NCJ Number
133118
Date Published
1992
Length
32 pages
Annotation
As the United States has become an increasingly pluralistic society, discrimination based on race and sex has persisted as a human relations problem, and police departments are not exempt.
Abstract
Discrimination includes such actions as refusal to employ, promote, or provide appropriate training to a specific group of people. Prejudice and discrimination are interrelated. Discrimination is behavior based on prejudicial attitudes. Prejudice is a judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without careful examination of pertinent facts, issues, or arguments. Data provided by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) indicate that of 160 discrimination charges filed in 1988 under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, 114 cases involved multiple issues. In all but one case, sexual harassment was identified as an issue. Other frequent issues involved terms of employment and discharge, harassment, and intimidation. Only two cases were based on charges of religious discrimination. The issue of national origin was raised 14 times, and race was an issue 22 times. Surveys of the 50 largest U.S. cities over a 5-year period from 1983 to 1988 found a significant increase in the number of employed minority police officers. The EEOC requires employers to take positive steps to overcome discrimination, and one such step is to implement a realistic affirmative action plan. Each employer should analyze its mix of race/ethnic and gender groups as part of an effective affirmative action program. Provisions of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act are discussed as well as remedies for Title VII violations, arguments for and against affirmative action, trends in hiring minorities and women, and the use of quotas. Data on the number of black police officers in the 50 largest U.S. cities are provided. 38 references, 4 tables, and 2 figures