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Racism and Police Brutality in America

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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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Human Sciences and Education, School of Social Work, Child and Family Studies, Louisiana State University, 323 Huey P. Long Field House, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803-4300, USA

    Cassandra Chaney

  2. Department of Sociology, Social Work and Criminal Justice, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA

    Ray V. Robertson

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  1. Cassandra Chaney
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  2. Ray V. Robertson
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Correspondence to Cassandra Chaney.

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Chaney, C., Robertson, R.V. Racism and Police Brutality in America. J Afr Am St 17, 480–505 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-013-9246-5

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