Pubdate: Mon, 01 Sep 2014
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2014 The New York Times Company
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Neill Franklin

BIAS IS UNIVERSAL. AWARENESS CAN ASSURE JUSTICE

We all have biases. Skin color, sex, even height, weight and hair
style - these all play a role in how we perceive others. Our minds are
constantly picking up on things of which we are not consciously aware
and using those evaluations to guide our behavior. Malcolm Gladwell
has called this phenomenon "thin-slicing," and in general, the ability
to rapidly assess the situation around us has been advantageous from
an evolutionary standpoint, when the ability to quickly, autonomically
assess the threats around us could make the difference between passing
on our genes to the next generation and getting speared by an enemy
too easily trusted.

The problem is, stereotypes in the media and the way our society is
structured have skewed the calculation of how we assess threats. From
slavery to Jim Crow to the war on drugs, we have criminalized and
demonized young men of color to such an extent that a pair of baggy
jeans and oversized shirt is sometime mistaken for probable cause.

I understand how deeply ingrained this cultural training can be; even
as a black man, I have at times found myself subject to these same
prejudices. When I was a cop, I'd see a young black man in a certain
neighborhood, and suspicions would start running through my head. "Is
he a drug dealer?" "Is that really his car?" These thoughts came
unbidden, yet they were there.

We have so demonized young men of color that baggy jeans are mistaken
for probable cause. As a cop I had these same prejudices sometimes.

That doesn't make me a racist - it makes me human. The key isn't to
feel guilty about our biases - guilt tends toward inaction. It's to
become consciously aware of them, minimize them to the greatest extent
possible, and constantly check in with ourselves to ensure we are
acting based on a rational assessment of the situation rather than on
stereotypes and prejudice.

This is particularly important for law enforcement officers who, as
agents of the state, have a particular responsibility to ensure we
treat the communities we serve fairly. Power plus prejudice is a
deadly combination in a democratic society, and we need to train law
enforcement in how to spot implicit bias before it affects their
actions. Such programs are currently being considered in San Francisco
and the Manhattan District Attorney's office and should be instituted
across the nation. We also need strong civilian review boards, with
subpoena power and the ability to issue binding decisions, which
signal to officers and communities alike that charges of bias are
taken seriously and will be faced transparently in partnership with
the community.

We all have biases. What matters is how we act upon them.

Neill Franklin is the executive director of Law Enforcement Against
Prohibition. He was a narcotics officer and a commander of training
with the Maryland State Police and the Baltimore Police Department.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt