Black Interest Groups? Responses to Police Misconduct: Analysis of Organizational Behavior, Constraints, Resources, and Policy Influence

The African-American community in particular and communities of color in general have been plagued with a host of police misconduct issues for decades. However, in recent times, issues like police brutality and racial profiling (driving while black) have been in the forefront of police misconduct issues. Some of these issues in the United States have gained national and international attention. This study examines how four African-American Interest Groups have worked independently and collectively to address the issues of police brutality and racial profiling through encouraging the creation of pending policies such as the End Racial Profiling and the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Acts. It also examines how the African-American organizations have behaved and responded in other ways to the issues with both internal and external constraints. Lastly, this study explores whether raced-based organizations with similar goals and objectives can effectively work collectively together even when they may philosophically differ with the use of group tactics and strategies. This book is addressed to criminal justice professionals, academicians, and lay persons with an interest in group behavior and strategies for combating modern day criminal justice issues with a policy emphasis. Although the specific focus is on how African-American groups have responded to the issues of brutality and racial profiling, this study in general provides insight of how group behavior both independently and collectively can influence the policy arena even with the use of tactics that are not directly inclusive in the public policy arena.