GenForward Poll: Young black adults less trusting of police
WASHINGTON (AP) — Young Americans are about equally likely to say they've had an encounter with police, but young black adults are much more likely than whites to say they've been arrested, harassed or know someone who has been, a new GenForward poll says.
Twenty-eight percent of blacks say they have been arrested after encounters with law enforcement, 24 percent say they've been personally harassed by police, and 53 percent say they know someone who has, according to the poll released Wednesday.
Sixteen percent of Hispanics, 8 percent of whites and 4 percent of Asian-Americans say they've experienced harassment, while about a third of Hispanics and about a quarter of Asian-Americans and whites say someone they know has been harassed by police.
The first-of-its-kind poll pays special attention to the voices of young adults of color, highlighting how race and ethnicity shape the opinions of the country's most diverse generation.
On Sunday, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick cited police mistreatment of minorities as a reason for his refusal to stand during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at National Football League preseason games.
Jerard Jack, a former Army military police officer, says he was pulled over by police in Lake Charles, Louisiana, while on the way to see his grandmother at a hospital.
Three-quarters of young people overall, including 9 in 10 African-Americans, more than 8 in 10 Latinos and Asian-Americans and more than 6 in 10 whites think the police treat some groups better than others.