NCJ Number
183313
Date Published
2000
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This analysis of relations between the police and racial and ethnic minority communities presents a research review and recommendations from a criminal justice scholar and a response by a police chief.
Abstract
The professor of criminal justice concludes that research on routine police practices has failed to reveal consistent patterns of systematic discrimination against racial and ethnic minority groups with respect to arrest and use of excessive force. However, discrimination based on race and ethnicity exists in specific contexts of policing such as drug law enforcement or particular neighborhoods. Recommended actions to eliminate discrimination and improve police services include a critical self-assessment by each police agency, the leaders of the law enforcement profession develop a package of best practices related to specific problem areas, and that police research focus on police-minority relations in specific policing contexts and on evaluations of best practices. The response by the police chief concludes that the scholar’s report provides a compelling argument for police leaders to examine their own agencies and perhaps use some of the contextual review advocated by the author. The police chief questions whether the perception of discrimination can be isolated to specific actions of specialized police units and suggests that discrimination may be an inherent element of targeted law enforcement enforcement. Nevertheless, the response concludes that the scholar’s call to action is timely and relevant to the climate of policing today. Reference notes, author biography, and descriptions of two related publications