National
Overwhelming Number of White People Approve of Police Striking People
by Terry Shropshire
Special to the NNPA from the Atlanta Daily World
Many urbanites probably wonder why instances of police brutality and lethal force keep being levied against citizens at dizzying rates as of late, most particularly against unarmed young black males.
Easy. It is because Caucasians approve of such measures, and they do so in large numbers, a major national survey institution’s study reveals.
Seven of 10 whites polled reportedly said they can imagine a situation in which they would approve of a police officer striking an adult male citizen, according to the 2014 General Social Survey, a long-running measurement of trends in American opinions.
Of course, when blacks and Hispanics are asked the same question their results are drastically different, mostly because those demographics are too often on the wrong side of a policeman’s billy club, choke hold or firearm.
The breakdown of people who approve of police striking people:
Whites: 70 percent
Blacks: 42 percent
Hispanics: 38 percent
These results were released on the heels of high-profile killings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City. However, the survey shows the gap between whites, blacks and Hispanics long predates those deaths.
The poll results don’t surprise experts on American attitudes toward police, who say experiences and history with law enforcement shape opinions about the use of violence by officers.
“Whites are significantly more likely to give police officers the benefit of the doubt, either because they have never had an altercation with a police officer or because they tend to see the police as allies in the fight against crime,” said Ronald Weitzer, a George Washington University sociology professor who has studied race and policing in the U.S. and internationally.
#NNPA BlackPress
let it be known news updated
#NNPA BlackPress
Headlines & Hot Topics w/J.Anthony Brown
Headlines & Hot Topics w/J. Anthony Brown. Stacy Brown is on hiatus today. Join the conversation with Niele and J. Anthony.

Headlines & Hot Topics w/J. Anthony Brown. Stacy Brown is on hiatus today. Join the conversation with Niele and J. Anthony.
#NNPA BlackPress
Sit In
Cory Booker and Hakeem Jeffries sit in on Capitol steps over GOP budget plan. Hot Topics and Headlines New to streaming …

Cory Booker and Hakeem Jeffries sit in on Capitol steps over GOP budget plan. Hot Topics and Headlines New to streaming …
-
Activism4 weeks ago
After Two Decades, Oakland Unified Will Finally Regain Local Control
-
Activism4 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of May 14 – 20, 2025
-
Alameda County3 weeks ago
Oakland Begins Month-Long Closure on Largest Homeless Encampment
-
Activism4 weeks ago
New Oakland Moving Forward
-
Barbara Lee3 weeks ago
WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Kick Off Season with Community Programs in Oakland
-
Activism4 weeks ago
East Bay Community Foundation’s New Grants Give Oakland’s Small Businesses a Boost
-
Bo Tefu3 weeks ago
Gov. Newsom Highlights Record-Breaking Tourism Revenue, Warns of Economic Threats from Federal Policies
-
Bay Area3 weeks ago
Chevron Richmond Installs Baker Hughes Flare.IQ, Real-time Flare Monitoring, Control and Reduction System