The Cartoon: An African American officer complains to his shift supervisor that
ID: 3495090 • Letter: T
Question
The Cartoon: An African American officer complains to his shift supervisor that posted on one of the main bulletin boards in the squad room is a cartoon caricature with his name under it. The picture depicts a black male with a bone drawn through his nose. The caption under the picture thanked the officer for his willingness to “model the new department headgear.” This cartoon has been up for at least a day and everyone passes it on their way in and out of the main room. Therefore, at least a couple of supervisors have seen this cartoon.
What should happen?
b. Stereotypes and Suspicion: A call comes over dispatch that a security guard at a shopping mall in a predominantly white neighborhood has seen four Hispanic males. The security guard reports that they are gang members because they are all wearing matching leather jackets and red ball caps. He reports that they have just opened and closed their car trunk and are now entering the mall. The security guard notifies the merchants, some of whom immediately begin closing their stores. You are the officer in the vicinity of the mall who responds to the call just as the juveniles are leaving the mall and are heading toward their car. In the meantime, several merchants continue to be anxious about the “gang members,” leaving their stores closed.
What should happen?
c. Relations among Community Groups: You are a police officer in an agency that has been involved in community-oriented policing for several years. You are working in a neighborhood where there has been conflict between Korean Americans and African Americans. You have been summoned to a Korean American store where the Korean clerk has made a citizen's arrest on an African American youth for petty theft. A group of African Americans has gathered to protest the arrest. They are angry, but they are not hostile to you and your backup officer. There are several ways you could approach this multicultural community problem and some of the ways would probably ignite the situation more than necessary. What do you think is the best way to handle the situation (i.e., with tact and sensitivity), given the animosity between the two groups?
What should happen?
Explanation / Answer
1. An African American officer complains to his shift supervisor that posted on one of the main bulletin boards in the squad room is a cartoon caricature with his name under it.
The officer complains to one of the supervisors, and there is a chance that they might have already seen tha carricature as it has been there for almost a day. This shows ignorance of the white officers for the dignity of the African American officer, since equality at workplace has now been formulated. They might remove the cartoon on complaint of officer, though they wouldn't pay much attention to any such instance if it happens again.
2. A call comes over dispatch that a security guard at a shopping mall in a predominantly white neighborhood has seen four Hispanic males. The security guard reports that they are gang members because they are all wearing matching leather jackets and red ball caps.
Such stereotyping has been associated with the coloured skin people. As soon as the white people observe people with similar clothing (leather jacket) along with caps, they are associated with the bikers gang and perceived as wrong and dangerous. The people in the mall would now close their shops and turn away, perceiving them as dangerous people. Such acts are an example of the prejudices that still exist in the society, branding people dangerous without them actually doing something of that sort. The wave of fear will leave their stores closed, along with the security of the vicinity mall coming in to assist the other security; establishing prejudices.
3. You have been summoned to a Korean American store where the Korean clerk has made a citizen's arrest on an African American youth for petty theft. A group of African Americans has gathered to protest the arrest.
The group is angry but they aren't hostile to me and my back up officers. Though it is very evident, that the group can turn hostile at any moment. The best way to handle the situation is to talk it out. It is important to call both the parties, the accused and the accuser, and mutually talk it out as matters as small as petty thefts should not result in such agitation. It is important to even explain the gathered people that their protest will not be required and that you and your back up officer can handle the situation well.