Home » Assignments (Page 2)

Category Archives: Assignments

Assignment 4

The Banning of Minor Vehicular Stops

Many states and cities in the US, including Pennsylvania, Los Angeles, and Seattle, are reimagining better ways of enforcing traffic regulations in such settings. For a long time, it has been debated whether increased policing is the appropriate solution to societal wrongdoings. This matter is particularly problematic in societies that face diversity challenges—the United States is a perfect example. For instance, some US cities and states have noted that traffic stops are sometimes used as ‘fishing expeditions’ to disproportionately target people of color. I believe the US government needs to change methods of promoting traffic safety to prevent routine humiliation and needless deaths of many Black and Hispanic drivers at the hands of police. Banning traffic stops across states and cities in the United States will bring positive changes to the justice system and the affected communities.

Traffic stops result in more harm than good, especially since police in states like North Carolina, Washington & California seem to target drivers from minority communities. According to Horn (2020), Black drivers were 63 percent more likely to be pulled over in North Carolina than their white counterparts. Although contraband was more likely to be found in white drivers, Black drivers were 115 percent more likely to be searched during a traffic stop than whites . The highly racialized nature of traffic stops and searchers erodes community trust in the police, even though most of these interactions lead to an arrest. Research indicates that nearly half of Black Americans have very little confidence that police comply with professional, statutory, and constitutional norms (Horowitz, 2007). As a result, this lack of trust and confidence implies that the police do not control crime effectively. 

At the same time, traffic often stops exact a psychological toll, particularly for Black and Latin Americans who continuously experience collective trauma from police violence. Various studies have documented a correlation between police traffic stops and mental health across various groups . Jackson et al. (2019) mentioned that emotionally-charged and stressful interactions with police officers lead to feelings of trauma and stigma. According to Del Toro et al. (2019), police stops may unintentionally influence youths to continuously engage in criminal behavior due to an increased rate of contact with law enforcement. Since traffic stops are often characterized by aggressiveness from the police, they affect the mental health and general well-being of young people. 

In addition, proactive policing techniques like traffic stops reduce the public’s willingness to cooperate during criminal investigations. When there are significant opinion differences concerning the public’s role in crime prevention, achieving effective public participation in crime control programs would take much work. The opinion differences often occur when police disproportionately implement traffic stops, making some members of the public appear to be naturally criminals. According to Schwartz & Brownstein (2015), some people may sometimes deviate from desirable social values. Using illustrations from the left realist theory, the researchers mentioned that policing decisions are often designed to justify massive repressive actions targeting members of specific working classes and racial or ethnic groups. 

According to proponents of traffic stops, such policies help reduce crime and accidents while minimizing the impact of crashes. However, evidence suggests that the rate of traffic accidents is not associated with state patrol traffic stops . In most US cities, police have an essentially unmonitored ability to initiate traffic stops due to laws prohibiting innocuous activities, like having objects hanging from a rearview mirror. Police initially used marijuana as a reason to initiate traffic stops—it was believed that the legalization of the drug would reduce racial disparities in traffic stops. Although the searches for Black, Latino, and White drivers all decreased when marijuana was removed as a reason for vehicular inspections, the racial disparities in traffic stops have persisted. 

To conclude, the harms of traffic stops far outweigh any potential public safety benefits regardless of intentions, as illustrated by the deeply entrenched racial disparities in traffic enforcement and the continued killing of Black drivers. This essay has shown that traffic stops do not result in increased perceptions of safety among community members or trust in law enforcement agencies. Although traffic stops prevent misbehaviors like over-speeding, thereby contributing to decreased accidents and fatalities, this factor does not justify using such policies if they lead to life-threatening interactions. Also, it has been evident that emotionally-charged and stressful interactions affect the mental health of individuals experiencing such traumatic encounters. Lastly, traffic stops reduce public participation in crime prevention programs since the racial implementation of regulations creates a divide between various groups. Banning traffic stops across US cities and states is necessary to influence positive changes in the nation’s justice system and to promote the welfare of affected communities. 

Assignment #4

I believe that banning traffic stops like in these particular cities will bring changes to the affected communities because they will no longer have to deal with or feel targeted when they are driving. Impacted communities will feel more at ease because of them having less misselaineous interaction with police officers. On the other hand, the justice system may contend that banning traffic stops can be dangerous due to the reason that they feel like people could be getting away with trafficking either of drugs or weapons or other related crimes but overall banning traffic stops is a positive for both parties because traffic stops are most dangerous for the driver that’s being stopped especially for a driver of color and for police officers traffic stops are always a source of contention due to their record and notoriety that they have built. 

