The Police, Pride and Prejudice
Read Time:4 Minute, 22 Second
Our feelings we with difficulty smother
When constabulary duty’s to be done:
Ah, take one consideration with another,
A policeman’s lot is not a happy one!
-W.H. Gilbert-
You can’t prove a negative, at least that’s what the old saw says. I’ve never wasted much thought on it but maybe it’s time, because we’re often required to “prove” to authorities that the cash in our pockets isn’t the wages of sin, that we’re not trying to break into our own homes, that we aren’t inebriated behind the wheel and many other variations on the “who are you?” theme. How does a woman, for instance, prove to a L.A.P.D. officer that she’s not expecting payment for “making out” with her “boyfriend” in his expensive car? Not by refusing to produce some kind of ID and claiming it’s a constitutional offense to ask for it, I would suggest. How many teenagers have been asked for ID by the constabulary in those secluded parking places we used to frequent? How many times was I stopped either driving or walking, way back in my long hair days? Sure that’s profiling, but is profiling based on behavior forgivable, even necessary? Isn’t it understandable prejudice to suspect the man in the ski mask entering the bank?
It’s hard to fault anyone for suspecting that any particular Los Angeles police officer might be someone prone to prejudice. It’s well within the range of possibility, and like many people I tend toward that human proclivity toward prejudice against authority even while I recognize the need for it. But I do see that sometimes it’s impossible to prove one is not prejudiced because in a sense, prejudice is another word for learning from experience. I try not to overuse the accusation. I wonder too if the policeman’s problem of determining who is who and up to what by looking can be a problem in our brave new world where everyone tries to dress down as much as possible. At the risk of hearing the “blame the victim” argument I’ll suggest that when everyone looks like a bum, a policeman’s lot is not a happy one.
So did the officer suspect the woman sitting in a Mercedes wearing a worn, faded and flimsy tee shirt and trashy shorts of being a prostitute because she was black, or because she fit the legitimate profile which includes abusively refusing to give a name and address upon official request? Does it matter? It does if you’re trying to fit the “incident” into that well worn Procrustean bed of racism and police conduct. It matters if you’re to be accused of “blaming the victim” which one must never do even if the victim’s behavior was part, or even the origin of the problem.
Interracial couples may no longer be illegal, but they still aren’t terribly common. My wife and I still get looks and especially in the South but what seems like racism may only be curiosity. I grant the benefit of the doubt. But one really doesn’t see people making out in cars during the day and with a door open. Questions are raised because things do exhibit patterns even if all that quacks is not a duck, all that glisters is not gold and all passionate intimacy is not commercial but sometimes a duck really is a duck. If ducks are illegal, the cop has to ask.
Policemen after all, are paid to be suspicious and face it, to refuse to identify oneself upon request is in itself a suspicious act. My point is that it’s common for a cop to ask you who you are and what you’re doing and it falls far short of search and seizure. “My name is Danielle Watts and I work here at CBS” may well have been enough to have produced a ” thank you miss, sorry to bother you, have a good day” than handcuffs. Do we have the right to assume the cop was out of line and is acting so any different than prejudice on our part?
Yes, that old bill of rights (remember that?) used to require probable cause for a search, and asking for identification may not really be covered by the fourth amendment but even so, the question is moot because in recent years, it doesn’t apply within 100 miles of a border. Even without the Border Search exemption which allows search without cause for the majority of Americans a policeman asking for identification is hardly a violation of our civil rights even if he’s making a presumption based on ethnicity or color or hair length or facial tattoos, a ski mask in August or questionable attire, it’s not necessarily evidence of some official misconduct or private malice. Any policeman would probably take my false assertion that I don’t need to show identification as a good reason to suspect I had outstanding warrants or was up to no good. It’s like saying “don’t look in the trunk – there’s nothing in the trunk” at a traffic stop. It’s looking for trouble and being offended when you get it. Is a deliberate victim really a victim at all?
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Well written and thoughtful.
You know, if she had reported a suspicious person parked outside of her residence, I’ll bet she would play the same race card if he didn’t ask for ID. He has the authority and duty to do that.
I imagine that most decent black people are cringing at this story.
I expect you are right Glenn.
I have to agree with Mike here. There are even some famous black people like Bill Cosby who would agree with Mike. Blacks need to start taking responsibility for their actions and their inaction. For decades they’ve been hiding behind that old “we were slaves — woe is us” whine, instead of getting out and going to work, and behaving within the law. I’m also sick and tired of hearing them whine. They want something for nothing, feeling like they’re entitled. Well if I’m not entitled neither or they. Call me a racist if you want and I know there’s a lot of Liberals who hang out here but I speak only to the truth. Also, what Norman said. If you’re in trouble who do you call? The police. Even the blacks have to call the cops from time to time. They, and all of us, should be grateful for their sacrifices. Thanks for a thoughtful article sir.
It isn’t ‘racist’ to point out that some black people use their ‘blackness’ any more than some Asian’s use their colour too. Some do in Britain. There are also many many ‘white’ people who use various excuses for claiming they are ‘victims’.
Black, brown, white? no matter. There are those who use ‘their leverage’ based on colour or race or whatever to claim they are victims.
They aren’t and they should be ignored. If for no other reason than to ensure that those who really are victims of racism etc aren’t ignored.
Pointing out a fact isn’t racist. It’s a fact. End of.
I have to agree with you there Norman. So much dialogue is squashed because of the fear of being labeled.
There those who whine for no reason and there are those that complain with good reason. There have been a couple of participant observation studies conducted by researchers who have had themselves overly sprayed with tanning spray and lived among blacks and or Hispanics. The researchers unanimously conclude that one needs to “walk a mile in their shoes” before passing judgment. One said the most surprising thing he found was how fast he became paranoid of police and other authority figures. He said it was almost like he had a sign on his back that said “watch me, I am a thief.”
