POLICING AND CRIME
Why are there disparities in race representation within prison?
In the UK Black people are 9x times more likely to be stopped and searched by police than White
In the UK 5x more likely to suffer police brutality than White
In the UK Back people make up 14% of the population but 25% of the prison population
Police Brutality explained by a historian
Linking youth knife violence to race-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvS78MlAXAQ
'I was a police officer and systemic racism festers in our force too'
Although the UK and US have policing disparities they also have a common trend of racial inequality which is apparent in statistics within both countries. A lot of people have misconceptions that create a harmful racial bias which labels Black people as criminals and means they are penalised by police. Why do statistics show racial disparities in crime?
Widespread racial profiling- the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offence or treating them differently due to prejudice. This is a result of personal bias within police officers etc.
Over policed Black communities- because of criminalising stereotypes more policing within areas dominated by Black means its inevitable that more arrests will be made (positive feedback). If there was increased policing in white communities the police would also be aware of more crimes within these areas too.
Unfair trials- there are countless examples of Black inmates who are proven innocent whilst serving sentence. This could be because of unconscious bias within the jury/judge which it is important to note there are a disproportionate number of.
White people who escape their accountability for crimes- White innocence, White collar crimes are not accounted for within UK crime statistics.
Mass Incarceration- In the US mass incarnation refers to the huge amount of people imprisoned each year. Currently over 2.4 million people are imprisoned in the USA, although they only make up 5% of the planets population they make up 25% of the prison population. 13th (Netflix) gives a very important insight into American prisons and why so many people are incarcerated. If you would like to read more on the topic, here's a list:The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America by Khalil Gibran Muhammad,Black Stats: African Americans by the Numbers in the Twenty-first Century by Monique Morris, Charged: Overzealous Prosecutors, the Quest for Mercy, and the Fight to Transform Criminal Justice in America by Emily Bazelon, Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon, Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform by John Pfaff
What does defunding the police mean and why is it important? It does not mean stripping a department entirely, or abolishing it's budget altogether. Instead it focuses on scaling police budgets back and reallocating those resource often away from weaponry used in police brutality. Lynda Garcia, policing campaign director at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights says, “A lot of what we advocate for is investment in community services — education, medical access… You can call it ‘defunding,’ but it’s just about directing or balancing the budget in a different way.” https://www.complex.com/life/defund-the-police-george-floyd-explainer
Article from an ex police officer titled 'Confessions of a Former Bastard Cop' which gives a personal insight into the US police force. Equally this is another article from a current Black US police officer titled 'Confessions of a Current Cop'. These authors are only writing from their own experience but is highly recommended in understanding more about US policing.
Although the police have reluctantly acknowledged racism within policing, often the response to this does not acknowledge an institutionalised bias and instead likes to label individuals who hold unfair prejudice (that can result in police brutality) as 'bad apples'. However, this term is not adequate in explaining the deeply rooted problems within the force or understanding how these 'bad apples' are allowed to remain 'in the fruit bowl'. Comedian Chris Rock addresses this idea in his act here. Whilst this post questions how many 'bad apples' there really are...
There is a multitude of different policing petitions online which are easy to find, these are some starting suggestions:
Petition to made racial bias tests training mandatory within police departments to identify unconscious prejudice. This petition aims to prevent further killings through anti-bias training and de-escalation training within police.
Petition to stop the UK government sending rubber bullets, riot shields and tear gas to the US police. Another petition suspend exportation of riot gear and arms to US to prevent further use against peaceful protesters.
Petition to condemn violence used against peaceful protesting in the US