Short Assignment #4: The Ban of Minor Vehicular Stops

I believe we need to reconsider how we enforce traffic laws in cities and suburbs because suburbs have different streets and crossroads and, when compared to cities, traffic stops do sometimes accomplish their task of discouraging unsafe driving because when people are stopped in traffic, they prefer to be given a warning rather than having their license suspended or locked up. No, because it would then become a reckless environment in which people would make their own rules about how to drive, making it even more dangerous because it is a densely populated area.

Rethinking Traffic Laws

Yes, I do think we should rethink how we enforce traffic laws in certain cities because the outcomes of these laws always lead to something unnecessary and uncalled for. However I don’t think banning them will bring a positive change, I just believe we should improve upon them in a way that makes them more probable to be used. In the new york times article the young black man was shot in the head over a license plate which is absurd. I personally don’t know if there are any changes that could be made because searches are apart of protocol, but the fact it always ends in death is concerning. For example the new york times article states that a 20 year old black man was pulled over for expired tags and dangling air freshner and the police found out that he had a warrant and proceeded to pull a gun on him rather than the taser which led to his death. One way to prevent this is to focus on pulling people over for more serious reasons rather than petty one’s, the likelihood of traffic stops slowing down are really slim, but making a effort towards this is a start. The justice system would see more positive outcomes like arrests rather than deaths if we improve upon our traffic stops and reasonings.

Assignment # 4

Fareeza Mohamed

Do you think we must rethink how we enforce traffic laws in cities and suburbs? Do traffic stops accomplish their task of deterring unsafe driving?

 Read the article in New York Times that highlights how police chiefs, prosecutors, and lawmakers are rethinking the value, and the harm, of minor traffic stops. I don’t think it accomplishes their tasks of determining unsafe driving.

The New York Times highlights how police chiefs, prosecutors, and lawmakers are rethinking the values and the harm of minor traffic stops. The article states that minor stops will not only disproportionately Black drivers but also do little to combat serious crime or improve public safety, and some escalate into avoidable violence, even killing officers or drivers. I would suggest that we rethink who enforces traffic laws in cities and suburbs. 

 I think that if we have traffic laws it will be unsafe “the police union is running an online advertisement warning that discouraging stops could allow guns and killers to remain on the roads”. The article also gives us a great example of how harmful this new law would be, the death in Grand Rapids, Mich., of PatrickLoya, an unarmed 26 – year old black man who was pulled over for a mismatched license plate and, after a brief struggle was shot in the head the videos were released on Wednesday.  There are many other examples that the article provides that show us how the traffic stop doesn’t accomplish its task. Dante Wright a 20 – year – an old black man was pulled over for an expired tag, instead of the police officer drawing a taser she pulled out a gun and shot him. 

In conclusion, the article provides enough evidence to conclude that traffic stops accomplish their task of determining unsafe driving.

Exam 2 Questions

Please see attached Exam 2 Questions

Exam-2-Criminology

Sample Short Assignment #1

Deadline: September 25th

For this assignment, I followed the coverage of crimes in the New York Times. Throughout the week there were a number of stories about crimes published, here is the list.

09/03/22

The New York Times: F.B.I. Found 48 Empty Folders That Had Contained Classified Documents at Trump’s Home

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/us/politics/trump-fbi-folders-classified.html?smid=url-share

Summary: Backtracking to earlier in the year when Trump had returned boxes of classified material to the National Archives, months later negotiations about any additional missing documents handed to the National Archives, Trump’s team told investigators no other records remained. This article covers the ongoing investigation of what F.B.I agents found in their search warrant of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Hundreds of classified documents were found in Trump’s estate and empty folders that were marked as containing sensitive documents, some documents being ripped up/mishandled. This raised the question if all documents had been recovered and the intentions of Trump with such documents. It also suggested that the indication of all sensitive records being returned was untrue. the bureau is holding the possibility of three crimes against Trump, the unauthorized retention of national security secrets, obstruction, and concealing or destroying government documents.

09/04/22

The New York Times: Body of Abducted Memphis Teacher Is Found, Police Say

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/04/us/memphis-eliza-fletcher-abduction-suspect.html

Summary: The body of Eliza Fletcher, 34, a kindergarten teacher in Memphis was found behind a vacant duplex apartment in South Memphis on Monday afternoon. She was last seen jogging around 4:30 a.m close to the University of Memphis campus, video surveillance showed a person exiting a dark-colored S.U.V running towards Fletcher, forcing her into the passenger side. A biker in the area found Fletcher’s phone and a pair of shoes which were linked by DNA testing to Cleotha Abstson. Abston had been sentenced prior to 24 years in prison in 2001 for the abduction and aggravated robbery of Kemper Durand, he was released in November 2020. In addition to these previous kidnapping charges, Abston is being charged with the first-degree murder of Eliza Fletcher.

