Michael Fletcher
AFRICAN-AMERICANS are more likely than the general American population to be victims of crime – a reality that fuels their support of tough criminal penalties, although they have little confidence in the criminal justice system, according to a new poll.
That ambivalence reflects the dilemma facing many blacks: they feel more threatened by crime, but they also feel more vulnerable to police brutality and harassment, according to poll results released by the Joint Centre for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington think-tank that specialises in issues relating to blacks.
The survey was based on telephone interviews in January with 1 596 adults, grouped by category: a national general population sample, a national sample of African-Americans and a national sample of 18- year-old to 25- year-old black males.
More than a quarter of the black respondents reported that they or someone close to them had been a victim of violent crime in the past two years. Fewer than one in six people in the general population reported similar experiences.
More than half of blacks, but less than a third of the general population, said there were areas within three blocks of their homes where they were afraid to walk at night. And almost 62% of the blacks said illegal drug use was a major problem in their communities, while 40% of the general population responded similarly.
At the same time, almost 43% of the blacks said police brutality and harassment are serious problems where they live, a belief shared by only 13% of the general population. The poll also found that 48% of the black respondents favoured the death penalty, while 72% of the general population supports capital punishment.
Katherine McFate, associate director of research and social policy for the centre, who analysed the poll results, said the findings illustrate the dual frustration felt by many blacks when it comes to crime. “These results reflect blacks being frustrated, both with being crime victims and with the police and criminal justice system,” she said.
The poll results also reflected wide differences between African-Americans and the general population on other issues, including school vouchers. It showed differences, as well, between the attitudes of average African-Americans and the policies embraced by many black civil rights and political leaders.
For instance, almost half of the poll’s black respondents said they favour programmes to provide government vouchers to help pay private-school tuition, a programme that has been opposed by many black elected officials. Three in four blacks said they favour a constitutional amendment allowing for school prayer, which also is widely opposed by black law-makers. And almost three in four said they favour life sentences for people convicted of three violent crimes.
“Whether that is out of touch or not, I don’t know. I don’t think so,” said Eddie Williams, president of the centre. “There are some issue areas where black leaders need to listen a little more closely to their constituents.” – The Washington Post