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This study out yesterday that found no evidence for racial disparities in fatal officer-involved shootings is… interesting.
I have a feeling it’s gonna be used as a cudgel when the next shooting happens. But it might not say what some want it to say.
pnas.org/content/early/…
I have a feeling it’s gonna be used as a cudgel when the next shooting happens. But it might not say what some want it to say.
pnas.org/content/early/…
The researchers used characteristics of the officer involved, the county it took place in, and other factors to PREDICT the race of the person who was shot. This is different than “benchmarking” studies that ask if the number of people shot is more or less than we would expect.
Their predictions revealed essentially no racial disparities. The biggest predictor of race of the victim was “race-specific county level violent crime.”
In other words, if black or Hispanic people are involved in more violent crime, a victim of a police shooting in that area is more likely to be black or Hispanic.
Which, okay. BUT.
Which, okay. BUT.
The “but” is that they skate RIGHT past the systemic issues in play in order to drill down to the officer- and civilian-specific issues.
As the authors point out, 26% of their shootings in 2015 were black victims; only 12% of the US population is black.
As the authors point out, 26% of their shootings in 2015 were black victims; only 12% of the US population is black.
From study:
“Using population as a benchmark makes the strong assumption that White and Black civilians have equal exposure to situations that result in [fatal officer-involved shootings].”
They actively decide to ignore the systemic reasons for the differences in exposure.
“Using population as a benchmark makes the strong assumption that White and Black civilians have equal exposure to situations that result in [fatal officer-involved shootings].”
They actively decide to ignore the systemic reasons for the differences in exposure.
While it is obviously a worthwhile question to explore whether an individual shooting, involving an individual officer and victim, involves racial bias, that isn’t really the point of the larger discussions of injustice.
So, when I say it will be used as a cudgel, that’s what I mean: “But this well conducted, thorough study found ZERO evidence of racial bias when cops shoot people! You can’t whine about it now!”
And yes, it does seem well conducted within its parameters. Fine.
And yes, it does seem well conducted within its parameters. Fine.
The bigger questions, though, are about why people live where they live, and why crime is concentrated where it is, and why policing works certain ways in certain areas, and so on.
They’re going to use this one extremely specific hammer for an enormous assortment of nails.
They’re going to use this one extremely specific hammer for an enormous assortment of nails.
