Racism and Police Brutality in America
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-1-2013
Abstract
What, if any, changes have occurred in the nation's police departments 21 years after the Rodney King beating? To answer this question, this study examined findings provided by the National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project (NPMSRP). An additional goal of this study was to examine how the public generally perceive police and how race and racism shape this discourse. To answer this secondary question, we examined narratives provided by 36 contributors to the NPMSRP site. The following two questions were foundational to this study: (1) What do findings from the NPMSRP suggest about the rate of police brutality in America? (2) How do individuals perceive the police department, and what implications do these perceptions hold for Black men in America? In general, fatalities at the hands of police are higher than they are for the general public. Grounded theory analysis of the data revealed that individuals perceive members of law enforcement in the following ways: (a) contempt for law enforcement, (b) suspicion of law enforcement, (c) law enforcement as agents of brutality, and (d) respect for law enforcement. Supporting qualitative data are presented in connection with each of the aforementioned themes. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Journal of African American Studies
First Page
480
Last Page
505
Recommended Citation
Chaney, C., & Robertson, R. (2013). Racism and Police Brutality in America. Journal of African American Studies, 17 (4), 480-505. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-013-9246-5