NCJ Number
85548
Journal
Urban League Review Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: (Fall 1981) Pages: 71-82
Date Published
1981
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The police use of deadly force is prevalent and increasing in Hispanic barrios, prompting organized community response and calls from specific remedial action.
Abstract
Statistical computations of police use of deadly force do not include a separate category for that directed against Chicanos or Hispanics; these are reported as 'white.' A clear picture, however, can be drawn from the careful documentation compiled by legal aid and civil rights organizations and from newspaper reports collected by several clipping services. These data reveal that between 1969 and 1970 Hispanics were killed by the police 13.2 times more often than whites. Documented cases demonstrate the callous disregard by police for the basic human rights of Hispanics. Further, official response to police killings and brutality has done little to counter it. This has caused a number of community organizations to be formed to try and deal with the problem. A number of workshops, symposiums, and conferences held to address the issue have yielded some 20 recommendations for addressing the growing problem of police use of deadly force against minority persons. Recommendations include (1) police use of deadly force only in defense of life, (2) the establishment of a national code on police use of guns, (3) referral of any police shootings that result in injury or death to the grand jury for investigation, (4) the establishment of a civilian complaint process in police offices, and (5) the creation of an information processing system dealing with cases of Hispanic deaths at the hands of police. Eight notes and 60 references are provided.