The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

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I think part of that’s probably prejudice, that they (minorities) go into a
white neighborhood, boy they stick out like a sore thumb.
The higher number of priors means that the cops know them and they are
going to be watched like a hawk, they will probably stalk them, they
follow them around, and bother them on purpose. And it isn’t necessarily
blacks, but if they know them, they will bother them on purpose. And it
really makes the kids mad, but I tell them, if they weren’t in trouble, the
cops wouldn’t know (them) and they wouldn’t be following (them)
around. I don’t really think it is race. I think they are just more wellknown.
Some decision makers believe that the police expect a great deal of respect, and when
they do not get that respect, they get upset and may tend to over-arrest.
We asked about black kids, especially responding to white authority. And
I don’t think they have much respect for white authority, and I think they
tend to shoot off their mouths at police officers as they drive by. Whereas
a white kid out in another neighborhood will tend to be more sneaky about
it, maybe saying it under his breath, but he won’t say it out loud. But these
(black) kids will have the chip right here on their shoulder in full view.
Police officers aren’t very good at dodging that or ignoring that, I don’t
think.
Others think that working in the system itself and having to deal with abuse
contributes to police officers becoming hardened and an increased reliance on
stereotyping of people. This occurrence could possibly explain minority attitudes toward
authority. As one decision maker stated, “Young black males don’t feel part of the
community because as soon as two are three of them are seen together, they’re assumed
to be a gang or delinquents of some kind. So, they tend to have a chip on their shoulder or
attitude because they feel surrounded by people who seem to have it all.”