Notably, the history of police officers and their relationship with minority groups has been negative. Holmes and Smith (2018) state that tensions between police and civilians have always occurred in U.S. cities, particularly in low-income minority neighborhoods; the relations demonstrate long-standing racial and ethnic disparities and animosities. Citizens are concerned about a lack of police security and violent policing practices, whereas police are worried about protecting themselves from behavioral and attitudinal risks posed by residents.
Minorities, in particular, experience the negative consequences of race-based policing. Holmes and Smith (2018) argue that conflicts between police and civilians represent many Black and Hispanic residents who have developed a deep suspicion of the criminal justice system, primarily seen in their interactions with police. Occasionally, charges of police misbehavior, such as the tragic killings of Black individuals at the hands of police in Baltimore, Maryland, and Ferguson, Missouri, spark public unrest (Holmes & Smith, 2018). According to a survey by ArchCity Defenders, a legal defense charity, eighty-six percent of car stops in Ferguson featured a black driver, even though black people compose just sixty-seven percent of the city’s 21,203 citizens (Levy, 2014). The black community’s persistent low-level harassment has become the primary point of interaction between most black citizens and the criminal justice system; the threat of physical violence always accompanied relations.
One of the significant tensions was the Jack in the Box shooting. Two officers opened fire at two unarmed black men in 2000; the incident remains noteworthy for the black population in North County, the predominantly black municipality of St. Louis County located north of St. Louis (Levy, 2014). Additionally, residents there assert that they are often assaulted by mainly white police personnel. Holmes and Smith (2018) claim that there is a relationship between race/ethnicity, neighborhood features, and excessive force; minorities frequently perceive police behavior toward them as insulting. The research demonstrated police usage of profanity and racial insults toward citizens (Holmes & Smith, 2018). For instance, verbal assault and harassment may be a routine method of operation in minority areas, and residents, especially young men, often react aggressively. Thus, the tensions between police and minorities continue to happen, thus breaking citizens’ trust.
Bias-based policing is at the root of the problem of hostile police-minority relations. According to Najdowski et al. (2015), Blacks believe they will confront stereotype threats when they face police officers, which might transfer into an actual feeling of danger in genuine interaction. The authors also propose that stereotype danger may turn into suspicious-looking conduct. When deciding what measures to take, such as whether to arrest, police rely mainly on suspect behavior. Najdowski et al. (2015) suggest that the possibility that stereotype threat influences acts that police routinely regard as suspicious has consequences for interpreting why police officers target Blacks as suspects significantly more frequently than Whites. Innocent Blacks who are treated like criminals owing to “stereotype-threat-induced” conduct are in danger of wrongful conviction (Najdowski et al., 2015, p. 477). Many people in underprivileged communities feel that the police are unconcerned about the issues of crime and social disorder that they face on a daily basis (Holmes & Smith, 2018). Moreover, they are apprehensive about aggressive policing methods such as racially-based searches and the use of excessive physical force.
Consequently, the community-policing strategy requires problem-solving measures to be adapted to the individual needs of the specific neighborhood. Adams (2014) emphasizes that when contrasted to a more prosperous sector of the town, an inner-city area afflicted with open drug sales on the street corner and gangsterism will necessitate different enforcement techniques. Tackling inner-city drug and gang issues may include not only enforcement but also educational and intervention measures (Adams, 2014). Encouragement of continual engagement of police offices with religious institutions and the community is a vital step in improving police-minority relations (City of Phoenix, 2016). Essentially, the African-American church has long been recognized as a significant source of social organization and management among African-Americans; it was one of the first and most visible tools for developing social support networks and authority (Adams, 2014). Hence, the church would assist police officers operating in predominantly African-American communities in getting to know local church leaders and soliciting their assistance in developing solutions to community concerns.
It is critical to collaborate with the community to create a train-the-trainer project. It will mobilize citizen volunteer groups to train the community, particularly children, teenagers, and young adults (City of Phoenix, 2016). For minor violations, police are advised to pursue least-harm alternatives such as warnings and fines rather than incarceration. Based on the City of Phoenix (2016), the police department should measure and report the amount of trust, tolerance, accountability, and responsibility monthly. Significantly, each time an officer draws a weapon on a person, paperwork or report and aggregate statistics should be demanded (City of Phoenix, 2016). Hence, the police department should collect, store, and analyze statistics on all officer-involved fatal and non-fatal shootings, as well as any fatalities in custody.
References
Adams, T. F. (2014). Police field operations (8th ed.). Pearson.
City of Phoenix. (2016). Community and police trust initiative recommendations. Web.
Holmes, M. D., & Smith, B. W. (2018). Social-psychological dynamics of police-minority relations: An evolutionary interpretation.Journal of Criminal Justice, 59. 58-68. Web.
Levy, P. (2014). The trials of Ferguson. Newsweek Global, 163(10). Web.
Najdowski, C. J., Bottoms, B. L., & Goff, P. A. (2015). Stereotype threat and racial differences in citizens’ experiences of police encounters. Law and Human Behavior, 39(5), 463–477. Web.