The Color of Crime by Frosty Troy One of the Great American Myths Is Racial Crimes Committed Every Year Diate Crime Rates
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$1.50 25,000 Blue Chip Readers VOL. 39, NO. 16 An Independent Journal of Commentary SEPTEMBER 10, 2007 Is It Judicial Or Police Bias? The Color Of Crime By Frosty Troy One of the great American myths is racial crimes committed every year diate crime rates. There can be debate that minorities are more likely to be involving blacks and whites, blacks about the exact extent of the differ- Joseph H. Carter assails Amer- railroaded to prison because police commit 85% and whites 15%. ences – the data do not make these ica’s – and Oklahoma’s – failing and judges are universally biased. Blacks commit more violent crime calculations easy – but differences “lock ‘em up, throw away the key” A detailed analysis of government against whites than against blacks. are a fact. approach to crime – Page 6 crime data reveals no support for the Forty-five percent of their victims are These differences are far greater widely-held belief that the criminal white, 43% are black, and 10% are His- than some that have given rise to sig- justice system discriminates against panic. When whites commit violent nificant public initiatives. Blacks are This is insulting and unfair. Not blacks and other minorities. crime, only 3% of their victims are more than twice as likely as whites only does it reflect abiding prejudice High arrest and incarceration rates black. to be unemployed, and white house- against some of the most hardworking for blacks and Hispanics – and very Blacks are 136 times more likely to hold income is 60% higher than black people in America, it leads to onerous low rates for Asians – reflect differ- commit robbery. household income. anti-racial profiling regulations that ences in offense rates, not police or Blacks are 2.25 times more likely Blacks are twice as likely as whites require police to fill in detailed racial judicial bias. to commit officially-designated hate to drop out of high school [50%]. Race information about every traffic stop, Oklahoma has more than a pass- crimes against whites than vice ver- differences of this kind have led to stop-and-frisk, or search. ing interest in criminal justice since sa. everything from affirmative action It is profoundly destructive for mi- the state is fourth highest in the per- Only 10% of youth gang members preferences to No Child Left Behind norities to have exaggerated resent- centage of men sent to prison, first in are white. Hispanics are 19 times legislation. ments toward the society in which women. more likely than whites to be mem- Blacks are about eight times more they live. Uncritical repetition by The New Century Foundation’s The bers of youth gangs. Blacks are 15 likely than whites to commit murder, whites of assertions about police bias Color of Crime is the most carefully times more likely, and Asians are nine and 25 times more likely than Asians only deepens these resentments. crafted report ever made on the sub- times more likely. to do so. A proper understanding of crime ject. The U.S. incarceration rate has more Blacks are 15 times more likely rates also supports a common-sense It finds that Asians consistently than tripled since 1980, from 139 to than whites to go to prison for rob- understanding of race and is an anti- commit crime at the lowest rates in 482 per 100,000, and the number of bery, and 50 times more likely than dote to hypocrisy. Americans do not virtually all categories, followed by prisoners increased from 320,000 to Asians. know the exact statistics, but they whites. 1.39 million, more than any other in- The evidence suggests that deeply know that whites [and Asians] are Hispanics are the next most likely dustrial nation. rooted assumptions about police bias less likely than blacks to rob them. to offend, with blacks committing Blacks are seven times more likely are wrong. Many Americans believe Even many people who insist that most crimes at higher rates than any to be in prison than whites. Hispanics that entire professions – police, pros- black arrest rates are bloated by po- other group. are three times more likely. ecutors, judges – are systematically lice bias are careful to avoid certain African Americans are 13% of the Whites and Hispanics have interme- biased against minorities neighborhoods. U.S. population but commit more than It is common to oppose publication half the murders and robberies. of crime statistics for fear of creating Hispanics, who are America’s most “negative stereotypes,” but statistical rapidly-growing population, commit differences are the basis for important violent crime at about three times the policy decisions. white rate. Immigration is rapidly