Question 1

Up until the late 1970s, many of the recruitment and hiring criteria that police departments were using were inherently discriminatory, such as having height and weight restrictions. This is an example of what form of racism?

Accepted Answer

Institutional racism refers to discriminatory practices and policies within organizations or institutions, like police departments, that result in unequal treatment based on race.

Question 2

Identify which of the following recruitment and hiring criteria employed by police departments up until the 1980s is an example of institutional racism.

Accepted Answer

Selecting specific media outlets to advertise careers in policing can be an example of institutional racism if those outlets predominantly reach certain racial or ethnic groups, thereby limiting the diversity of applicants.

Question 3

Despite several initiatives aimed at attracting people of colour to police work and some improvements in the rates of recruitment, impediments continue to exist making it quite difficult to attract visible minorities. One such impediment is

Accepted Answer

There are often fundamental differences in how racial minorities perceive the police role compared to Whites, which can deter minorities from pursuing careers in policing.

Question 4

Police officers have generally felt they are accountable to the laws of the land, rather than to the public they serve. According to the text, this is an example of which discourse?

Accepted Answer

The text describes a situation where police officers feel accountable to the laws rather than the public, which aligns with the concept of accountability, making it an example of the Discourse of Accountability.

Question 5

Despite initiatives that the police have put in place to reduce tensions with minority communities in Canada, the public has not really participated in these programs. This might be due to

Accepted Answer

The passage states that the lack of public participation in police initiatives to reduce tensions with minority communities may be due to the lack of support from police leadership and rank-and-file officers for this type of involvement.

Question 6

Discussing a concern that biased behaviour exists among police officers is the same as saying that every police officer does so.

Accepted Answer

Discussing a concern about biased behavior among police officers highlights a systemic issue but does not imply that every individual officer exhibits such behavior.

Question 7

After making an arrest, police officers do not have any influence on decisions made throughout the criminal justice process.

Accepted Answer

Police officers can influence decisions in the criminal justice process through their reports, testimonies, and recommendations, which can impact charges, plea deals, and sentencing.

Question 8

Over-policing can be seen in the discretionary decisions and behaviours of individual police officers.

Accepted Answer

Over-policing often involves individual officers exercising their discretion in ways that disproportionately target certain communities or individuals, leading to excessive surveillance or enforcement.

Question 9

The widespread and disproportionate use of stop-and-search for certain communities is a harmless policing practice.

Accepted Answer

Stop-and-search practices can lead to racial profiling and discrimination, causing harm and mistrust within targeted communities.

Question 10

One of the most significant and potentially long-lasting impacts of over-policing is its effect on children and youth.

Accepted Answer

Over-policing can lead to negative psychological effects, mistrust of authorities, and increased likelihood of criminal behavior among children and youth.

Question 11

Rather than feeling that the police are there to protect them from crime, individuals from some visible minority communities feel that they needed to be protected from the police.

Accepted Answer

Some visible minority communities may have experienced racial profiling, discrimination, or excessive force, leading to a perception that the police are a threat rather than a source of protection.

Question 12

Allegations that Canadian police forces are particularly slow in responding to domestic violence calls in minority communities is an example of under-policing.

Accepted Answer

Under-policing refers to inadequate law enforcement response or attention to certain communities or issues, such as slow responses to domestic violence calls in minority communities.

Question 13

Police shootings of young white males in urban centres such as Montreal and Vancouver in the 1990s was the only reason a government commission into police use-of-force was created.

Accepted Answer

The creation of a government commission into police use-of-force would likely have been influenced by multiple factors, including broader concerns about police practices, public pressure, and incidents involving various demographics, not solely shootings of young white males.

Question 14

The lack of an effective, impartial, and independent complaints procedure is viewed as a major stumbling block in ensuring the police treat all members of the community in a non-discriminatory manner.

Accepted Answer

An effective, impartial, and independent complaints procedure is crucial for accountability and trust, ensuring that police actions are scrutinized and that discriminatory practices are addressed.

Question 15

Police-community relations programs have usually been developed by the police as a response to resolving police-community conflict.

Accepted Answer

Police-community relations programs are often initiated by law enforcement agencies to address and improve tensions and conflicts between the police and the communities they serve.

Quiz 6: Racism and Policing