NCJ Number
40099
Journal
Justice System Journal Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (WINTER 1976) Pages: 169-183
Date Published
1976
Length
15 pages
Annotation
TWO PERSPECTIVES ARE EXAMINED WHICH ARE FREQUENTLY INVOKED WHEN RACIAL DISPROPORTIONALITY IS BEING INTERPRETED - EITHER IN THE REALM OF POLICE KILLINGS OR IN THE REALM OF ARREST RATES FOR CRIMES OF VIOLENCE.
Abstract
THE FIRST PERSPECTIVE, CHARACTERIZED AS A QUASI-LABELING STANCE, LINKED THE DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH DEATH RATES OF MINORITY SUSPECTS TO THE IMPACT OF SOME DIFFERENTIAL POLICING MECHANISM WHICH SEEMED TO BE OPERATING IN AMERICAN SOCIETY. THE SECOND PERSPECTIVE LINKED DISPROPORTIONATE MINORITY DEATH RATES TO DISPROPORTIONATE MINORITY ARREST RATES FOR CRIMES OF VIOLENCE. ARREST RATES WERE ASSUMED TO REFLECT DISPROPORTIONATE ACTUAL PARTICIPATION BY MINORITIES IN VIOLENCE, AND WERE THEREBY USED TO EXPLAIN WHY MINORITIES MIGHT BE FOUND TO A DISPROPORTIONATE EXTENT AMONG FATALITIES RESULTING FROM VIOLENT ENCOUNTERS WITH THE POLICE. HIGHER ACTUAL PARTICIPATION IN VIOLENT INCIDENTS BY MINORITIES WAS RELATED TO SOME DIFFERENCES WHICH WERE APPARENTLY LINKED WITH MINORITY STATUS (PRINCIPALLY RACE OR ETHNICITY). A LOOK AT RECENT VICTIMIZATION (AND CENSUS) DATA REVEALED THAT DISPROPORTIONATE MINORITY ARRESTS DID APPEAR TO REFLECT A DISPROPORTIONATE ACTUAL PARTICIPATION BY MINORITIES IN CRIMES OF VIOLENCE TO A MODERATE DEGREE BASED ON THE VICTIM'S PERCEPTION OF THE RACE OF THE OFFENDER. AN ADDITIONAL FINDING SHOWING THAT THE LOWEST INCOME GROUPS (REGARDLESS OF RACE) WERE THE MOST HIGHLY VICTIMIZED SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY. IT IS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT WITHOUT A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF VIOLENT INTERACTIONS BETWEEN POLICE AND SUSPECTS (WHITE AND BLACK) TO DETERMINE WHEN, HOW FREQUENTLY, AND FOR WHOM DEADLY FORCE IS INVOKED AS A RESPONSE BY POLICE, IT IS DIFFICULT TO FEEL CONFIDENT MERELY ASSUMING THAT HIGHER OFFENSE AND ARREST RATES AUTOMATICALLY EXTRAPOLATE INTO HIGHER DEATH RATES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)...ELW