Is the media afraid to identify race in suspect descriptions?

[joedancer]

"Sure, in this particular story, there is a more likely chance that the suspects are black, given the "cornrows" and "black do-rag" portion of the description. But even some white kids these days have corn rows and wear do-rags.
__________________"
Maybe that is why they did not identify a race, because the they were not sure of it?

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Not likely

Maybe that is why they did not identify a race, because the they were not sure of it?

Even in that Aruba case... I thought all the suspects were white but a few nights agoone of the suspects who was released was on MSNBC's "Scarborough Country" and to my surprise he was black.

They also refused to mention race during the sniper attacks a few years back, instead they got all politically correct and said "darker skinned males." Darker skinned, well what the hell? My neighbors have darker skin than me. How dark?

This media is too P.C. because of lawsuits filed against them all the time.

 

[Lenny]

They also refused to mention race during the sniper attacks a few years back, instead they got all politically correct and said "darker skinned males." Darker skinned, well what the hell? My neighbors have darker skin than me. How dark?

At the time it may be the press and police were more concerned about the snipers being from Saudi Arabia or some other middle-eastern country. This was right after the 9/11 attacks.

 

[Triggerfish]

OK, we get BOLOs(Be On the LookOut) on base and I noticed often we do not get racial descriptions.

Part of it I believe is being politically correct and other times people just do not fit into Asian, Black, Hispanic, White categories. Someone may be mixed or someone may be extremely dark but may be of European heritage. Also saying that someone is a "Middle Eastern" is full of problem and could cause some serious problems.

Someone may see a Sihk commiting a crime and may describe him as a "Middle Eastern" male. The person who gets the description may see him but may think.....OK, this guy is a Sihk, he's Indian so this isn't the guy. Also with the mixed blood people it gets more difficult to put a label on anyone.

Last time I remember getting a racial description on a BOLO was last spring when St Mary's county asked us to keep an eye out for a fugitive on the loose. We got him.


A couple of weeks ago we got a BOLO on a 15 yr old runaway. We got what she was wearing and that she was on a bike, her age, height, weight but no race info.

 

[Nickel]

Part of it I believe is being politically correct and other times people just do not fit into Asian, Black, Hispanic, White categories. Someone may be mixed or someone may be extremely dark but may be of European heritage. Also saying that someone is a "Middle Eastern" is full of problem and could cause some serious problems.

Criminals shouldn't get the option of being treated "politically correctly". If a black man robs a store, but he's really from Scotland, it's okay for the news to post that an african american man robbed a 7-11. You are not going to catch a man if you're on the lookout for his ancestral background. Same goes for a white guy. Say a white South African robbed the same 7-11. The news needs to give his description as white, not African. Unfortunately the general public is not that savvy, and we need to put important issues (such as catching a criminal that is in your area) in black and white (no pun intended). I'd be ticked if the media said that a man with cornrows and a do-rag has raped someone in my area, but didn't list his race, and some white guy with a freshly shaved head starts knocking on my door with the intent to do harm. The criminal knows what color they are, I doubt they'd be offended by it being put out there.

 

[Triggerfish]

Criminals shouldn't get the option of being treated "politically correctly". .

Remember they're not always criminals.....we've had cases where we deal with suspects, suspicious behaving people, and just missing people. Whether we're looking out for criminals or runaways the process of giving descriptions are "usually" standardized.



Also I never stated that criminals should be treated "politically correct." I'm not justifing whether they should or not, just stating that it is a reason why race isn't used often.

 

[Triggerfish]

For most of you this thread and subject is trivial. To us it may mean whether we pull our handguns out.

 

[vraiblonde]

Someone may see a Sihk commiting a crime and may describe him as a "Middle Eastern" male. The person who gets the description may see him but may think.....OK, this guy is a Sihk, he's Indian so this isn't the guy. Also with the mixed blood people it gets more difficult to put a label on anyone.

Like you average person on the street would know the difference.

How are you supposed to BOLO if you don't know what you're looking for? I know damn well it's because Jesse Jackson #####ed because I saw him doing it on TV and read about it in the newspapers and not long after that, racial descriptions started being mysteriously absent from criminal profiles.

