Is Broken Window Policing Racist?

[franklin]

Poor people in poor neighborhoods commit more crimes. This is true. More black people live in poor neighborhoods than white people. Also true.

So even without racism there will be more black people, per capita, than white people getting charged with crimes. But to bury your head in the sand and think that either a) the law is applied fairly and evenly or that b) it isn't bad for society if black people get scrutinized more aggressively by law enforcement well, you're wrong. Well, you're wrong unless your version of justice means that racial divides need to be maintained and that the freedom of black people is less important than the freedom of white people or that they need to be held to a higher standard to keep from being locked in a cell, or that the innocent law abiding friends and family of unjustly prosecuted black people should just keep on being innocent law abiding, tax paying, productive members of society despite the pain and loss they suffer from having their friends and family unjustly incarcerated.

You all know I'm all about freedom and individual liberty. Makes me sad how often people claiming the same focus on how much they have to pay in taxes or how their kids are being brainwashed into being homosexuals. There can be no individual liberty in the face of such overwhelming injustice. It just doesn't work. Our out of control prison system, our unjust selective enforcement of the law and the way both of those things are tied to a person's ability to earn a living is a horrible injustice. Easy to ignore if you are not affected by it, impossible to ignore if you are.

I think we need to look at this one from a macro perspective. "Sending in the troops" to targeted areas does more than just imprisoning minorities. Creating a sense of rule of law helps children feel safe, which helps them build constructive goals and focus on the things that should matter.

The problem isn't racial enforcement IMO, it's an unwillingness to take the next step and provide an infrastructure in which children from these areas can thrive in. But then, those who've studied this the most don't really have any answers to this issue so why should I.

 

[LogGrad98]

Yawn.

Joke's getting old.

That's what's sad...it's not a joke. It is the culmination of an entire thread on the subject.

 

[LogGrad98]

I think we need to look at this one from a macro perspective. "Sending in the troops" to targeted areas does more than just imprisoning minorities. Creating a sense of rule of law helps children feel safe, which helps them build constructive goals and focus on the things that should matter.

The problem isn't racial enforcement IMO, it's an unwillingness to take the next step and provide an infrastructure in which children from these areas can thrive in. But then, those who've studied this the most don't really have any answers to this issue so why should I.

This is actually the most frustrating part of all of this is everyone wants everyone to be mad and outraged, but there seems to be very little proposed to actually have any impact on the problems. It is almost as if the thought is that if enough people get mad about it, it would spontaneously fix itself.

 

[franklin]

This is actually the most frustrating part of all of this is everyone wants everyone to be mad and outraged, but there seems to be very little proposed to actually have any impact on the problems. It is almost as if the thought is that if enough people get mad about it, it would spontaneously fix itself.

We can formulate policy for these situations just fine when it's not on our soil. It's frustrating that we refuse to study and implement community building at home where it's necessary and would be a positive investment.

 

[TroutBum]

Wow. The trifecta. Obtuse, racist and dumb all in one. Smh

My bad. I forgot that stereotypes don't really exist, and the idea that they pretty much explain everything is ludacris. I think it's far more likely that Americans are all racist pigs who will make sure they go out of their way to ruin the lives of other humans over absolutely nothing but a whim. For real. Personal accountability is for the birds, tbpfhwy.

 

[GVC]

"Sending in the troops" to targeted areas does more than just imprisoning minorities. Creating a sense of rule of law helps children feel safe, which helps them build constructive goals and focus on the things that should matter.

Do you really think predatory policing creates the sense of rule of law? I know little about this particular topic, but I find that incredibly hard to believe.

 

[One Brow]

That's what's sad...it's not a joke. It is the culmination of an entire thread on the subject.

If that's what you took away, it really is pretty sad, especially since you asked for things you could do, I offered some, and your response to them was silence.

 

[One Brow]

My bad. I forgot that stereotypes don't really exist, and the idea that they pretty much explain everything is ludacris. I think it's far more likely that Americans are all racist pigs who will make sure they go out of their way to ruin the lives of other humans over absolutely nothing but a whim.

I think both of those options are wrong.

 

[Stoked]

Do you really think predatory policing creates the sense of rule of law? I know little about this particular topic, but I find that incredibly hard to believe.

That's not what he said. Rule of law =/= predatory policing. It can be turned into that sure but I don't think Franklin* is calling for that.

 

[Gameface]

That's not what he said. Rule of law =/= predatory policing. It can be turned into that sure but I don't think Franklin* is calling for that.

The rule of law shouldn't be about obeying the law because we said so with the end goal being submission. The rule of law should serve the community in which it is being enforced. Not to go too far off on a tangent but I believe the drug prohibition is a huge part of the problem here. In order to fight the war on drugs, to save people from themselves, we have given the police a large amount of latitude in how they can invade privacy and interfere with people as they go about their daily lives. Because drugs might be found, therefore retroactively justifying the action, police harass people who are doing no harm. This war on drugs is being waged against the poor. Wealthy people are very seldom even scrutinized and even when drugs are found the consequences are often completely different based on socioeconomic status. And since socioeconomic status is often tied to race, it is essentially a war on minorities.

The rule of law as it relates to the war on drugs does not serve the community in which it is being waged. Drugs cause their own harm, the war on drugs has horribly failed to mitigate the damage drugs cause while piling on another layer of horrible consequences. Doctors have a principle to "cause no harm" and I suggest the police should adopt that principle in the way they enforce the law.

 

[GVC]

That's not what he said. Rule of law =/= predatory policing. It can be turned into that sure but I don't think Franklin* is calling for that.

I'm saying broken window policing is predatory.

 

[franklin]

Do you really think predatory policing creates the sense of rule of law? I know little about this particular topic, but I find that incredibly hard to believe.

I believe having a heavy security presence in war torn communities makes all the difference in the world.