Likelihood of Arrest - Research Paper Example

Is there a correlation between an Individual’s socioeconomic status and likelihood of arrest in Chicago? Does one’s race affect their socioeconomic standing and thus their likelihood of arrest in Chicago? In previous studies, it has been established that there have been correlations between an individual’s race, their socioeconomic status and their likelihood to be arrested (Gilbert 69). Traditionally, the blacks are more likely to be arrested than the whites. The police played a role in encouraging racial violence by either encouraging or taking no action against the mobs (Rosich 1). Over the years there have been law enforcement policies to protect the minority communities from unfair police arrests but the tension between the communities and police still exist. The status quo plays a huge role in economic segregation in that it causes different treatments in terms of service provision to people in different neighborhoods. With the great depression came public budget cuts especially in the service provision sector as the revenues declined. On top of this there has been a gradual decline in the middle class as is proved by the mobility decline, inequality of income and economic segregation. The rational choice theory derived from the classical criminology holds that individuals measure the benefits of a crime against the risks involved. On one hand, the positivists believe that the choice to commit a crime is influenced by factors that are beyond an individual (APA 1). This may be in the form where the law seems to be written by the rich in the society to protect themselves from the poor. This is so when the street crimes have a heavier sentence compared to crimes in the suites. On the other hand, the interactionists view crime by the way an individual reacts to it. This paper seeks to explain why the poor get arrested and what their statutes in Chicago are. In the 1990’s the sentencing laws were discriminatory in that harsh sanctions were given to the blacks who victimized whites. Despite debate on biasness of research done on race and crime, official statistics emphasize only on street crimes which are normally assumed to be conducted by blacks (Barnhart 260). White collar crimes are believed to be committed by largely the white community yet are not accounted for as much. This creates a stereotype that the blacks commit more crime. Racial difference in the criminal justice system exists in that there are still incidences of racial discrimination (Rosich 1). Minorities especially the blacks are generally overrepresented in the criminal justice system. According to the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) 2003, blacks (who were 12.7 % of population in 2003) were arrested for 37 % of violent crimes like manslaughter and 29 % of property crime (Bureau of the Census 1). The blacks are mostly arrested for the violent crimes while the whites are arrested for burglaries and property crimes. Despite most crimes being committed by men, black women are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system. This is growing at an alarming rate. In 2005, as reported by the Chicago Police Department (CPD), Blacks were six times more likely to be murdered than the whites (CPD 1). Arrest data from the 2003 UCR indicate that American Indians, who were approximately 0.9 % of the population in 2000, account for 1.3 % of all arrests (102) (Barkan 93). Over 30 years the male blacks have been the most affected by criminal injustice. Public opinion polls and research studies show that the whites have this notion that blacks are criminals (44:85). This instills fear in the whites of the blacks, according to Chicago Crime Commission (CCC 1). Generally, people with a lower socioeconomic status are more likely to be charged unfairly in the criminal court of justice. The police treatment is very different towards the poor in the society and the rich. The disproportionate rates of the minority, in this case the blacks, is motivated by Chicago’s interest in maintaining constructs of race. In looking at Chicago’s overpopulated prisons it is evident that majority of the inmates come from lower socioeconomic status (Frederickson 114). There might not be enough evidence of racial bias although the police response to victims proves otherwise. Police will arrest when the situation involves a white complainant and deny a black complainant with similar issues. This proves that the police do not trust the blacks and view them as hostile and less deserving of legal protection (Barnhart 259). Arrests are also more common in neighborhoods of low socioeconomic status. Perhaps because they think that their perpetrators are thought to be more deserving of legal protection. In summary, police are quick to judge the people from poor socioeconomic neighborhoods harshly. From the reports studied, there are higher chances of blacks being arrested as most live in poor neighborhoods. The denial of legal protection for the blacks seems to stem from racial discrimination by the police. Works Cited American Psychological Society (APA). Fact Sheet: Ethnic and Racial Minorities & Socioeconomic Status. N.p, 2010. Web. Barkan, S. E. Criminology: A Sociological Understanding (3rd ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2006. Print. Barnhart, Bill. “Public Enemies: Chicago Origins of Personalized Anticrime Campaigns.” Journal of Illinois History 4.4 (2001): 258-270. Print. Bureau of the Census. Current Population Survey 2006. N.p, 2008. Web. Chicago Crime Commission (CCC). How Increasing law Decreased Crime. N.p, 2014. Web. Chicago Police Department (CPD). 2005 Murder Analysis. N.p, 2005, Web. Frederickson, H.G. (2008). “Social Equity in the Twenty-first Century: An Essay in Memory of Phillip J. Rutledge.” Journal of Public Affairs Education, 14.1 (2008): 2-7. Gilbert, D. The American Class Structure: In an Age of Growing Inequality. California: Wadsworth, 2002. Print. Rosich, Katherine J. Race, Ethnicity, and the criminal Justice system. N.p, 2007. Web. Read More