Use A 6-black Mans Guide To Law Enforcement In America - Ten Years Of Contemporary Policing
Posted on February 7, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law
Between 1996 and 2007, the Tri-State Area (East Cost States of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey) was inundated with incidents between Police and the Public, which were controversial cases of alleged police brutality that were an understatement in most cases. April 14, 1997, in Connecticut, what would start out as routine police patrol of a minor traffic complaint would end in a police chase (two White Cops) and the offending driver (young Black Male) fatally shot. This would seem to be the introduction to what still was yet to come in the Tri-State Area. Again on August 9, 1997 in New York City, a group of White Cops would sexually assault a Haitian Male (again young Black Male) who had been arrested at a night club for charges that could have been addressed using a Misdemeanor Summons Ticket and giving him a Promise to Appear in court. Evidence later presented showed that the officers inserted a 14 inch broken broom stick/plunger into the anus of the subject and then removed the stick and shoved it into the subject’s mouth. The attack was so severe that the arrestee had to be hospitalized.
Then again in Connecticut on December 29, 1998 another Black/Hispanic male fleeing from the police in a foot chase would be fatally shot in the back at gunpoint by a White Cop. The Officer would claim that he shot the subject in the back after he attempted to reach for a weapon. At trial, evidence was presented showing the cop’s footprint on the back of the subject. In New York City on February 4, 1999, America would see Unchanged Law Enforcement and the Epitome of Racial Profiling at its finest. A group of White Cops (dressed in plain clothes) would shoot an unarmed Muslim male from Guinea, while he stood in the foyer of his apartment building getting his keys or wallet from his pocket. The four cops shot at him a horrific 41 times and the Muslim male was struck 19 times. What started out with a subject fitting the description ended in a positive identification of the state of “America’s outlook on Black Males.”
Then on April 13, 1999 (only four months following the Fatal shooting in Connecticut of December 29, 1998) a White Police officer in Connecticut’s Capital city would gun down a fleeing youth suspected in a robbery. The youth was a 14-year-old Black Male from an inner city area of town. Evidence was presented that the youth had purchased a cigarette lighter that resembled a handgun; however there was never any mention that the youth was in possession of it at the time of the shooting.
On March 16, 2000, in midtown Manhattan, New York would again pick up the baton, when another Undercover Op gone bad would result in the fatal shooting of another Black Male who was suspected of possibly having or wanting a small amount of drugs. In this incident, the twist was that the cop was Hispanic and the shooting happened in an upscale area rather than the “Inner City.” Once again the suspect was unarmed. Moreover, like the previous mentioned NYPD shooting, the suspect was again mistaken for someone else and was innocent. Yah! Sounds like a War? This is only a snap shot look at some of the actions and results of actions that have involved police and the public since 1996 in the Tri- State Area. The irony is that in all of the incidents that I have highlighted, ALL of the subjects killed were unarmed and no weapons were recovered at the scene. Also the similarities were that they were all Black Males. So we could put it to a test: Would you call these events the result of which of the following,
A) Racism in Law Enforcement
B) Racial Police Departments
C) Racial Profiling
D) Social imbedded Stereotypes
E) Ignorance about Blacks as well other Culture and Groups
This is a tough decision when you have to pick just one, but it is even more serious to the Black and Latino/Hispanic Community when it seems that they are the only ones picked.
Some so-called Black and Latino/Hispanic Leaders have considered these events to be an epidemic within the Black Community. However, I beg to differ since an epidemic by right is unpredicted and has a vague hope of a cure. These events can be changed and have occurred through the manifestation of the nationwide ignorance about Blacks, Latinos and other Minorities. Education plays a major role in this change along with new laws that deter this type of behavior. Public outcries on these issues only seem to serve as a controlled arena for increasing church congregations and as platforms for political leaders to jumpstart their campaigns. Remember, that in February of 1999 regarding the Amadu Diallo Shooting in New York City, President Bill Clinton made public his discontent with the shooting of “41″ bullets at an unarmed man. And yet, not only were the Cops found not guilty by the State, they were also cleared Federally in 2001. To further “put it in the face” of the Black Community, the respective departments did not even find the officers in violation of department policy and/or procedures. This showed that not even the opinions of the President of the United States of America could influence change when it comes to the racial issues in America’s Law Enforcement.
