Law and order Quote by B.J. Widick
![“[Former Detroit Police Commissioner George Edwards, then a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit], wrote in November 1965: 'Although local police forces generally regard themselves as public servants with the responsibility of maintaining law and order, they tend to…” quote by B.J. Widick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b84/b-j-widick-74374_law-and-order_former-detroit-police-commissioner-georg_1855092.jpg)
““[Former Detroit Police Commissioner George Edwards, then a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit], wrote in November 1965: 'Although local police forces generally regard themselves as public servants with the responsibility of maintaining law and order, they tend to minimize this attitude when they are patrolling areas that are heavily populated with Negro citizens. There, they tend to view each person on the streets as a potential criminal or enemy, and all too often this attitude is reciprocated. Indeed the hostility between Negro communities in our large cities and the police departments is the major problem in law enforcement in this decade.””
About This Quote
Source Article: "Police and Race Relations", 1965, Journal of Social Issues
Police view heavily Black neighborhoods as hostile, leading to mutual hostility and law enforcement problems.
In simple terms: Racial bias fuels distrust between police and communities.
Key Takeaway
Address bias to improve policing.
Themes
race
police
bias
community
trust
Mood
serious
concerned
Type
analytical
critical
When to use this quote
- urban patrol
- community meetings
- policy reform
Key Concepts
Systemic racism
social tension
Questions to Reflect On
- What reforms can reduce mutual hostility?
- How can police build trust in biased environments?
A Different Perspective
Changing attitudes alone may not fix structural issues.
![“The local police who know every one of these [illegal] criminals, and they know each and every one by name, by crime, where they live, they will work so fast. And our local police will be so happy that they don't have to be abused by these thugs anymore.” quote by Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/902/donald-trump-18_crime_the-local-police-who-know-every-one-of-t_1317567.jpg)