 

[Triggerfish]

How are you supposed to BOLO if you don't know what you're looking for?.

How do you think I felt 2 weeks ago when we were supposed to be looking out for the missing 15 yr old. All we got for a while was name, age, and that she was riding a bike.

Frustrated....our first question was "what's her race?" Yeah it sucks but it's pretty much beyond our control.

 

[czygvtwkr]

You know the way some women are about their age if they #####ed enough I bet they would quit listing age.

A female robed the 7-11 be on the lookout, but we can't give you any other description.

 

[Ken King]

You know the way some women are about their age if they #####ed enough I bet they would quit listing age.

A female robed the 7-11 be on the lookout, but we can't give you any other description.

That would be simple, get the white woman that looks like Martha Stewart since she robed the store.

 

[sleuth]

Speaking of robbing 7-11's...

Why is it that whenever you see one of these armed robberies caught on video, the tape is so blurry you can't get a good shot of the face??? And half the time in black and white?

You'd think that technology is cheap enough today that these places would have better cameras.

 

[mrweb]

Even in that Aruba case... I thought all the suspects were white but a few nights agoone of the suspects who was released was on MSNBC's "Scarborough Country" and to my surprise he was black.

They also refused to mention race during the sniper attacks a few years back, instead they got all politically correct and said "darker skinned males." Darker skinned, well what the hell? My neighbors have darker skin than me. How dark?

This media is too P.C. because of lawsuits filed against them all the time.

I am a darker skinned male...darker than I was this winter. Oh crap, I don't have enough hair left for cornrows and my head it too big to get a do-rag around it.

 

[Mikeinsmd]

Criminals shouldn't get the option of being treated "politically correctly". If a black man robs a store, but he's really from Scotland, it's okay for the news to post that an african american man robbed a 7-11. Same goes for a white guy. Say a white South African [/COLOR] robbed the same 7-11. The news needs to give his description as white, not African.

It is NOT ok to say that he is an "African American". He should be described as "A black man from Scotland."

The term "African American" is The only people who are "African American" are folks born in Africa to African citizens, who then came to America and are given American citizenship (dual citizenship). This also applies to the white South African. He's white but if he is awarded American citizenship, then he too is "African American".

If you want to describe someone's race, they are either black, white, asian, etc....

 

[mrweb]

It is NOT ok to say that he is an "African American". He should be described as "A black man from Scotland."

The term "African American" is The only people who are "African American" are folks born in Africa to African citizens, who then came to America and are given American citizenship (dual citizenship). This also applies to the white South African. He's white but if he is awarded American citizenship, then he too is "African American".

If you want to describe someone's race, they are either black, white, asian, etc....

Should my daughter say she is Italian-American because she was born in Italy?

 

[czygvtwkr]

I actually worked at a place that claimed to have two african americans, they were two white guys from south africa. You know how government contracts are.

 

[Lenny]

I actually worked at a place that claimed to have two african americans, they were two white guys from south africa. You know how government contracts are.

to that. And it's entirely true.

 

[Triggerfish]

my head it too big to get a do-rag around it.

Go to Kohl's and buy a bedsheet!

 

[Toxick]

I actually worked at a place that claimed to have two african americans, they were two white guys from south africa. You know how government contracts are.

Well, they qualify as African American, right?

I think one of the running gags in the Kerry campaign (other than the Kerry campaign itself) was that Thereza - from South Africa - would be the first African-American first lady.


I also remember a few years ago, I was watching this thing in the news; I dont' remember if it was the Olympics or what, but it was some important sporting event. Anyway, the winner of one of the events was this black guy from England. The reporter went on to ask this guy about how important it was for an African American to win that event, and how good it was for his community and the typical BS reporter crap.

So the guy says, "I'm not American, I'm British"

And the reporter rephrased it to, "British-African-American".

And they guy says, "I'm not American. I'm British".


The reporter was flustered - but there was no way in hell wild horses could drag the word "black" from his mouth. I forgot the resolution of the situation, but I remember I just couldn't help but shake my head ruefully that it had finally come to that.