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Benitez, Ivan

English

Morehead State University

Black Lives Matter and Police Misconduct Ivan Benitez, Undergraduate Research Fellow, and Rebecca S. Katz, Ph.D., Professor    Morehead State University  Morehead, Kentucky     Findings   Quantitative Analysis - 2008 & 2011 Police Public Contact Survey  After weighing the data, the analysis illustrated the following:  - Young Black and Hispanic males with a lower incomer were more likely to be    arrested (r-squared = .019). -  Black and Hispanic males with less income who had not hit an officer were more  -  likely to report police excessive use of force (r-squared = .115). -  Respondents who were younger, poorer, Black or Hispanic, were significantly less      Likely to believe an officer had a legitimate reason for a vehicle search even when      there was an illegal item found (r-squared = .079). Excessive use of force and arrest  -  Being a Black or Hispanic males significantly predicted excessive use of force, as well  -  as arrest.  -  Furthermore, when an illegal item was found, it also predicted excessive use of force.  -  Respondents with a higher income, and those who hit an officer were significantly -   less likely to report excessive use of force.   Legitimacy of Vehicle Search (model 1). -  Including SES variables, whether they hit the officer, and whether an illegal item found. -  Being a Black or Hispanic young male, and those with a higher income, were  -  Significantly less likely to perceive search as legitimate.  Legitimacy of Vehicle Search (model 2).  -  Including only SES variables -  Young African American males were more ? likely to view searches as legitimate,      compared to respondents with a higher income, as well as Hispanics.  Qualitative Analysis  The Chicago Tribune-The Chicago Tribune records indicate that between 2010-2015, 535  police shootings occurred. Additionally, 92 led to fatal shootings, and another 135 non-fatal  shootings. Furthermore, nearly 80% of police shooting victims were African American.  Only 64 officers had shot more than one victim. The age range of victims shot varied from  14-92.                                          The Guardian- Citizens of the United States continue to die at the hands of police in disproportionate rates compared to other developed nations, such as  Australia, England, Iceland as well as Germany (Lartey, 2016). In the first 59  days of 2015, police in the U.S. killed on average one person per day. Police of Wales and England, in comparison, killed 59 people in the last 24Years (Lartey, 2016). Furthermore, in first five months of 2015, police in the United States killed 19 unarmed black men, compared to German police, who killed 11  people between 2010 & 2011. Moreover, as Iceland has a comparable population to Stanton, Ca., data shows that since the establishment of Iceland, there has been one police fatal shooting, compared to three police fatal  shootings in Stanton in the first six months of 2015 (Lartey, 2016).  The Washington Post- According to the Washington Post, in the year of 2015, there were 988 people who were unarmed and killed by the police. On average, there were 82 citizens killed by police each month. However, the month of July saw the highest number of  unarmed people killed by police, 120. the second  month with the highest killings was March, where 113 unarmed people were shot and killed. Moreover, what this data illustrates is that African Americans  are more likely to be shot by the police compared to their white counterparts. African Americans are nearly 2.5 times more likely to be shot by  Police (Lowery, 2016). African Americans were actually 7 times more likely to be shot and killed by  the police, compared to their White counterparts (Somashekhar, Lowery,  Alexander, Kindy, Tate, 2015).   Black Lives Matter  The Black Lives Matter Movement seeks to bring better practices and policies  the criminal justice system. As a result of the Black Lives Matter protests,  there has been a reduction of military equipment transferred to police departments by former President Obama. Moreover, the FBI will also improve its recordings of police shootings. Additionally, Mayors of Chicago and  Baltimore have been fired as the result of police brutality.  Arguably, we conclude that as a result of the BLM, this influenced a DOJ  investigation of the Ferguson PD,  that found a pattern and practice of unconstitutional law enforcement behavior which targeted African Americans. Furthermore, BLM has improved and increased awareness of racism on college campuses. There have also been new ideas to policy changes in eliminating  the use of private prisons, as well as eliminating Superpacs. BLM has also  Revealed problems surrounding unsafe and insecure housing  among poor African Americans., Latinos and Whites including problems with Increasing gentrification. BLM also has published protest manual for use at the grassroots to help institute social change.                                     Literature Review:  Previous research has shown that people of color are at a significantly greater  risk of being stopped by police, while also more likely to  be victims of excessive use of force (Epp, & Maynard-Moody, 2012, Chaney and Robertson, 2013). Furthermore, what also has been illustrated in other research as well is evidence of the existence of colorblind racism. This is reflected in policing  practices that result in overt discrimination against people of color  (Gonzalez Van Cleave, 2016, Bonilla-Silva, 2006). Similarly, Muniz finds that the use of gang injunctions have been used to separate poor people of color from the wealthier classes, but also as a way to control and  surveil neighborhoods of predominately minority residents  (Muniz, 2015).  Additional research also shows the use of monetary sanctions has functioned in a way to keep the indigent in debt (Harris, 2016). Moreover, racial animus that has persisted in our society may be what have led to the justification of excessive  use of force on people of color, particularly Blacks (Tonry, 2011). It is not uncommon to see people of color treated more  punitively in the courts as well.  Moreover, Blacks who appear to have greater  Afrocentric features, are at higher risks for receiving these more harsh   punishments (Blair, Judd, and Chapleau, 2004). Furthermore, in survey  research comparing adult perceptions of 10-13 year old White children’s to Black children’s perceptions, illustrates that Black children are perceived as less innocent (Goff, et al., 2014). Thus negative perceptions of people of color have facilitated the development of implicit racial bias which may lead police  justify excessive use of force towards people of color (Dottolo & Stewart, 2008; Goldkamp, 1982). These unsurprising assumptions lead to  making  associations of all crime with young black males, (Chaney and  Robertson, 2013).              Qualitative  and Quantitative Methodological Analysis We utilized a mixed methods design.  Quantitative  - We analyzed the 2008 as well as the 2011 Police Public Contact Survey      with a sample size of 62,280 respondents (before weighting). -Independent and dependent variables were transformed into a categorical  levels of measurement.  - Logistic regression  analysis was performed using the following: Independent Variables: Young, male, Black and Hispanic, high income,  resisting arrest (hitting the officer), & whether an illegal item was found. Dependent variables: whether the respondent  believed there was excessive use of force, belief that the search was legitimate, and whether or the  Respondent was arrested.   Qualitative   Using newspaper  articles web based searches examining information related to  Black Lives Matter and police shootings of civilians over the last five years.     

Black Lives Matter and Police Misconduct

https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1125&amp;context=student_scholarship_posters

Black Lives Matter and Police Misconduct

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