Every day, millions of people get into their cars, which in return, subjects them into the vulnerable, and quite possible, position of getting pulled over. For many of those who have had to experience the nerve-wracking feeling of getting pulled over by a regular cop, there is only one thing society has made them dread more; getting pulled over by a cop riding a motorcycle. The feelings of hostility and resentfulness towards motorcycle cops are mainly due to the habitually negative misconceptions society has bestowed upon them. Although related, misconceptions are not to be confused with stereotypes. Stereotypes are the truthfully held, yet oversimplified, idea of a particular group of people. Misconceptions are typically formed from stereotypes, however, they …show more content…
I took that one to court and the judge threw it out. Same cop gave me a ticket for not having tail lights - after someone smashed into the back of my car and broke them. Judge threw that one out too.” Many people believe cops are constantly on a power trip and are trying to execute their authority regardless of the situation. It is not false to say that motorcycle cops undoubtedly have a very negative reputation, but why? Psychologically speaking, according to the theory of Negativity Bias, something very negative will generally have more of an impact on a person 's behavior and cognition than something equally emotional but positive. “It’s the bad people that represent something now a days. People are too ignorant to see anything but bad. White people are racist, fat, stupid, and autistic. Black people have short anger fuses. Police are the same. They are thought to be strict, abusive animals that kill black people for fun. Sadly that 's how people interpret things.” lectured Maria Hixon, a blue lives matter
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Show MoreThey view the police as rude and agents of punishment thus the distance between police and the public.”
They face certain stereotypes such as race, police force, harassment, and abuse of power as well as many more. In this essay I will go into further detail about the many stereotypes that the face on a day to day basis. The first stereotype that I am going to explain from my viewpoint is on police brutality. Throughout many years of American history there
These misconceptions are frequently stereotypes that spread misinformation and lead to a fearful culture targeting the scapegoats
Stereotypes form from the way someone talks to the group they are in. While misconceptions are formed from people assuming what the others personality is, but it is not the truth. In About Men by Gretel Ehrlich, states how cowboys have been idealized into this person who is courageous, however they are truly being spontaneous and do not care about courage. The states idolized the cowboys and created more stereotypes. These stereotypes created misconceptions as they gradually stopped applying to the majority.
There are good police officers who still believe in what is right. But the ones who do take the lives of innocent victims and disobey their code of conduct makes other police officers who do, do their job look bad. Those police officers who goes against their conduct make other police officers look bad especially white officers who have no intention of killing someone over that person's race. Many people use to look up to the police and view them as perfect role models who follows the law and always do the right thing but now many of those who use to look up to officers now fear them and take caution with every move they make because they fear for their lives. And that problem is not okay because citizens should not fear law enforcement because their race is not white.
Stereotypes rampant in today’s society. They are implanted in one’s mind from a young age and learnt from school, media, friends or family. Moreover, the unique qualities of a person which can be beneficial for society can be hidden due to stereotypes. As a result, society can undermine a person by judging that judging that person based on the general idea it has about that person’s age, race, personality and/or financial status. Consequently, stereotypes have been a common topic that many authors have used in their books, with one such book being John Ball’s
At some point, cops were local heroes and real outstanding citizens in their communities. This lead me to question the sudden change in law enforcement stereotypes. The first thing I came across is that too many law enforcement officers have failed at maintaining a good public relation. What I mean by this is that, generally people want to feel comfortable speaking to police and trust isn’t given it is earned. When police officers fail to administer a friendship with their community, trust is never established.
Although policemen have very difficult jobs, they were the ones that agreed to take on the responsibility, this comes with sticking to the laws; they must not allow personal beliefs to get in the way of the law. However, many police officers let their personal beliefs (some being of racism) get the best of them, this has become a problem, ACLU stated that, “Although some police officials are still in denial, we have presented strong and compelling evidence, of both an anecdotal and statistical nature, that racial profiling on our nation 's roads and highways is indeed a nationwide problem” (Harris).
In This American Life’s series, Cops See it Differently: Act One, Ira Glass narrates particular circumstances outlining the existing tensions between the Milwaukee Police Department and the Black community. He began his first segment by telling Lisa Mahone’s story of an officer that displayed unwarranted aggressive tactics towards her and her family during a routine traffic stop. The story gained national attention, and opposing opinions to whether the officer’s actions or Lisa’s behavior were more justified. Lisa’s story begs the question: who holds the police accountable for mistreatment of the law and the citizens he or she serves?
There are several stereotypes that are associated with women in Law Enforcement There are many reasons I chose the stereotype that is associated with the profession I chose to pursue once I receive my Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice. Being a woman that wants to work in Law enforcement has affected me in different ways. It has also had an impact on my life. It acts as a barrier when thinking critically and it is important to think critically when it comes to different stereotypes so that you won’t get off track.
Another stereotype is that police officers hate black people and are racist. All these stereotypes are being promoted by the media and must be removed for police brutality to occur less
Although we hope our Police force will use their powers for good, but sometimes police misconduct can occur. Often, the police are under great pressure to act as quick as possible, espcially in a murder case and if the murder victime is white, a child, police officer, or prominent. For example, In the 1990’s the case of Rodney King, that not only shows a racist issue within the criminal justice system, but also the issue with abuse from police officers, but changed the country’s views on the LA police force. Twenty- Seven years ago,Rodney King was brutally beaten by Los Angeles police officers.
However, misconceptions are the opposite because it’s just an assumption. A misconception is a false judgment that everyone shouldn’t believe because most are just rumors. Many stereotypes today can be racist, but that is a whole different situation which in some cases is caused by actions a group does, look or say. In some case stereotypes are misunderstood. Lunch ladies should be
Are Police Racist On April 29, 2017 Jordan Edwards, unarmed, was leaving a house party that was getting “out of hand”. He was fatally shot and killed while in the car leaving with his brother and three other unarmed teenagers. Jordan was considered a great student and he was liked by many of his teachers and classmates. This is just one of the many times police officers have fatally shot someone that was unarmed and just happened to be black.
The sociological perspective encourages us to explore societies’ problems from a non-biased perspective. When investigating controversial issues it is quintessential to keep one’s opinion out of the equation. As C. Wright Mills stated in his 1959 essay “The Promise”, “Problems and their solutions don’t just involve individuals; they also have a great deal to do with the social structures in our society” (Leon-Guerrero, 2015). Eliminating personal experiences and self-perception creates an even playing field to determine fact from fiction.