09/07/22

The New York Times: Sex-Cult Leader’s ‘Trusted Lieutenant’ Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/07/nyregion/sarah-lawrence-cult-isabella-pollok.html

Summary: Isabella Pollock was a student at Sarah Lawrence College who was a “trusted lieutenant” of Lawrence V. Ray. In April Ray was convicted on more than a dozen offenses such as extortion, sex trafficking, and racketeering conspiracy. When the investigation on Ray first began on his influence over students, Pollock was not seen as an accomplice. Now, Evidence and testimonies support that Pollock helped Ray sexually and psychologically manipulate her friends and roommates providing Ray to gain payments of hundreds to thousands of dollars. Pollock’s case is severed from Ray’s case but faces one similar charge and stands on trial for conspiracy to launder money. Some statements from former roommates said that Pollock help video recordings that Ray created in order to falsely incriminate students under his influence, and would routinely pick up money from those who had been steered into prostitution by Ray. Claudia Drury one of the victims who fell into prostitution, turned over nearly $2.5 million in about 4 years. She cut off ties when Ray had threatened and nearly killed her in 2018 in the Gregory Hotel in Manhattan, she testified Pollock had been present in the room during this altercation.

09/08/22

The New York Times: In Memphis, Renewed Attention on Violence After Shooting Rampage

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/08/us/memphis-shooting-gun-violence.html

Summary: Sometime after 12 a.m, a gunman shot and killed a 24-year-old man in a driveway. Later on after 4 p.m around the same location, this same gunman would go on a shooting spree killing four people and wounding three others. Being pursued in a high-speed chase by police until finally being caught and arrested around 9 p.m. Police later identified the gunman as Ezekiel Kelly, 19, he had live streamed the entire shooting on Facebook. The information came out that Kelly had been charged in 2020 with attempted first-degree murder, possession of a firearm, and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison but after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated assault, he was released in March after serving 11 months.

09/12/22

The New York Times: Father Says He Sought Custody Before 3 Children Drowned in Brooklyn

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/12/nyregion/three-children-dead-coney-island.html

Summary: Around 2 a.m on Monday, Officers received a call to check on a 30-year-old woman in concern of 3 young children. After 90 minutes and another call, officers came to find the woman barefoot and soaking wet with relatives and there was no sign of the 3 children with her. After searching for an hour the children, a 3-month-old boy, a 4-year-old girl, and a 7-year-old boy were found unconscious by the shoreline about two miles from where they found the mother. They were later pronounced dead at the Coney Island Hospital, the mother was not identified but the father, Derrick Merdy, of 7-year-old Zachary, identified the other children who weren’t his as Liliana and Oliver. Merdy met his ex-wife in 2014 but then broke up in 2015 and he has been fighting for custody ever since. Merdy’s ex-wife kept his son in shelters and he claimed his son would often come to him dirty, without sufficient clothing, and would tell him there wasn’t enough to eat where he was staying. Merdy said his efforts to get help from authorities came to nothing and child protective services never made a real investigation despite his claims.

Overall Summary:

While following the coverage of crimes in the New York Times throughout the week, I noticed that most stories are only covered if they are very big and controversial or if the Justice System failed to protect their people. For example, the articles on Trump and Pollock are long ongoing trial cases that are meant to determine their guilt and/or charges. Since they revolve around very wealthy people there’s more controversy regarding their gain in their position and/or influence, that’s why these types of crimes end up in The New York Times. Whereas the other crime stories such as the ones in Memphis and New York City show a fault in the Justice System. The stories in Memphis mention that the person who committed the crime had actually committed crimes in the past, these criminals were released earlier or should have been more carefully monitored. The crime story in New York City also shows a fault in this system when mentioning the father had tried to reach out to authorities about the welfare of his child and was ignored.

Exam 4 Questions

The questions below are the exact questions that will appear on your Final Exam. There will be 30 multiple choice questions and T/F and 2 randomly chosen short answer questions. The Final Exam will be administered on Blackboard, and it will be made available from December 14th to December 18th (11:59 pm).

Exam 1 Questions

Short Assignment #4: The Ban of Minor Vehicular Stops

Do you think we must rethink how we enforce traffic laws in cities and suburbs? Do traffic stops accomplish their task of deterring unsafe driving?

Read the article in New York Times that highlights how police chiefs, prosecutors and lawmakers are rethinking the value, and the harm, of minor traffic stops.

Do you believe banning traffic stops like in Philadephia, Los Angeles, Seattle, etc, will bring positive changes to the justice system and the affected communities? Write your thoughts on this question.

Here is why I want you to do it: This assignment will help you to understand how the enforcement of traffic laws affects communities, and how critical criminologists may interpret this change in enforcement.

Here is how to do it: You will write an OpenLab post with your response to the question above.

Deadline: December 13th, 11:59 pm

Notes: You may edit and resubmit this assignment and you may email it to me if you are unsure that you are meeting the requirements. Your classmates may comment on your post once it is here.