one. The above title is an obvious problem. With that said.....

Afro-Americans male and female make up around 13% of the US population.

However according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in 2018 Black males accounted for 34% of the total male prison population, white males 29%, and Hispanic males 24%.

Now I agree cops are harder on blacks (male's expecially) but the evidence(prison population) shows black male's get in trouble, convicted and go to prison more than others races. Which means they have higher run ins with the police, (or are wrongfully accused and are wrongfully convicted more than other races).

To my point... Do the police view them as trouble makers and come down on them harder for that reason or do they come down on them harder simply because of their color.

Your thoughts?

Please keep it polite and no racist comments.

Edit... I think its a mix of both. Neither make it right.

 

[sun rise]

To my point... Do the police view them as trouble makers and come down on them harder for that reason or do they come down on them harder simply because of their color.

Both.

There's a reason why systemic racism is becoming a focus. When I was an adolescent, I did dumb things like put jack-o-lanterns in the street during Halloween and getting busted shoplifting. We were not caught for the Halloween stunt and I got off with a talking to for shoplifting. Other slightly younger kids got busted for trashing a school they had just graduated from and they had to clean up the mess they made. It helped quite a bit that we were white and lived in a prosperous middle-class neighborhood. So our trouble making did not result in a criminal record.

How stupid acting-out adolescents are treated is to me a turning point. Are they treated as immature kids or junior criminals for the same act.

Part of it to me is racist cops being protected by their union and the other cops and the SCOTUS rule that lets them get away with quite a bit.

Fixing the systemic problem involves training, getting rid of bad cops, working with the community, fixing the educational system, providing real opportunities to become positive adults and so forth.

 

[We Never Know]

Both.

There's a reason why systemic racism is becoming a focus. When I was an adolescent, I did dumb things like put jack-o-lanterns in the street during Halloween and getting busted shoplifting. We were not caught for the Halloween stunt and I got off with a talking to for shoplifting. Other slightly younger kids got busted for trashing a school they had just graduated from and they had to clean up the mess they made. It helped quite a bit that we were white and lived in a prosperous middle-class neighborhood. So our trouble making did not result in a criminal record.

How stupid acting-out adolescents are treated is to me a turning point. Are they treated as immature kids or junior criminals for the same act.

Part of it to me is racist cops being protected by their union and the other cops and the SCOTUS rule that lets them get away with quite a bit.

Fixing the systemic problem involves training, getting rid of bad cops, working with the community, fixing the educational system, providing real opportunities to become positive adults and so forth.

Thanks for your reply. I don't expect many replies but its a problem that isn't going away soon.
I agree we need to get rid of bad cops, have more training, and above all realize some bad apples don't ruin the whole crop, in other words don't judge everyone as the same.

 

[Twilight Hue]

This thread is meant with good intentions. I hope it offend no one. The above title is an obvious problem. With that said.....

Afro-Americans male and female make up around 13% of the US population.

However according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in 2018 Black males accounted for 34% of the total male prison population, white males 29%, and Hispanic males 24%.

Now I agree cops are harder on blacks (male's expecially) but the evidence(prison population) shows black male's get in trouble, convicted and go to prison more than others races. Which means they have higher run ins with the police, (or are wrongfully accused and are wrongfully convicted more than other races).

To my point... Do the police view them as trouble makers and come down on them harder for that reason or do they come down on them harder simply because of their color.

Your thoughts?

Please keep it polite and no racist comments.

Edit... I think its a mix of both. Neither make it right.

My own personal view is I think most black people and other minorities are in poverty and poverty breeds crime because of desperation. I don't think it's the race, I think it's the situation.

 

[We Never Know]

My own personal view is I think most black people and other minorities are in poverty and poverty breeds crime because of desperation. I don't think it's the race, I think it's the situation.

I agree. I think poverty has much to do with a life style one chooses.

 

[Aštra’el]

A great deal of friction is caused by an entire culture of: everyone else is always to blame, but the individual and his/ her life choices.

 

[Subduction Zone]

My own personal view is I think most black people and other minorities are in poverty and poverty breeds crime because of desperation. I don't think it's the race, I think it's the situation.

I have heard and seen evidence that indicates that conviction of economically disadvantaged white people is close to that of black people. Poverty may be a big part of the answer. If we can find a way to help everyone live a bitter life then that might go a long way towards solving this problem. Wage and employment disparity leads to unrest.

 

[anna.]

Now I agree cops are harder on blacks (male's expecially) but the evidence(prison population) shows black male's get in trouble, convicted and go to prison more than others races. Which means they have higher run ins with the police, (or are wrongfully accused and are wrongfully convicted more than other races).

Blacks are more likely to be wrongly convicted and are given harsher sentences than whites.

Black male offenders continued to receive longer sentences than similarly situated White male offenders. Black male offenders received sentences on average 19.1 percent longer than similarly situated White male offenders during the Post-Report period (fiscal years 2012-2016), as they had for the prior four periods studied. The differences in sentence length remained relatively unchanged compared to the Post-Gall period.

Black men sentenced to more time for committing the exact same crime as a white person, study finds

A 2014 University of Michigan Law School study found that all other factors being equal, black offenders were 75 percent more likely to face a charge carrying a mandatory minimum sentence than a white offender who committed the same crime.

Decades of Exoneration Stats Show Blacks More Likely to Be Wrongfully Convicted
Everything from official misconduct to bad eyewitness identifications to false confessions played roles.

 

[We Never Know]

Blacks are more likely to be wrongly convicted and are given harsher sentences than whites.

