Rey, the reality is that it is a LIE that the majority of these folks were criminally inclined — you are FAILING to see that LIE because you are buying into the costume.
Let me see if I understand, and please, be assured, this is not out of any animosity, I wish to understand. I bought into the costume? Isn’t that the idea? They want to be thought of as mildly scary and someone took them at face value. I see it with these kids imitating gangster rappers; they dress and act like real bad guys and are upset that they are judged by their appearance.
The other thing I notice is that if you dress nice, act like a gentleman the odds are that you will be treated better than a fat guy in tats, leathers and riding a Harley. Sure, people should be judged by their character but lacking a character o-meter while on patrol officers tend to go by appearance.
May I also opine that wanting to dress like a bad guy, sport tattoos or piercings and dressing in leather does say something about your character.
Have you seen the recent photo exhibit of the Maori gang in New Zealand. They tattoo their bodies and faces, many of them white supremacist in nature, many sport Nazi paraphernalia and tattoos, surely these are not people you would invite to thanksgiving dinner in your home, going to extremes to avoid judging a book by its cover? Don’t you think these guys want to be judged by their cover?