Assignment Details

Scenario: You are a new patrol officer in a major metropolitan city in the center of the country. You have only been on patrol for about four weeks but notice that the officers with more time on the street have been making racially disparaging jokes about members of the poorer neighborhoods. What surprised you was the number of African-American and Hispanic officers who seemed to go along with the culture of racially biased comments. The community in which your precinct is located is crime-ridden and poor. It is largely African-American and Hispanic-American.

When you are on the street, you note that the tension between minority members of the community is very high and that it is even worse between minority officers and the minority community, who tend to view the minority officers as “race traitors.”

In addition, there are a number of combat veterans who have returned to the police department from Iraq and Afghanistan. These veterans have developed a prejudiced outlook towards the Muslim Community, which has a peaceful Mosque in the very center of the community.

Focus your discussion on the following:

• Explain your viewpoint as to whether racism and religious bias are based on psychopathology of the officers or not.