POLICE AND THE BLACK COMMUNITY

• NCJ Number: 15335
• Author(s): R F WINTERSMITH
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 166 pages
• Contract Number(s): P0 3-0335-J-LEAA
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: Lexington Books
• Publication Type: Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

HISTORY OF POLICE-BLACK COMMUNITY RELATIONS, THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF THE POLICE OCCUPATION, AND THE NATURE OF DIVERSE BLACK ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE PRACTICES.

Abstract

A DISCUSSION OF THE HISTORY OF POLICE-BLACK COMMUNITY RELATIONS ANALYZES THE ORIGIN AND USE OF THE BLACK CODES (LAWS USED TO ENFORCE SLAVERY), OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTAINMENT DEVICES, THE PATEROLLERS (PATROL FORCES TO CATCH RUNAWAY SLAVES OR THOSE AWAY FROM THE PLANATION WITHOUT A PASS) AND BLACKS AND THE CIVIL WAR. THE POLITICAL ECONOMY AND THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF THE ANTEBELLUM SOUTH ARE EXAMINED AND A DISCUSSION OF BLACKS DURING AND AFTER RECONSTRUCTION ANALYZES THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW ORDER, THE ERA OF LAWFUL LAWLESSNESS, AND THE FIGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS AND TREATMENT. IN AN EXAMINATION OF CONTEMPORARY POLICE DEPARTMENTS, COMMENTS ARE MADE ON THE AMBIGUITY OF THE POLICE MISSION, THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF THE POLICE OCCUPATION, DEPARTMENTAL ORGANIZATION, PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT, AND DEPLOYMENT, AND POLICE ATTEMPTS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH BLACK COMMUNITIES. METHODOLOGY, FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATIONS OF A STUDY ON BLACK ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE ARE INCLUDED. SUMMARY REMARKS ARE MADE ON DISSENSION IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, CONSENSUS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY. (SNI ABSTRACT)