You Are the Chief of Police in Your Community and Are

Essay

You are the chief of police in your community and are quite concerned about a recent spike in criminal misconduct in the east part of town. Community leaders are constantly calling your office to complain. You decide that you should have a strong police presence on the streets, and you direct your officers to walk the beat in the east part of town, rather than use patrol cars. You also direct your police officers to vigorously try to prevent crime by acting proactively, stopping individuals who seem out of place or apprehensive when they see police officers. As a result, many of these contacts have resulted in stop-and-frisk activities by the police, and crime has dropped significantly in the east part of town. However, now you're getting calls from citizens in the east asking why a disproportionate number of minorities are being stopped and frisked by the police. You have decided to meet with the community leaders to answer this latest concern. What will you tell them?