Different cultures hold different views about criminal justice professionals. A report released in 2004 indicated that Hispanics are three times more likely to be detained without trial as compared to the whites yet they are least likely to have criminal records. Hence, Hispanics may not be too friendly when they encounter criminal justice professionals (Menjivar, 2004). In the same breath, undocumented people are often afraid of the authorities. As such, they may hide from the police or ensure they do not behave in such a manner that may lead to a confrontation with the authorities. However, natives’ confidence in the police and justice system is always at an all-time high. Natives have the confidence to engage the authorities for they have nothing to fear. After all, the United States is the natives' original home. While Hispanics are reported to have 45% confidence in the justice system, natives are reported to have 78% confidence in the system. Race, age, and ethnicity as well as class and gender influence individuals' or communities' perceptions of the police. As noted by Menjivar (2004), young Hispanics are less fearful of the police as compared to older Hispanics. Additionally, illiterate Hispanics who are not aware of how the system works may not use it fully to their advantage for fear of getting into trouble. More so, whenever an individual’s immigration status is questionable, the individual may express strong deference to the police and fear of retaliation (Flagg, 2019). However, the situation is not the same for Native Americans. Given that they are the majority in the police service and justice departments, they might not worry a lot when confronted with the police. Historically, white natives have dominated all police and justice systems. They have even been accused of being too lenient to fellow whites compared to blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and undocumented immigrants. To address the differences in perception towards criminal justice professionals, both the professional and the citizens should be trained on how to co-exist peacefully (Menjivar, 2004). On the one hand, the police should be taught how to handle people from different ethnic groups. For instance, white police officers should be trained on how to handle black offenders with minor crimes. Some white police officers have developed stereotypes towards blacks and Latinos since they were little children. As such, they may grow up knowing that blacks are criminals and Latinos are drug dealers. However, if they are trained to treat every person equal, they may reduce the many cases of police murders that keep on dominating the news. Moreover, every American citizen should be trained on the procedures of justice and the legitimacy of the law enforcement authorities. Most importantly, the police service and the entire justice system should not be dominated by one ethnic group. Also noteworthy is the importance of building trust within cultural communities. Community forums should be held where people from different communities interact and learn from each other. Additionally, the justice department should be just and transparent when dealing with cases from all the ethnic groups (Flagg, 2019). For instance, blacks and whites should be subjected to the same treatment when arrested and charged in a court of law. Furthermore, communities living in the same neighborhoods should have committees that compose of people from different ethnic groups. These committees can help in creative cohesive neighborhoods and reducing racial tensions. In a nutshell, a lot has to be done to enhance the efficiency of the justice department and to build trust within cultural communities.
References
Flagg, A. (2019, May 13). Is There a Connection Between Undocumented Immigrants and Crime? Retrieved from The Marshall Project: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2019/05/13/is-there-a-connection-between-undocumented-immigrants-and-crime
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Menjivar, C. (2004). Latino Immigrants' Perceptions of Crime and Police Authorities in the United States: A Case Study from the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 27 (1), 121-142. doi:10.1080/0141987032000147968