The affect that these events had on community and Police relations in the inner city community as well as that of the suburbs was devastating. After a while, White Folks finally realized that this was obviously a serious problem. Though it did not involve them directly, it involved them indirectly and the reason was that 99.9% of the Cops that were pulling the trigger were White. It is my Theory that the actions of these officers brought a blemish to the Image of White professionals and other White Folks too. They began to react like many Blacks have done for years. They wanted to let the rest of America see that they were not like that and that “these few officers did not represent the mentality and actions for all of White America.” They did not want these incidents to portray a negative view about White People. Moreover, government officials could not afford to have Whites in authority stereotyped as malicious, untrustworthy and incompetent. But it would become clear, that what few ties that remained between Black and White America after the “O.J. Trial” had now become severely strained to its limits. And in addition to that, many Hate Crimes would occur throughout the U.S. such as the brutal dragging of a Black Male in Texas by a group of White males belonging to one of the many White Supremacist groups. This would serve as one of those terrible events that would linger in the minds of most Black Americans. National race relations in the U.S. would resemble more of a “Boiling Pot” than the “Melting Pot” it was meant to be.
It would seem that finally there would become a national focus on what obviously has been a problem in the United States since before the Emancipation Proclamation; Black people and White Police. More incidents would occur in this country, which would help give birth to the phase DWB or Driving While Black. It became the upscale version of Racial Profiling a phrase that was coined only after white officers had victimized many Bourgeois Blacks. Many police departments found this to be absurd, but as you will later find in reading this book
Well later in 1998, Col. Carl Williams, Superintendent of the State Police, since 1994, who was also known as “The Truth,” would go on record with the public to confirm what all of Black America has known and felt all along. In an interview with the Star-Ledger he stated that the State Police never would or never should use racial profiling for determining who gets pulled over on New Jersey’s Highways. However, he went on to state that he would be truthful in saying that there was (and you know there still is) racial profiling to drug crimes. He gave the examples that: Jamaicans (Blacks) control the heroin market, White bikers control the trade in methamphetamines, and when it comes to the “big problems” such as cocaine and marijuana, “it is most likely a minority group (Blacks and Hispanics) that’s involved with that. ” Well after telling the truth, the newspapers printed the statement within hours and the Governor of New Jersey Christie Whitman hooked him up with a big fat pink slip. About time!
The irony to William’s Theory was simple, almost all of the groups mentioned that would be operating a motor vehicle would be Black or Hispanic and thus there would be no need to pull over White People unless they were on a bike or riding a motorcycle.
The bottom line is that there are obvious imperfections in Policing. Why? Because, police officers are humans who like all humans, have imperfections. However, this should not be used as an excuse, because the public does hold an officer to a higher standard. In the next lesson I will talk about the importance of what you need to do when dealing with the police. When talking to the police. When interacting with the police. It will often come down to a simple old phase, “You get what you give!”
The truth is real, its scary, and it always returns to reveal it self.
Shafiq Abdussabur is an active law enforcement officer in the State of Connecticut with over 11 years of Community Base Police training and experience. He has been working with Inner City Youth since 1985. He is native of New Haven, Connecticut having grown up in various sections of the urban sectors of New Haven.
He is a nationally recognized artist (BOLDMINDS Cultural Arts) and author. Currently, he works as the Chief Executive Officer for the New Haven Police Department under Police Chief Francisco Ortiz Jr. In January 2007, he was appointed by the Mayor as Coordinator over the New Haven Street Outreach Workers Program-a proactive social development program aimed at reducing violent crime among youth and young adults. With in its first five months of operation, the City of New Haven posted a 86% reduction in homicides.
Use a 6 is a compilation of select topics that shall serve as an informational guide for young African American and Latino/Hispanic males who will eventually find themselves involved in the criminal justice system in the United States of America.
Tags: police shootings, shafiq abdussabur, Use A 6
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