What are black people's attitudes towards the police? A qualitative report
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Course
Research Methods (2004PY)
Institution
Coventry University (West Midlands) (CU)
This essay was designed to give students an idea what a qualitative report may look like by exploring black people's attitudes towards stop and search protocols. This was a second year module completed during my second year of study at Coventry University
What are black male’s perceptions on stop and search protocols?
Abstract:
This report aims to explore the perceptions black males have on stop and search protocols in
the United Kingdom. This study will look at multiple interviews with six different black
males regarding their perceptions on stop and search. This study used a qualitative research
design with secondary interview data being analysed using Thematic Analysis. The outcomes
of the interviews showed that overall the six participants had a generally negative view on
stop and search and two themes were identified. Negative police perceptions and youthful
experiences with stop and search. This study may add to the findings of past research as it is
qualitative and not quantitative, therefore exploring perceptions rather than measurable
factors which is valuable when researching feelings and experiences towards stop and search.
The issue is raised that black people appear to be stopped and searched more than any other
minority group and have a more negative experience than other groups such as white people.
Introduction:
The definition of stop and search is described as “The police power to stop people in the
street and search them if they think they may be carrying something illegal such a weapon or
drugs.” (Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984) The protocol essential allows the police to
randomly stop any individual they deem suspicious in an attempt to catch criminals before
they commit a crime. Stop and search remains a controversial topic as black people are
disproportionately targeted for the police protocol. Black people constitute 15.6% of
London’s population with white people making up 59.8%. In 2018, a figure of 43% of stop
and searches were on black people, while 35.5% were of white people, as claimed by the
official figures from the MOPAC (London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime). Black
, people were also “nine and a half times more likely” to be stopped and searched than white
people in 2017 to 2018. HMIC (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary 2017) acclaimed
that police forces were “unable to explain why” black people are searched disproportionately
more than white people in the UK.
Studies have found higher rates of stop and search were only occasionally followed by very
slightly lower rates of crime (Quinton et al 2017). The inconsistency and low strength of the
results of the study, show how stop and search does not have a meaningful effect on the
deterrent of crime. Therefore, it is important to note that stop and search has no real benefits
unless it is implemented on a mass scale which would “be unacceptable to some
communities” as it would only produce minor reductions in crime (Quinton et al 2017).
The Contact Hypothesis states that interpersonal contact may be to blame for racial profiling.
The hypothesis suggests that intergroup contact between people of equal position in the same
circumstances may cause them to become less prejudiced/hostile and to discard previously
thought stereotypes (Schaefer 2015). The crucial factor in reducing aggression and hostility,
is the existence of a common goal shared by the community at large. Bringing people
together to complete a common task has been shown to reduce negative feelings towards one
another even when these people are from different racial and ethnic backgrounds (Fine 2008;
Paluck 2009).
A qualitative investigation concentrating on stop and search is useful as it explores the
struggles that young black men must endure almost daily. This design is appropriate for the
issue as the participants describe feelings and opinions on their experiences with stop and
search protocols. The research question this paper will be assessing is what are black male’s
perceptions on stop and search protocols?
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