Women, Minorities, and the Police (From Ethics, Public Policy, and Criminal Justice, P 156-176, 1982, Frederick Elliston and Norman Bowie, eds. - See NCJ-86248)

• NCJ Number: 86257
• Author(s): F Elliston
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 21 pages
• Sale Source: Oelgeschlager, Gunn and Hain Publishers, Inc
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Police affirmative action hiring programs can be justified on the basis that women and racial minorities present role models of equality, perform services best done by their race and sex, and help compensate wrongs perpetrated in the past by discriminatory practices.

Abstract

Police, as a public service institution, have the responsibility of presenting role models that combat racism and sexism. The hiring of women and racial minorities enables the police to present to the public role models of equality. Hiring on the basis of such a role model concept assumes that the minority applicant is otherwise qualified. Minorities may also perform certain police services better by virtue of their minority characteristics; e.g., female officers could relate better to female victims, particularly rape victims, thus facilitating a higher rate of crime reporting by female victims who know that they will be conversing with female officers and a freer sharing of information by female victims interviewed by female officers. Further, affirmative action hiring can also be based on the justified argument that persons wronged in the past should receive compensation for those wrongs in the present. This practice does not treat the white male candidate unfairly, because he is not asked to give up something he already has, and he is judged fairly on his qualifications. Still, the factor of compensatory justice provides the additional factor that warrants giving the job to the minority applicant. Twenty-seven notes are listed.