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The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

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whites. Thirty-three percent <strong>of</strong> the whites strongly agreed with the statement, while only<br />

20 percent <strong>of</strong> the blacks said they respected the police. <strong>The</strong> rema<strong>in</strong>der <strong>of</strong> the youth<br />

neither agreed or disagreed with the statement (39 percent <strong>of</strong> the whites, 40 percent <strong>of</strong> the<br />

blacks). Tables 3 and 4 provide the results.<br />

<strong>The</strong> feel<strong>in</strong>g that emerges from the majority <strong>of</strong> the white youth <strong>in</strong>terviewed is quite<br />

blase’. <strong>The</strong> police are not seen as very competent. This is demonstrated by the follow<strong>in</strong>g<br />

quotes:<br />

I don’t know what you call respect. A lot <strong>of</strong> people th<strong>in</strong>k respect to the<br />

police is to not say anyth<strong>in</strong>g to them. To just let them do their th<strong>in</strong>g and<br />

listen to them. ...I’m not gonna be disrespectful <strong>in</strong> the normal way but if<br />

they ask me a question I’m not just gonna answer, I’m gonna give them a<br />

piece <strong>of</strong> my m<strong>in</strong>d, too. <strong>The</strong>y don’t really know what’s happen<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a lot<br />

<strong>of</strong> situations.<br />

<strong>The</strong> impression is that youth want the opportunity to expla<strong>in</strong> the situation. In addition, the<br />

white youth th<strong>in</strong>k that the police do not have a clear picture on what is “happen<strong>in</strong>g” or<br />

“go<strong>in</strong>g on” <strong>in</strong> different situations. As a whole, the white youth do not feel that they get<br />

much, if any, respect from the police. Quotes like the follow<strong>in</strong>g make this quite clear.<br />

Sometimes. Unless they’re be<strong>in</strong>g cocky. Because I’ve seen cops just stop<br />

kids and be cocky about it.<br />

Yeah, as long as they respect me.<br />

Yeah, if they show me some.<br />

I’d just look at a cop, and if I wouldn’t get <strong>in</strong> trouble, I’d probably spit on<br />

him. I don’t like cops , that guy arrested me for the littlest th<strong>in</strong>gs.. .1 don’t<br />

th<strong>in</strong>k they’re do<strong>in</strong>g their job. <strong>The</strong>y’re go<strong>in</strong>g around tell<strong>in</strong>g these kids how<br />

big a losers they are and they’re gonna go to prison for the rest <strong>of</strong> their life<br />

or someth<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re are the two or three <strong>in</strong>terviews from white youth that demonstrate respect<br />

for the police. In these cases, the <strong>in</strong>terviewees simply responded to the question, “Do you

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