RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN URBAN POLICE DEPARTMENTS (FROM POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS - SELECTED READINGS - 2ND ED, 1978, BY PAUL F CROMWALL, JR AND GEORGE KEEFER - SEE NCJ-47600)

• NCJ Number: 47607
• Author(s): D M RAFKY
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: West Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINTED FROM CRIME AND DELINQUENCY (JULY 1975), P 233-242

Annotation

A MODEL OF INTENTIONAL AND UNINTENTIONAL, INTERPERSONAL AND INTERORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS IN RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN POLICE RECRUITMENT IS PRESENTED TOGETHER WITH RESULTS OF A STUDY OF ROLE DIVESTMENT IN WHITE URBAN POLICE.

Abstract

THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, RACIAL UNREST, AND THE FEDERAL COMMITMENT TO AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYMENT POLICIES HAVE LED TO A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF MINORITY RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND PROMOTION IN TRADITIONALLY WHITE POLICE DEPARTMENTS. UNDERLYING THE FREQUENTLY HEARD CHARGES OF INADEQUATE MINORITY GROUP REPRESENTATION AND UNSATISFACTORY EFFORTS TO INCREASE MINORITY PARTICIPATION IS THE ASSUMPTION THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE GUILTY OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION. DISCRIMINATION, AS FREQUENTLY USED IMPLIES A SYSTEMATIC AND INTENTIONAL EXCLUSION OF BLACKS, AND TENDS TO IGNORE UNINTENTIONAL AND FORTUITOUS FACTORS WHICH MAY ACT AS BARRIERS TO BLACK EMPLOYMENT IN POLICE DEPARTMENTS. SUCH BARRIERS MAY BE INTENTIONAL OR UNINTENTIONAL AND MAY BE IN THE INDIVIDUAL, IN THE ORGANIZATION, OR IN THE SOCIETY. FOR INSTANCE, BARRIERS INTENTIONALLY ERECTED BY BLACKS MAY INCLUDE DISINTEREST IN POLICE WORK, NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE, AND GREATER ATTRACTIVENESS OR PRESTIGE OF OTHER OCCUPATIONS. UNINTENTIONAL BARRIERS FOR THE BLACK MAY INCLUDE SUBCULTURAL VALUES WHICH MAKE THEM LESS LIKELY THAN WHITES TO COMPLETE COMPLEX CIVIL SERVICE HIRING PROCEDURES AND LACK OF EDUCATIONAL, PHYSICAL, MORAL, OR MENTAL PREREQUISITES TO POLICE EMPLOYMENT. WITHIN THE POLICE ORGANIZATION THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL BARRIERS SUCH AS RECRUITMENT PROCEDURES WHICH LIMIT LATERAL ENTRY OR UTILIZE PRIMARILY WORD-OF-MOUTH REFERRALS, OR POLICIES WHICH, BY NOT ACTIVELY ENCOURAGING MINORITY PARTICIPATION SERVE TO DISCOURAGE BLACKS. ORGANIZATIONAL INTENTIONAL BARRIERS MAY INCLUDE OVERT EXCLUSIONARY HIRING PRACTICES OR QUALIFYING CRITERIA, DISCRIMINATORY RACIAL ATTITUDES AMONG PERSONNEL, OR A DEPARTMENTAL IMAGE WHICH DISCOURAGES BLACK PARTICIPATION. UNINTENTIONAL SOCIAL BARRIERS SUCH AS THE INCREASING SOCIAL STATUS OF MINORITY GROUPS AND SOCIETAL NORMS WHICH NEGATIVELY EVALUATE LAW ENFORCEMENT MAY SERVE AS BARRIERS, AS MAY INTENTIONAL RACIAL BARRIERS WHICH SEEK TO EXCLUDE BLACKS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS INCLUDING WHITE DISTRUST OF BLACKS AND BLACK FEARS OF BEING CO-OPTED BY THE WHITE MAJORITY. RESULTS OF AN ATTITUDINAL QUESTIONNAIRE PERTAINING TO ROLE DIVESTMENT (THE RELINQUISHING OF CERTAIN ROLE BEHAVIORS) INDICATED THAT REGARDLESS OF PERSONAL BACKGROUND AND RACIAL ATTITUDES, WHITE POLICE OFFICERS WERE UNWILLING TO RELINQUISH THEIR TRADITIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DUTIES TO BLACKS. THIS SUGGESTS AN INTERNALIZATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL AND/OR SOCIETAL NORMS WHICH NEED NOT BE RELATED TO NEGATIVE RACIAL ATTITUDES. SUCH NONRACIST ATTITUDES MAY INCLUDE A BELIEF THAT LACK OF OBJECTIVITY OF BLACK OFFICERS MAKES THEM INEFFECTIVE IN DEALING WITH MINORITIES, FEARED LOSS OF JOB SECURITY, OR THE VIEW THAT THE POLICE ROLE REQUIRES PROFESSIONAL SKILLS, NOT BLACK OR WHITE OFFICERS. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCE NOTES ARE INCLUDED.