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2/3 of Those Tasered in Houston are Black

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Sun Dec 03, 2006 at 11:53:45 PM EST
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Community activists in Houston are demanding a review of police use of tasers. Why? The numbers.

Nearly two-thirds of those shocked with the high-voltage weapons over the last two years were black.

By the numbers:

  • 23% of Houston's residents are African-American
  • 50% of arrestees are African-American
  • 620 of the 982 suspects tasered since 2004 were African American

More taser stats here.

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    2/3 of Those Tasered in Houston are Black | 10 comments (10 topical)

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    hmm (1.00 / 1) (#2)
    by jarober on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 07:54:22 AM EST
    If the crimes (in that area) are mostly being committed by black suspects, why is this a surprise?  The police don't get to pick the demographics of the population of people committing criminal acts.  Should they go to a quota system, and stop arresting criminals once the percentage of any ethnic group exceeds their share of the local population?

    Wow (none / 0) (#3)
    by scarshapedstar on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 08:01:45 AM EST
    That totally wasn't a hackish rightwing trope or anything. However, you seem to be missing the point of the post entirely. We're talking broad side of a barn here. If you can't tell the difference between arresting someone and tasering someone, well, I suppose that's not entirely surprising in this day and age, but I hope to god you don't plan on becoming a cop.

    Parent
    Scar (none / 0) (#11)
    by Edger on Wed Dec 06, 2006 at 12:26:22 AM EST
    Missing points is one of jarobers specialties. Usually intentionally. Want links, anyone? Just ask.

    Parent
    Racists (none / 0) (#1)
    by squeaky on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 12:02:44 AM EST
    wonder if most of the taserers are white police officer. Most racists see black folk as closer to animal, so tasering for them is a notch above moving animals down the path to slaughter.

    Skewed Statistics (none / 0) (#4)
    by Discovery on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 12:09:39 PM EST
    It is hard to establish a normal patern of arrests in Houston based on ethniticity and include data from Katrina.

    When the fourth largest city in the US, Houston, experiences an almost 30% increase in crime after its population grows 10% overnight with 200,000 black evacuess from New Orlean's high crime 9th ward - it is a matter of simple numbers that you are going to have and increase in black arrests over that time frame.  You relocated a large number of blacks with a statistically high crime rate into another city - yes your arrests are going up.  

    I am not saying that there isn't a problem - but using Houston post Katrina to prove an increase in arrests rates is not valid. If the numbers are real - then you should be able to find it in another city that did not experience the largest instantaneous relocation events in US History.

    But this America, where the torture... (none / 0) (#5)
    by Bill Arnett on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 12:50:16 PM EST
    ...starts before you even get booked or charged with a crime.

    Yep, Torture 'r' U.S. (of America).

    These things go from the top down, so a tortuous @$$h0le for president, the example "trickles down" pretty quickly...

    Use of force practices. (none / 0) (#6)
    by JSN on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 01:18:42 PM EST
    Some police departments are willing to publish their use of force policies a smaller number will provide information about incidents where force was employed. Studies indicate that if the shift sergeant or captain are willing to overlook the problem the use of force report may differ significantly from what really happened.

    From what I have seen so far I wonder if the policy for the use of tasers differs that much from the use of pepper spray. In my view some cops and security guards overuse pepper spray. In Iowa City the use of force report may say that pepper spray was used but it is not clear which officer used the spray if more than one officer is present. The statistics are poor with perhaps a dozen use of force incidents per month most involving shooting an injured deer or racoon.

    Use of tasers in Houston. (none / 0) (#7)
    by JSN on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 02:40:43 PM EST
    My guess is that most of the incidents involving the use of a tasers in Houston occurred during the night shift, a high percentage of the subjects tasered were intoxicated and that only a small number of neighborhoods were involved. Furthermore there were no objective sober credible witnesses present.

    The main finding of the Abilene use of force study was that no reliable conclusions could be reached because the officers and shift sergeants had cooked the books.

    Parent

    racial tasering (none / 0) (#8)
    by diogenes on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 03:53:17 PM EST
    50% of arrestees are black, and 63-64% OF THOSE TASERED ARE BLACK.  Not a dramatic difference that proves obvious racist use of a taser, especially if there are racial differences in arrestees who flee or are intoxicated upon arrest.

    Actually, diogenes (none / 0) (#9)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 04:13:04 PM EST
    from the link, Houston PD are supported in using the taser when physically threatened, so your last sentence should probably read "especially if there are racial differences in arrestees who physically threaten the arresting officer(s)."

    Parent
    2/3 of Those Tasered in Houston are Black | 10 comments (10 topical)

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