In Britain too police custody can be a dangerous place, especially if you happen to be black.
In Britain too police custody can be a dangerous place, especially if you happen to be black
The man being choked by the police in the video is Eric Garner. His last words were “I can’t breathe!”. He died shortly after this video was filmed.
Astonishingly, a grand jury decided not to indict any of the police officers involved in Garner’s death. As a result, protests have erupted in New York and elsewhere demanding change as the brutal passing of yet another black man at the hands of the police looks like it will go unpunished.
There is a grim familiarity to events like this. For many of us Garner’s death once again provides an opportunity to shake our heads and tut at America’s failure to tackle one of the most glaring inequalities between white and black – the likelihood of being killed by the very people that are there to offer protection.
Some will of course describe the killing of Garner as ‘unfortunate’ or the result of a ‘few bad apples’, but the statistics tell a different story. According to FBI data, those killed by police in the US are disproportionately black.
(ht Vox).
Other forms of oppression also persist. While African-Americans make up 13.1 per cent of the US population, they constitute nearly 40 per cent of the prison population. Many are arrested for drug offences. Despite African-Americans using or selling drugs at the same rate as whites, they remain 2.8 to 5.5 times more likely to be arrested for drug offences than whites.
The mistake, however, is to interpret this as a uniquely American phenomenon. Indeed, the US may come in for the most criticism when it comes to deaths of non-white people in police custody, but in this country we have little reason to be smug: it’s a problem here too.
In Britain 827 people have died during or following police contact since 2004. According to Inquest, a charity that monitors deaths in police custody, a disproportionate number of those who have died in or shortly after being taken into police custody following the use of force were from black and minority ethnic communities (BAME).
| Total BAME deaths in police custody or otherwise following contact with the police, England & Wales 1990-date | ||||
| Type | Metropolitan Police | Other Forces | Total | |
| Custody | 76 | 61 | 137 | |
| Shooting | 7 | 2 | 9 | |
| All custody and shooting deaths | 83 | 64 | 147 | |
Source: INQUEST casework and monitoring
And while it looks like no police offers will be held to account for Eric Garner’s tragic death, there hasn’t been a successful prosecution of a police officer implicated in the death of anyone in Britain since 1969, despite, since 1990, there being nine unlawful killing verdicts returned by juries at inquests into deaths involving the police and one unlawful killing verdict recorded by a public inquiry.
In other words, it’s easy to sneer at the violence and structural racism apparent in American society and write it off as some sort of American exceptionalism. America is after all vastly economically unequal, has a history of discriminating against minorities and has a tooled up police force.
All true of course, but we ought also to look closer to home before rushing to pass judgement: in Britain too police custody can be a dangerous place, especially if you happen to have the ‘wrong’ skin colour.
James Bloodworth is the editor of Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter
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28 Responses to “Eric Garner’s death is a tragedy – but it isn’t just American tragedy”
Michael Simpson
Ian Huntley, Steve Wright, Peter Sutcliffe.
damon
Bizarre comments.
The police aren’t any community’s enemy, and those that think so are part of the problem.
Policing is a really difficult task because nearly everyone resents being controlled. And that’s the police’s job. To police that ten per cent (I hear) of drivers who are driving without all the proper insurance and documentation – for example.
How do you do that in a non racist way when minority people are more likely to be poorer, and people who can’t afford to run cars totally legally are likely to be young and poorer? You are going to end up profiling. Just looking at drivers and working on hunches.
In some parts of London, young black men have 50% rates of unemployment, so are bound to come to the police’s attention more.
Because of the lifestyle and culture of urban youth in England.
If you don’t work but are visibly consuming, then the police will be suspicious. In what other countries is it different?
It’s certainly far worse in any African or Caribbean country, where bad mouthing the police will get you severely beaten. British police are far far better. Even too soft perhaps. Giving them abuse is practically allowed. They take it.
We might need better training with our firearms units perhaps.
But at the end of the day, it always comes down to individuals, and they can get it wrong. Like the police in New York seem to have.
But what do you do when someone tells the police to clear off and leave him alone, when they are just policing a situation?
Selling cigarettes is hardly a crime, but you might have to move people on and ”police” them. Otherwise it’s an urban jungle.
But when the person says ”No, bugger off and leave me alone” – what are the police supposed to do – just do that?
Guest
Sure. But swat doesn’t feel that way.
Leon Wolfeson
Yes, yours are, as you make excuses for the Police, and call entire communities the problem – the excessive force the Police use isn’t in your world, right.
That you think it’s the Police’s job to control everyone really says it all, as you blame people for their poverty, etc, say the police should be harassing the poor more, etc – that the “lifestyle and culture” of claiming the benefits you’re entitled to should make you a target, etc.
As ever, you’re making excuses for the police.
And the Police are supposed to not harass innocent people. But no, to you that’s “too soft”, you’re fine with anything except “severe” beatings…so just mild ones for crossing their paths, right right.
You want the Urban Jungle, where the Pigs are just the biggest and most powerful gang on the bloc. Where there’s different laws for different people, etc.
damon
Look, sorry ”Guest” – I was looking for a little grown up conversation.
The main post attracted me because it’s a subject that I find very intrriguing.
Check this guy John McWhorter out and get back to me.
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/101840/trayvon-martin-race-injustice