> >But police are, and always have been, scabs, traitors to their
>class. They can't be otherwise and remain police. >That is part of
>their job description.
>
>I believe the Situationists put this quite succinctly: the policeman
>is a defender of the commodity.
A lot of residents of Bed-Stuy would be happy to see more cops in their neighborhood. More broadly, the working class doesn't necessarily see things the way Carrol does.
Some more polls, from 2002 and 2003. Note that black attitudes are usually less law-friendly than white, but not to the degree that your average leftist would probably predict.
Doug
----
<http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/1995/tost_2.html#2_k>
Question: "In general, do you think the courts in this area deal too harshly or not harshly enough with criminals?"
Too harshly About
harshly enough right
national 9 67 18
Sex Male 12 64 19 Female 7 70 16
Race White 8 69 18 Black/other 16 60 16
Age 18 to 20 years 14 48 34 21 to 29 years 12 68 15 30 to 49 years 9 70 16 50 years and older 8 66 19
Education\a\ College 9 65 20 High school graduate 8 72 16 Less than high
school graduate 12 67 15
Income $50,000 and over 9 70 17 $30,000 to $49,999 8 70 18 $20,000 to $29,999 8 63 20 Under $20,000 13 66 16
Question: "I am going to read you a list of institutions in American society. Please tell me how much confidence you, yourself, have in each one--a great deal, quite a lot, some, or very little: the criminal justice system?"
Great
deal/quite Very
a lot Some little None\a\
National 29 45 25 1
Sex Male 29 42 27 2 Female 28 47 24 1
Race White 30 46 23 1 Nonwhite 23 39 35 3
Black 26 32 37 5
Age 18 to 29 years 35 49 15 1 30 to 49 years 26 44 28 2 50 to 64 years 26 49 24 1 50 years and older 28 44 27 1 65 years and older 30 40 29 (b)
Education College post graduate 35 48 17 (b) College graduate 40 44 15 1 Some college 29 50 20 1 High school graduate 23 39 36 2
Income $75,000 and over 35 46 18 1 $50,000 to $74,999 31 46 23 (b) $30,000 to $49,999 31 45 22 2 $20,000 to $29,999 20 43 34 2 Under $20,000 24 41 34 1
Ques tion: "I am going to read you a list of institutions in American society. Please tell me how much confidence you, yourself, have in each one--a great deal, quite a lot, some, or very little: the police?"
Great
deal/quite Very
a lot Some little None\a\
National 61 29 9 1
Sex Male 60 28 11 1 Female 61 31 7 1
Race White 65 27 7 1 Nonwhite 43 37 18 2
Black 43 30 24 3
Age 18 to 29 years 61 25 12 2 30 to 49 years 59 31 10 (b) 50 to 64 years 63 28 8 1 50 years and older 64 28 8 (b) 65 years and older 66 27 6 0
Education College post graduate 67 30 3 (b) College graduate 70 26 4 0 Some college 64 27 8 1 High school graduate 53 31 15 1
Income $75,000 and over 70 26 4 (b) $50,000 to $74,999 68 24 8 0 $30,000 to $49,999 64 26 9 1 $20,000 to $29,999 48 32 16 3 Under $20,000 49 36 14 1
Question: "Do you think the police in your community treat all races fairly or do they tend to treat one or more of these groups unfairly?"
Treat Treat one or
all races more groups Not
fairly unfairly sure
National 57 33 9
Sex Male 60 30 8 Female 54 36 10
Race, ethnicity White 61 27 10 Black 43 56 1 Hispanic 41 56 3
Age 18 to 24 years 45 51 4 25 to 29 years 53 41 6 30 to 39 years 57 36 7 40 to 49 years 53 32 13 50 to 64 years 61 32 7 65 years and older 71 14 14
Education College post graduate 53 31 17 College graduate 51 40 9 Some college 59 31 9 High school graduate 58 33 8
Income $75,000 and over 60 31 9 $50,000 to $74,999 59 31 8 $35,000 to $49,999 60 27 12 $25,000 to $34,999 65 32 2 $15,000 to $24,999 57 31 12 Less than $15,000 47 46 7
Ques tion: "Are you sometimes afraid that the police will stop and arrest you when you are completely innocent, or not?"
Yes No
National 21 78
Sex Male 24 75 Female 19 81
Race, ethnicity White 16 84 Black 42 56 Hispanic 39 61
Age 18 to 24 years 36 64 25 to 29 years 18 82 30 to 39 years 20 78 40 to 49 years 20 79 50 to 64 years 22 77 65 years and older 9 90
Education College post graduate 14 86 College graduate 12 87 Some college 21 77 High school graduate 25 75
Income $75,000 and over 16 84 $50,000 to $74,999 17 83 $35,000 to $49,999 15 82 $25,000 to $34,999 11 89 $15,000 to $24,999 25 75 Less than $15,000 36 61