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How do we think about institutional racism in the American police force? How do we think about institutional racism in the American police force?
'The police must be reformed!': The police are systemically racist 'The police must be reformed!': The police are systemically racist
'The police are not the issue!': The police should not be blamed for the problems of a racialized society 'The police are not the issue!': The police should not be blamed for the problems of a racialized society
'We must abolish the police!': Reforming the police means getting rid of them 'We must abolish the police!': Reforming the police means getting rid of them
Policing is a tool for state-sanctioned violence Policing is a tool for state-sanctioned violence
We need to hold the police accountable We need to hold the police accountable
Institutional racism is a colonial hangover Institutional racism is a colonial hangover
The social role of the police must change The social role of the police must change
Defunding police will disproportionately harm ethnic minorities Defunding police will disproportionately harm ethnic minorities
American police victimise black people American police victimise black people
The police are not defined by the actions of a minority The police are not defined by the actions of a minority
A reduced police presence is dangerous for everyone A reduced police presence is dangerous for everyone
Defunding the police will lead to vigilantism Defunding the police will lead to vigilantism
American political institutions are responsible for police racism American political institutions are responsible for police racism
African Americans are predisposed to criminal behaviour African Americans are predisposed to criminal behaviour
The police are being victimized The police are being victimized
To be anti-police is to be anti-American To be anti-police is to be anti-American
Defund the police Defund the police
The police are inherently racist The police are inherently racist
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How do we think about institutional racism in the American police force?
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'The police are not the issue!': The police should not be blamed for the problems of a racialized society

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The police are being victimized

Public outcry victimizes the police. Research shows that police institutions are not racist. A study by Harvard economist Roland G. Fryer Jr. found no evidence of racial discrimination in shootings. Reports that suggest otherwise do not account for crime rates and civilian behavior during police interactions.
William Barr Jason L. Riley
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The Argument

With the recent wave of the Black Lives Matter movement following the deaths of people like George Floyd, many activists and politicians are concluding that police institutions are racist. However, these people are merely taking advantage of the current situation to push their agenda. Race relations between police and black communities have ebbed and flowed over the decades.[1] Systemic racism does not exist within police institutions. As Attorney General William Barr stated, “I frankly think that we generally have the vast, overwhelming majority of police are good people. I think that there are instances of bad cops. And I think we have to be careful about automatically assuming that the actions of an individual necessarily mean that their organization is rotten.”[2] The police are being victimized by politicians, activists, and many in public for doing their job of protecting our society.

Counter arguments

The public recognition of systemic racism within police institutions is the first step toward ending racially motivated police violence. Numerous policy departments recognize this reality and have implemented programs to help officers eliminate any implicit biases they have.[3] With the ubiquity of smartphones, ignoring the problem of police violence has become impossible.[4] Police are not victims; the men and women who die at the hands of police are.

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.manhattan-institute.org/no-police-racism-isnt-an-epidemic
  2. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/07/us/politics/justice-department-barr-racism-police.html
  3. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200827-is-it-possible-to-rid-police-officers-of-bias
  4. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-civil-rights-expert-explains-the-social-science-of-police-racism/
This page was last edited on Monday, 21 Sep 2020 at 19:37 UTC

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