changing the Asians commit violent crimes at population of the United States. His- about one quarter the white rate. panics are now the nation’s largest Blacks are 39 times more likely to minority group. commit violent crime against whites Hispanics are one of the more crime- than vice versa. prone groups in America. They also Police and the justice system are have high rates of illegitimacy, school not biased against minorities, despite failure, poverty, and welfare use. the occasional exception. What can Oklahomans do about Blacks are seven times more likely crime? They could begin by thumping than people of other races to commit legislators whose law-and-order men- murder, and eight times more likely to tality drives judges to despondency commit robbery. with mandatory minimums and mind- When blacks commit crimes of less sentence enhancement. violence, they are nearly three times Oklahoma is nearing 25,000 in pris- more likely than non-blacks to use a on, with another 1,600 held in county gun, and more than twice as likely to jails for lack of prison space. use a knife. How did the Republican-controlled The single best indicator of violent 2007 Legislature respond to the pris- crime levels in an area is the percent- on crisis? They enhanced even more age of the population that is black felonies and shorted the Corrections and Hispanic. budget by $40 million. Of the nearly 770,000 violent inter- Too bad that isn’t a felony. Observations ‘First’ Lady It’s never too early to ponder the many fewer college graduates to its next gubernatorial race. Quick ques- workforce in the next 20 years than it tion: Can Democrats extend their grip did in the past 20. on Oklahoma government’s top job Scary facts? You bet. Much of it is for a third term in a decidedly Red caused by the lack of early childhood State? education for children in poverty. The short list of potential contend- Add to this the kind of sorry parent- ers includes Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, busy ing that feeds a 30% dropout rate and traveling the state making friends and you have the ingredients for a disas- influencing people, and state Trea- ter. surer Scott Meacham, whose state- It is sickeningly true that the U.S. wide profile was boosted by full-page, has the highest child poverty rate of Chesapeake Energy-financed ads op- the 20 developed countries belonging posing a proposed coal-fired plant to the Organization for Economic Co- near Red Rock. operation and Development. An even more intriguing possibility: Children’s ultimate paths are greatly Kim Henry. influenced by what happens to them The First Lady never has held elec- in their earliest years. Of 50 children gone haywire. tive office, but knows first-hand the experiencing problems reading in kin- Costly Even the reactionary Daily Disap- pointment editorial page is warning rigors of a statewide campaign. She’s dergarten, 44 will still be struggling If the new Republican majority at legislative leaders they ought not a powerful, behind-the-scenes force three years later. the State Capitol wants to save tax- shoot the messenger, just because in her husband’s administration. These same children are at the payers money, they should clean they can’t – or won’t – solve the state’s As a former government, history greatest risk of dropping out, becom- house at the Oklahoma Health Care criminal justice crises. and advanced placement teacher ing teen parents and failing to find Authority. The truth is, those working to po- [eight years at Shawnee High School], productive work. To bring you up to date, several pri- liticize the Criminal Justice Resource she has street credibility as she advo- America needs to help older chil- vate mental health clinics had their Center aren’t worthy of a Moon. What cates tirelessly for children and pub- dren, but we can also do more to set funding cut in 2003 by the OHCA. they deserve is the finger. lic education. them on a better course with early They went to the Capitol to complain. Further, she has charisma that childhood education. Oklahoma’s That’s when OHCA CEO Mike Fog- would be the envy of any candidate. system has been named the best in arty and OHCA Lobbyist Terrie Fritz The last Oklahoma First Lady to America by the U.S. Department of retaliated against them. Waiting seek public office – Cathy Keating – Education. We won’t bother you with the de- One of the burdens carried by the didn’t fare so well. Her congressional Ignore the ding-a-lings such as the tails on the fortune it has cost taxpay- Oklahoma Department of Human Ser- bid was well financed, but doomed by far right Oklahoma Council of Public ers as this case went to federal court vices is finding good foster homes for overconfidence – and perhaps more Affairs, which opposes early child- twice.