Fact-Check Article: Claim on Black Police Officers in the U.S.
What We Know
The claim states that "in the United States, approximately 13.6% of police officers are Black," translating to roughly 12% of local police officers being Black, a figure that has remained consistent since 1997. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), as of December 31, 2020, about 11.4% of local police officers were Black, a slight decrease from previous years. The claim also mentions that "data from 2020 indicates that 16% of officers in large departments serving one million or more people were Black," which aligns with findings from the New York Times that reported a similar percentage for larger police departments.
Analysis
The claim's assertion that approximately 13.6% of police officers are Black is partially true. While the BJS reports that 11.4% of local police officers were Black as of 2020, the percentage of Black officers in larger departments (serving populations of one million or more) was reported at 16% in the same year. This indicates a notable disparity between the overall percentage and that of larger departments, suggesting that the claim may be misleading if interpreted as a national average.
Furthermore, the assertion that the percentage of Black officers has remained consistent since 1997 is not entirely accurate. The BJS data shows fluctuations over the years, with the percentage of Black officers in local police departments decreasing slightly from 11.9% in 2013 to 11.4% in 2020, indicating a downward trend rather than stability (BJS Local Police Departments Personnel, 2020).
The sources cited in the claim, particularly the BJS reports, are reliable as they are official government statistics. However, the interpretation of these statistics can vary, and the context of the data—such as the difference between local and larger departments—should be considered when evaluating the claim.
Conclusion
The verdict is Partially True. While the claim accurately reflects some statistics regarding the percentage of Black police officers in larger departments, it misrepresents the overall percentage and suggests a stability that does not align with the data trends observed from the BJS. The claim's context and the nuances in the statistics are crucial for an accurate understanding.
Sources
- Federal Law Enforcement Officers, 2020 – Statistical Tables
- Primary State Law Enforcement Agencies: Personnel, 2020
- Local Police Departments Personnel, 2020 - Bureau of Justice Statistics
- National Use-of-Force Data Collection
- Which Police Departments Are as Diverse as Their Communities?
- Federal Law Enforcement Officers, 2020 – Statistical Tables
- One in Five: Disparities in Crime and Policing
- Police officer demographics and statistics in the US