Format: Dead Trees
Source: Public Library
Rating: 3
This book is filled with cases of black crime. Mac Donald points out that even black people want to be safe in their own neighborhoods. Mac Donald discusses the Ferguson effect, and how after the Michael Brown case in Ferguson, Missouri shaped how officers were then pulling over or not pulling over people. Officers then became scared that something might happen with them and could jeopardize their jobs. Mac Donald points out how blacks in many areas make up a small percentage of the population but a high percentage of the crime. She feels things like stop and frisk are justified due to the statistics of crime. She goes on to list court cases where witnesses have been cherry picked to try to show suspects as innocent. Also discussed are how many times people stopped have some kind of rap sheet.
It felt like at least 2/3 of this book was dedicated to blacks in courts and prison. I believe Mac Donald was trying to make her point of even though blacks a small percentage of the population they make up a bigger portion of crimes, court cases, and prison attendees. I do wish there would have been some insight on what she believed could help the situation because it seems that imprisonment isn’t solving our problem either.
I personally feel like Cops have a tough job. Much like school teachers, it is an overworked, underpaid, and highly criticized profession. Often times the wins are not highlighted enough, and the failures are put on every media outlet available.
