There is no worse feeling than believing that those who are supposed to be there to protect you actually want to cause you harm. Unfortunately, that’s how many people feel about the police.
With so many cases of police brutality and misconduct, it’s no surprise that people are upset. It’s been shown that there are racial disparities in how the police in the United States use force. Are you black, Hispanic or Arabic? Do you look mixed or foreign? The reality is that these groups do face a higher likelihood of harm coming to them from the authorities.
Specifically, black people are significantly more likely to be harmed and shot by the authorities than their white peers. Data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows that 13% of Americans are black. 63% are white. Of the people killed by police, 31% are black, and 52% are white. More interesting is that 39% of the people killed by police when not attacking the police were black. Of whites, only 46% were killed.
What this shows is that black people are disproportionately mistreated, shot and killed by police, even when they are not attacking the police. Why? Some believe it stems out of racism, whether it’s realized or not.
It’s not just black people who struggle with police brutality
Statistics from The Guardian also show that minorities are more likely to be victims of police violence than others. Unarmed victims, in particular, are more likely to be killed by police if they are minorities, which shows a dangerous precedent set by the authorities.
There is also a higher likelihood for black people to face arrest for drug-related crimes per 100,000 than white people. White people were arrested at a rate of 332 per 100,000 compared to black people at a rate of 879 out of 100,000. It’s believed that up to 39% of the racial disparities are a result of racial bias or a person’s past criminal record, since that could impact the sentence.
No one should have to worry about racial bias playing a role when they’re seeking help from the authorities or when they’re being accused of crimes. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and equally in the eyes of the law. You can and should do all you can to protect your civil rights in Illinois and hold others accountable if they don’t respect your rights under the laws of the United States.