To think if your police force is 80% white

[Blackmamma]

If your police force is 80% white and the people who live their are 47% black it's just a matter of time before bad things happen

North Charleston is the third-largest city in South Carolina, with more than 100,000 residents, about 47% of whom are African American and 37% white.

The police department, however, is more than 80% white and has disproportionately pulled over black drivers in recent years, records show.

In 2010, black drivers were involved in 65% of all traffic stops that did not result in a ticket or arrest, or about 25,000 stops. Then-police chief Jon Zumalt justified the stops as a means to bring down

this I frightening

I think we do have this issue to a lesser extent in London however I don't think its so much about race in London it's more about the officers not being from London

If your police force is 80% white and the people who live their are 47% black it's just a matter of time before bad things happen

Not necessarily

Thing is if black people don't apply for the jobs they can't change the stats.

You can only employ people from the people who apply for the jobs, sad as it is

I'm not sure that bad things will happen (although they always seem to) but it definitely says something. About how the Police are seen; about recruitment; about power.

I think if in the us I am afraid so their race relations pare just to fraught their are still States that will make it impossible for mixed couples to marry.

I think in the UK and some other countires but not the us

For rascim to prevail you need power and privillage being a police office provides both

Add message | Report | Message poster ShouldIworryornothelp Wed 08-Apr-15 15:34:47
Thing is if black people don't apply for the jobs they can't change the stats.

You can only employ people from the people who apply for the jobs, sad as it is but why would any one be gay black hasanic want to work for their presived tormentours

Add message | Report | Message poster RinkRashDerbyKisses Wed 08-Apr-15 15:36:42
I do believe hogan howl is fast tracking officers who apply to the met but are actually from London

I don't completely understand your last post OP, but I think you're being a tad drastic. It's not illegal in the states for couples of different races to marry.

Eh?

Are you living in the 1970s? Things have moved on since then.

Also it's a case of if you want something to change get off your arse and make it happen. Stop whinging there aren't enough BME officers and then not expect BME people to apply because of their 'tormentors' whatever that's supposed to mean

I saw a US comic a few years ago who decided to talk about this stuff. I pointed to the groups and couples in the audience who were mixed. He said that in the US that simply wouldn't happen. You wouldn't have seen mixed couples out like that. It might not be illegal there, but in some places it would be very dangerous.

I live in the US and currently live in a town where the racial mix is Hispanic and white with a small % of black people. Those who are low income are more likely to have issues with the law. It was the same when I live in a town which was about 50/50 white and black.

There is a huge racial problem here but from what I have seen the real problem is low income as in both towns those who are low income are much more likely to have run ins with police. In this case in North Carolina the mayor has been very straight about this officer not following the rules. He has been arrested for murder in a very timely fashion.

We have a problem with the police here and in the UK. Standards are lower than what they should be. I really question how anyone can rely on the word of the police given the facts around the plebgate issue in the UK and this case in the US.

It do not think that a police force needs to reflect their local community. Instead I think a police force needs to read what's on the side of their cars. They are there to serve and protect. A black, Hispanic, white, Asian or oriental person can do the job. The issue is that those who are low income are much more likely to not graduate from high school making it impossible for them to be in the police.

Add message | Report | Message poster RinkRashDerbyKisses Wed 08-Apr-15 15:43:39

People in the coumminty are rasicst the police recruit form the coumminty their for some police are rasicst not just a few bad apples

And I belive that people are homophobes and racists are drawn to positions like this

Have you ever watched a documentry called the secret policemen

vimeo.com/58780304

Add message | Report | Message poster Want2bSupermum Wed 08-Apr-15 15:53:44

Amen to that

black people ought to apply. For a while at least they might benefit from positive discrimination as the police are trying to make police forces more representitive of population.

blackmamma have you or your family considered working for the police? Either volunteer as a special constable, or work a civvie job or join up as an officer

You seem to be very free with the criticism but no so free with the solutions or free with your time

I do belive that some states are using video And were the video is being used police are less likely to draw their gun I think it's made police in the us lazy rather than use other methods to defuse a situation it's become stop doing thaT or I will shoot you their but if the person dosent stop they have to shoot and follow through.

My cousin is from Denver and just couldn't get her head round the police here not being armed the police here are being allowed to use tasers and low and behold their are more and more taser incidents

Add message | Report | Message poster ShouldIworryornothelp Wed 08-Apr-15 16:01:58

Can I just say hands up I don't know the answer

Should more black and gay apply or should the police just be local eg from London should it be their needs t be more BME up the ranks I have no clue

I just don't know and I really have no clue what's the answer in the US I think the wounds so so deep we would need Houdini to sort it

The police here use a different way of dealing with the public than the Americans. In America they go 'over' the person and try to be the bigger person, over here it's lowest level intervention necessary and they try and get the person onside

There is a fundamental difference in how the two countries police

Two people have asked what the OP's solutions are to this issue. Could I be so bold as to suggest that the people who need to change could be the white people in charge? Unless we believe that black people cause racism, women cause sexism and gay people cause homophobia.

We need to listen to people's experience, believe it and act on it. Not rarely listen to people's experience, not believe them and ask them to act on it.

but they are acting on it, or at least here in the UK they are

But this is something that requires engagement from both sides. As I said earlier, If BME candidates aren't applying how on earth do you expect things to change in terms of quotas unless you begin the process of positive discrimination and allowing ALL candidates from BME in regardless of ability. And if they do that, then they are still being discriminatory against applicants who may be better qualified simply to fulfil a quota because it's not an attractive job option for BME

OP, are you British or American? Where do you live, and where are you getting your facts from?

Yes, where are these dodgy 'facts' from??

You can prefer Londoners for the Met but not black Londoners over white Londoners. A few years ago another force which "deferred" applications from white males ended up paying a lot of public money out in compensation: and so they should.

If the Met or any other force does everything you reasonably and lawfully can to encourage applications from BME people - but not discourage them from white people - and the BME success rate is broadly similar to the success rate for white applicants with similar qualifications, that force is doing all the law requires or permits.