Black male offenders continued to receive longer sentences than similarly situated White male offenders. Black male offenders received sentences on average 19.1 percent longer than similarly situated White male offenders during the Post-Report period (fiscal years 2012-2016), as they had for the prior four periods studied. The differences in sentence length remained relatively unchanged compared to the Post-Gall period.

Black men sentenced to more time for committing the exact same crime as a white person, study finds

A 2014 University of Michigan Law School study found that all other factors being equal, black offenders were 75 percent more likely to face a charge carrying a mandatory minimum sentence than a white offender who committed the same crime.

Decades of Exoneration Stats Show Blacks More Likely to Be Wrongfully Convicted
Everything from official misconduct to bad eyewitness identifications to false confessions played roles.

As I said in my post are they more wrongfully charged and convicted.
I don't know if such a study exist but I would like to see a study based on race and poverty.

 

[We Never Know]

I have heard and seen evidence that indicates that conviction of economically disadvantaged white people is close to that of black people. Poverty may be a big part of the answer. If we can find a way to help everyone live a bitter life then that might go a long way towards solving this problem. Wage and employment disparity leads to unrest.

"If we can find a way to help everyone live a bitter life"

I think would make things worse

That's a joke on your typo. Don't take it seriously

 

[thefloatingsting]

Blacks are more likely to be wrongly convicted and are given harsher sentences than whites.

Black male offenders continued to receive longer sentences than similarly situated White male offenders. Black male offenders received sentences on average 19.1 percent longer than similarly situated White male offenders during the Post-Report period (fiscal years 2012-2016), as they had for the prior four periods studied. The differences in sentence length remained relatively unchanged compared to the Post-Gall period.

Black men sentenced to more time for committing the exact same crime as a white person, study finds

A 2014 University of Michigan Law School study found that all other factors being equal, black offenders were 75 percent more likely to face a charge carrying a mandatory minimum sentence than a white offender who committed the same crime.

Decades of Exoneration Stats Show Blacks More Likely to Be Wrongfully Convicted
Everything from official misconduct to bad eyewitness identifications to false confessions played roles.

Are some of these statistics the result of race or being poor? I.e. people more well off could afford better attorneys

 

[sun rise]

I can't tell you how many times over the past month or two I've seen abominations like this report. Should the kid have had a bike license? Of course. Was the response totally disproportionate? Totally. Would this have happened to a white kid? I totally doubt it.

Video shows New Jersey police handcuffing a Black teen and seizing his bike over not having a bicycle license

 

[We Never Know]

Are some of these statistics the result of race or being poor? I.e. people more well off could afford better attorneys

I think that plays in it. In my opinion if two people commit and are charged with the same crime, with same or similar circumstances, regaurdless of race or riches, they should get the same punishment. But sadly that will never happen.
I see read where some go to prison while others get probation. Its sad.

 

[thefloatingsting]

I can't tell you how many times over the past month or two I've seen abominations like this report. Should the kid have had a bike license? Of course. Was the response totally disproportionate? Totally. Would this have happened to a white kid? I totally doubt it.

Video shows New Jersey police handcuffing a Black teen and seizing his bike over not having a bicycle license

If you look at police shootings by race compared to violent crimes by race the ratios are pretty consistent. I’m not in anyway denying racism but the liberal media (which is most of it) only likes to post articles about white cops doing bad things to black folks.

 

[We Never Know]

I can't tell you how many times over the past month or two I've seen abominations like this report. Should the kid have had a bike license? Of course. Was the response totally disproportionate? Totally. Would this have happened to a white kid? I totally doubt it.

Video shows New Jersey police handcuffing a Black teen and seizing his bike over not having a bicycle license

WTH!!! Is there even such a thing? If so what's next..will I need a license to walk?

 

[We Never Know]

If you look at police shootings by race compared to violent crimes by race the ratios are pretty consistent. I’m not in anyway denying racism but the liberal media (which is most of it) only likes to post articles about white cops doing back things to black folks.

Do you think race should be used as a villifier? In other words do the police use race to determine if the person is a villain?

 

[thefloatingsting]

Do you think race should be used as a villifier? In other words do the police use race to determine if the person is a villain?

I can’t speak for that. All I can say is deaths from cops per race lines up pretty well with violent crime per race. That could imply that in fact cops are not racist in general.

However if you look at Fox News, in the comments section, about George Floyd it’s quite clear there’s a lot of anti Black racism. Also I read lots of articles on liberal news sites where it is quite clear that there is anti white racism.

it’s disappointing that it’s gotten to this point. I felt like we all were much more united after 9/11. I hope what I read and see online is not reflective of the general public.

 

[Valjean]

I can't tell you how many times over the past month or two I've seen abominations like this report. Should the kid have had a bike license? Of course. Was the response totally disproportionate? Totally. Would this have happened to a white kid? I totally doubt it.

Video shows New Jersey police handcuffing a Black teen and seizing his bike over not having a bicycle license

New Jersey requires bicycle licenses?
What's next, skateboard licenses? How about roller skates, or shoes?
Sometimes I think the libertarians have a point...

 

[anna.]

Are some of these statistics the result of race or being poor? I.e. people more well off could afford better attorneys

There are poor white people too, who don't have access to top-tier lawyers. I myself, middle class, couldn't hire a top-tier lawyer.

The racism is there the statistics show it, but no doubt race plus poverty is a double whammy.

 

[sun rise]

If you look at police shootings by race compared to violent crimes by race the ratios are pretty consistent. I’m not in anyway denying racism but the liberal media (which is most of it) only likes to post articles about white cops doing bad things to black folks.

So where's the media reports of black cops doing bad things to white folk? There's a lot of conservative media out there. So cite a few examples.