I heard few days a go a news from US Texas:
A former police officer woman, mistook her apartment, busted in her afro-american neighbour condo, and shot him, believing that he was a thief.
What better example of police racism ?
Well, is more bad police training than racism. I will explain below:
I am reading Daniel Khaneman's book ''Thinking fast and slow'. He argues that there are 2 types of reasoning a fast one and a slow one.
The fast one reasons based on stereotypes and makes causal relations. It is happy when everything makes sense. It can make sense of everything even if it is not related.
The slow one is more analytical, more detailed oriented, makes better decisions based on facts not on stereotypes, but it is using more working memory.
The fast thinking system triggers when you are under pressure,tired or distracted.
The policewomen was after a 12 hours shift, she was texting and she believed that it was an intruder in her apartment and she acted on her stereotypes.
How the racist stereotype is constructed ? If you are a white officer, even if the criminals you are dealing with are 50% white and 50% non white, you will met more white people that are not criminals. Your mother is white and not a criminal, your family,your colleagues are white and non criminals so a stereotype white and criminal cannot be formed easy.
But stereotype non white and criminal can be formed. And if the officer is under stress he/she will act according to stereotype.
I was using white police example because it is easier, but stereotypes against white people also exists.
An US american moved in to Japan, and left his bicycle outside his dojo, together with other bikes. In one evening because it was dark, he could not found his bicycle and he was fumbling.
A japanese policeman saw this, asked him what was he doing, checked his papers and then left him alone saying: "You foreigners make all the crimes in Japan". Racist ? Maybe. Stereotype for sure.
Anti racist education helps to overcome stereotypes ?
Education targets the slow decision system, which in a gun shoot out doesn't work.
Maybe anti racist education will work and afro-americans won't be so easily shot by the police, but what you do with others ? Like, my friends who are europeans:
Four of my friends travelled in Detroit area in a rented car.
They were pulled over, and kept at gun point and then released by a fearful policeman.
At the TV news they saw that in Detroit was a shoot out in which a policeman was killed.
If one my friends would put his hand in his pocket for showing the passport they will be all dead, because of this policeman who feared for his life.
In order to give time to the slow thinking process to intervene you must slow things down and remove the pressure.
Lets wrap up a conclusion:
Policemen are fearing to be shot this makes them act hastily and judge on stereotypes.
The learned to act aggressively to deter anyone to use force.
They learn to shoot at head not at the feet, which makes a police encounter more deadly. You can shoot in the legs a nut with a knife from 6 m with same effects.
Their aggressive attitude makes suspect act nervous which amplifies the policeman fear.
Because of fear the suspect can act stupid.
The key words are guns and fear.
US americans won't give up their guns not even if half population is killed, so we must get rid of fear.
Taking time reduces fear. If the Texas police woman would call back ups and wait for it, she would realise that it was not her apartment.
Trevor Noah describes very funny how police should handles suspects. And South Africa is far more dangerous as US.
Instead of pointing a gun and shooting out, US policemen should point a gun and be polite: "Good day sir, please put your hand on the driving wheel, where I can see it. How do you feel ? Where you were speeding ? Why you were speeding ?"
A former police officer woman, mistook her apartment, busted in her afro-american neighbour condo, and shot him, believing that he was a thief.
What better example of police racism ?
Well, is more bad police training than racism. I will explain below:
I am reading Daniel Khaneman's book ''Thinking fast and slow'. He argues that there are 2 types of reasoning a fast one and a slow one.
The fast one reasons based on stereotypes and makes causal relations. It is happy when everything makes sense. It can make sense of everything even if it is not related.
The slow one is more analytical, more detailed oriented, makes better decisions based on facts not on stereotypes, but it is using more working memory.
The fast thinking system triggers when you are under pressure,tired or distracted.
The policewomen was after a 12 hours shift, she was texting and she believed that it was an intruder in her apartment and she acted on her stereotypes.
How the racist stereotype is constructed ? If you are a white officer, even if the criminals you are dealing with are 50% white and 50% non white, you will met more white people that are not criminals. Your mother is white and not a criminal, your family,your colleagues are white and non criminals so a stereotype white and criminal cannot be formed easy.
But stereotype non white and criminal can be formed. And if the officer is under stress he/she will act according to stereotype.
I was using white police example because it is easier, but stereotypes against white people also exists.
An US american moved in to Japan, and left his bicycle outside his dojo, together with other bikes. In one evening because it was dark, he could not found his bicycle and he was fumbling.
A japanese policeman saw this, asked him what was he doing, checked his papers and then left him alone saying: "You foreigners make all the crimes in Japan". Racist ? Maybe. Stereotype for sure.
Anti racist education helps to overcome stereotypes ?
Education targets the slow decision system, which in a gun shoot out doesn't work.
Maybe anti racist education will work and afro-americans won't be so easily shot by the police, but what you do with others ? Like, my friends who are europeans:
Four of my friends travelled in Detroit area in a rented car.
They were pulled over, and kept at gun point and then released by a fearful policeman.
At the TV news they saw that in Detroit was a shoot out in which a policeman was killed.
If one my friends would put his hand in his pocket for showing the passport they will be all dead, because of this policeman who feared for his life.
In order to give time to the slow thinking process to intervene you must slow things down and remove the pressure.
Lets wrap up a conclusion:
Policemen are fearing to be shot this makes them act hastily and judge on stereotypes.
The learned to act aggressively to deter anyone to use force.
They learn to shoot at head not at the feet, which makes a police encounter more deadly. You can shoot in the legs a nut with a knife from 6 m with same effects.
Their aggressive attitude makes suspect act nervous which amplifies the policeman fear.
Because of fear the suspect can act stupid.
The key words are guns and fear.
US americans won't give up their guns not even if half population is killed, so we must get rid of fear.
Taking time reduces fear. If the Texas police woman would call back ups and wait for it, she would realise that it was not her apartment.
Trevor Noah describes very funny how police should handles suspects. And South Africa is far more dangerous as US.
Instead of pointing a gun and shooting out, US policemen should point a gun and be polite: "Good day sir, please put your hand on the driving wheel, where I can see it. How do you feel ? Where you were speeding ? Why you were speeding ?"
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