An Empirical Analysis of Racial Differences in Police Use of Force

National Bureau of Economic Research ^ | July 11, 2016 | African American Econ Prof at Harvard Roland G. Fryer, Jr.

[JOHN ADAMS]

On non-lethal uses of force, blacks and Hispanics are more than fifty percent more likely to experience some form of force in interactions with police. Adding controls that account for important context and civilian behavior reduces, but cannot fully explain, these disparities. On the most extreme use of force – officer-involved shootings – we find no racial differences in either the raw data or when contextual factors are taken into account.

[JOHN ADAMS]

Note also: Fryer began this effort because of his anger about the controversial shootings in Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore that put the wind in Black Lives Matters’ sails. But what he discovered doesn’t back up the notion that trigger-happy white cops have declared open season on blacks.

This is a very important study which, along with the Washington Post's statistical analysis of killings by police officers, demonstrates that there is essentially NO TRUTH to the story that is currently driving American politics, and the entire nation, to the brink of civil war.

If only facts were what mattered.

[Robert DeLong]

Seeing this: African American Econ Prof at Harvard Roland G. Fryer, Jr. I assumed the worse. I will have to read it after seeing your comments.

[JOHN ADAMS]

I hear you. I put that there, even though it’s not just the author’s name, precisely because it gives even more power to the conclusion. Of course a result like this, which is totally inconsistent with what BLM, Obama, and the entire Left, are telling the world, would be dismissed out of hand if it came out of the mouth of a white guy, no matter how solid the analysis. The fact that the author is black makes the result more meaningful for all sorts of pathetic, but obvious and unavoidable, reasons.

[Oldexpat]

I will try to read the study, but did more blacks than whites resist arrest?
Isn’t it likely that someone with priors or outstanding warrants be more likely to run or resist?

[JOHN ADAMS]

When you read the study you’ll see that he attempts to control for this sort of stuff. There’s not exactly an ocean of data on this issue, and it’s also hard, for understandable reasons, to get objective accounts of each event. Such accounts come either from the cop or his colleagues, from the victim or his family, or from bystanders. There aren’t a lot of objective, neutral people on that list.

[LegendHasIt]

Cool! Thanks for posting.

Of course the 0bama / #BlackLiesMurder crowd will call him an Uncle Tom Oreo for daring to inject a little reality into their desired meme.

[Robert DeLong]

The fact that he was black was one aspect, but also the fact that he was from Harvard was another. The combination of the two was what was interesting.

I tried to read through all of the process but found it somewhat confusing to say the least, and could even give rise to someone flat out rejecting the study, especially if it doesn't jive with their perceptions. I finally just cut to the chase and read the conclusions. There again I found somewhat of a mixed message, but thought his statement: "It is plausible that racial differences in lower level uses of force are simply a distraction and movements such as Black Lives Matter should seek solutions within their own communities rather than changing the behaviors of police and other external forces.", is a positive for sure, in addition to being sound advice. I will agree with his other statement as well, "Black Dignity Matters". That being said, I sadly doubt the majority of blacks will accept his study. Too many want to accept the narrative that whites, and especially white cops are racists, for it relieves them of any soul searching.

[Jack Hammer]

The PC Police won’t allow anyone to tell the truth about this - or about anything, really.

Black and Hispanic male youth are likely to offer resistance and will thus need to be subdued.

But the Left would rather propagate the lie that police all across the country are targeting minorities.

As early as Lenin, the world recognized that you can’t have a Marxist revolution with widespread social discontent.

So, stir it up.

[spintreebob]

Both police and civilians need to de-escalate. That is what I heard on conservative talkradio today.

I thought back on the many incidents where I’ve been involved. They range from murder to very minor stuff. I can think of only one police officer who de-escalated the situation.

Whether a traffic stop on me, or confrontation with an innocent child, or confrontation with a street gang member, I’ve repeatedly seen where police escalate the conflict. The police will ask a person a question. The civilian will answer it honestly in a normal voice. The police doesn’t accept it but yells and screams and escalates the situation.

In traffic stops I’ve repeatedly seen police ask for license and registration and then tell the driver (my daughter or a young friend) to keep their hands on the wheel.

Power corrupts.

ps. The Dallas chief is right. Police are asked to do too many things... to enforce too many laws and regulations.

ps. my experience is limited to 90% IL. 10% WI, MN, KS, MO, GA.

PS. The one officer who comes to mind who de-escalated many situations was in Chicago inner city. Because his last name ended in EZ the Chicago Police department gave him affirmative action as Hispanic. He had a good sense of humor about it. He didnt know a word of Spanish until after he became a cop. He was born and raised in Eastern KY where he could trace back all his ancestors for many generations of hillbillys. No evidence of Hispanic anywhere except in his last name ending in EZ.

[ViLaLuz]

In traffic stops I’ve repeatedly seen police ask for license and registration and then tell the driver (my daughter or a young friend) to keep their hands on the wheel.
........................

There is a very good reason for that.

[spintreebob]

What is the good reason for contradictory commands?