The State of Race and Policing Reform
When two unarmed black men died at the hands of white police officers in Ferguson, Mo., and Staten Island, New York City last year, their deaths ignited such public outrage that Americans took to the streets, calling out what they believed was a systemic police culture of racism and violence toward minority communities. From grassroots organizations to the U.S. Justice Department, which is investigating both cases for potential civil rights violations, the country is now evaluating how law enforcement can serve our communities fairly, and tackling how relations between both sides can begin to heal. Tracie Keesee is co-founder of the Center for Policing Equity at University of California, Los Angeles. The research institute’s social scientists help police departments across the country apply practices that improve racial equity in policing. To date, the center has provided research, consultation, and training to over a dozen police departments across the country. Read more
Chicago Police Aren’t Allowed to Racially Profile — but Still Pull Over More Black Drivers
Policing the Police - Tracie Keesee Interviewed on Voice of America
The shooting this summer of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, has raised questions about how police in the U.S. do their job. Have the police become overly militarized, and are Americans afraid of those who are sworn to protect them? "Policing the police", this week, On the Line. CPE co-founder, Tracie Keesee, comments. Click here to see full clip.
Bratton-Style Policing Means More Fines and Arrests for Black Residents of Detroit
Fair Policing Not Black and White
Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff and Sherrilyn Ifill, president of NAACP Legal Defense Fund, discuss the role of racial misperceptions in how individuals percieve threat. They maintain that neglecting to address the realities of race and perception can have fatal results for people of color. To read more, go here.