Well if the sign fits…..and it often does.
I’ve lost count of the people I’ve spoken to over the years who have ‘slagged off’ our police – and, indeed, our police are not perfect – probably because they are human.
Almost without exception when I’ve been in conversation with someone ‘slagging off’ the police I’ve asked “Who would you call if you were in deep trouble and in need of help?”
Almost without exception they’ve replied “The police”. At which point they have shut the fuck up 😉
(Usually they have then bought me a beer to stop me grinning at them as my mouth is too interested in drinking beer rather than grinning)
Well written Glenn. Timmy, I am also ex law enforcement but my question would be, “Was it legitimate to ask for their ID based on the observation that they were simply sitting in a car making out?” Yes, police do have a job to do. But, being that prostitution is a misdemeanor and he did not see any transaction take place, at best he would have been harassing her if she were a prostitute. Under California law if he saw the transaction take place he could/should arrest both parties. But, I would suggest that had she been white the officer would not have taken the same action even though she may well have been a white prostitute. I understand the argument that is being put forth here, and I also understand the nuances of being a police officer in this day and time. We, meaning those of us still connected to the field, need to be aware of the sensitivity of the minorities targeted because they are minorities.
It wasn’t a “he.” There were two officers, and the couple were doing more than making out. Now I don’t give a shit if they were having anal in full view of the US Congress but when you get a call you have to respond to it. They received a call of two people sitting in public, in a car, having “sex.” Are the police supposed to ignore it?
This race bullshit is tiring. Are you saying every time the police arrest a black person they are being racist Bill? Should the police just stop arresting all black people? This bitch could have told the officers her name and she would likely have been released on the spot with a warning. Instead she started screaming racism, brutality, and etc. leaving the police no choice. The only thing I would have done differently is not let her go. I would have charged both with public indecency.
Finally, FUCK ’em! All my professional life I’ve heard the big whine from the blacks. “We are all innocent and are harassed because we’re black.” Boo fucking hoo! It just isn’t true each and every time a cop arrests a black person. Sometimes they are actually guilty; more often than not they’re actually guilty.
By the way, she has hired a team of lawyers, and has filed a civil suit in circuit court. Can you say “KA-CHING?”
This concludes my September rant. Thanks for reading.
Mike, what I said was,“Was it legitimate to ask for their ID based on the observation that they were simply sitting in a car making out?” That is a question since I apparently was in error of what was going on so perhaps they were committing the offense of public indecency. Why did he not then arrest both of them? There must have been some question in “their” mind as to whether or not they were actually committing an offense. Perhaps because the male was white and driving an expensive car he was not fodder for an arrest of that type. And no, I am not saying that every time police arrest a black person or any other minority they are being racist. I did ask a legitimate question though. Would the police reacted the same way had both of the parties in the expensive car been white? Or for that matter, would the reaction been the same if both had been black, or Hispanic?
The problem is that police are in an untenable situation and need to be a bit more sensitive when people are caught in embarrassing situations. Reese Witherspoon pitched the same kind of fit in Atlanta when her husband was arrested for DUI. There the officer made I believe was the correct call. He arrested her as well as the husband. He arrested her for interfering with the arrest of the husband. In the case in question, if the officer had grounds, he should have arrested her and the male both. My bet is that; 1) he was unsure he had sufficient grounds for an arrest; and/or 2) he was not sure about arresting the white guy in the expensive car. Take your pick. I am not asking police to show bias in either direction, just to be straight forward and apply the law equally. Your problem is that you believe that there are no police that are racist and there are no police that act on their racist feelings. Having lived in Georgia I don’t understand how you can believe in that, but you might be surprised just how much racism there is among police in this country. Most of them, thankfully are able to put that aside.
Never once did I say no police are racist. Of course there are racist police, but not every cop is a racist, nor is every arrest of a black person racist, as you would have us all believe my old friend. You’ve been preaching that for years, but I’m used to it 🙂 Secondly, you have conveniently labeled all Georgia cops as racist, or more Georgia cops as racist. The fact is there are more police of color than anywhere else I’ve lived. I know any number of deputies, and city police, and never once saw a glimpse of racism. But hey, if they are cops in Georgia they’ve got to be racist.
Yeah, yeah, and you never complain about Georgia people when you lived there. Good job on getting the full report out on the incident. :):)
I would try to prod you here into another tirade here but your blood pressure has had enough this week. :):)
When did I ever complain about Georgia police? Never and my BP is just fine old friend 🙂
Mike, I love you so much I hope your JW bottle gets a leak. So there. 🙂 🙂
LOL Bill! Anything but that man!!!
I’m a retired LEO and Glenn your premise is right on. If people would just do the little things by way of cooperation so many confrontations could be avoided.
I have to emphasize that all I know is what I read. I wasn’t there and I don’t know if the handcuffs were necessary, but the fellow who produced his license, which as a driver of the car he was required to do, didn’t wind up in cuffs. If the woman started yelling and getting aggressive, I would think it necessary to restrain her until she calmed down and it looks like that’s just what happened.
“Never assume” is an old saw but it’s not a bad thing to follow. The news coverage began with an assumption, as they so often do, and with the intent to produce outrage for profit instead of asking legitimate questions.
I don’t understand these people and their “rights.” Why is it necessary to get into a confrontation with an officer just doing his job? Why wouldn’t you just give your name? Some people are looking for a payday I expect, especially after the Ferguson mess.
This is the best article I’ve read to date on the police caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Kudos to the author.