donnay
09-13-2013, 08:35 AM
NYPD Commissioner Kelly issues memo to clarify Indians are Asian
Apparently, some cops needed to be reminded that natives of India differ from natives of America. The NYPD Quality Assurance Division discovered that some reports marked the wrong race, potentially foiling investigations on crime patterns.
By Rocco Parascandola / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS POLICE BUREAU CHIEF
Some cops need a lesson in demography — the NYPD has advised its officers to identify Indian crime victims or suspects as Asian, not American Indian.
The mistake was noticed by the Quality Assurance Division, which reviews crime complaints to see if they are being classified properly, a police official said.
He said the “discrepancy” occurred in a modest number of reports. In some cases the victim was alternately described as Asian and American Indian.
A second source said in some reports the box for American Indian was checked but investigators realized from the name that the victim was Indian.
http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1454505.1379040915!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/indiangraphic.jpg
The NYPD's Quality Assurance Division noticed some reports listing Indian names identified them as American Indians.
A person’s race is noted in police reports when a crime is reported by a victim and when suspects are described. It is also noted on UF-250s, the stop, question and frisk reports.
Incorrect data, sources said, could hide emerging crime patterns or provide police with a misleading description of a suspect.
“Like any large organization we regularly post internal memos reminding employees of the importance of uniformity when preparing official documents,” said Deputy Commissioner John McCarthy, the NYPD’s top spokesman.
The memo, issued Monday by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, describes the parameters of those identified as white, black, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander and Hispanic white or Hispanic black.
http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1454465.1379037846!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/515300396.jpg
Some cops need clarity on the origin of Indian people, like this Sikh lighting candles at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India.
“Incorrect racial identification` impacts the department’s data collection, results in inaccurate information being reported by the department and can affect the subject of the reports,” the memo said.
Mallika Dutt, president of Breakthrough, a global human rights organization, said such a mistake hurts both Indians and American Indians.
“Even if it’s not intentional, because of the race dynamics of this city it becomes important,” she said.
Rinku Sen, executive director of the Applied Research Center, which focuses on race equality issues, said she appreciates that the NYPD is trying to correct a wrong.
“The memo might give police officers the chance to understand the difference between American Indians and Asian Indians,” she said.
rparascandola@nydailynews.com
Source:
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nypd-issues-memo-clarify-indians-asian-article-1.1454467#ixzz2embp2qXH
Apparently, some cops needed to be reminded that natives of India differ from natives of America. The NYPD Quality Assurance Division discovered that some reports marked the wrong race, potentially foiling investigations on crime patterns.
By Rocco Parascandola / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS POLICE BUREAU CHIEF
Some cops need a lesson in demography — the NYPD has advised its officers to identify Indian crime victims or suspects as Asian, not American Indian.
The mistake was noticed by the Quality Assurance Division, which reviews crime complaints to see if they are being classified properly, a police official said.
He said the “discrepancy” occurred in a modest number of reports. In some cases the victim was alternately described as Asian and American Indian.
A second source said in some reports the box for American Indian was checked but investigators realized from the name that the victim was Indian.
http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1454505.1379040915!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/indiangraphic.jpg
The NYPD's Quality Assurance Division noticed some reports listing Indian names identified them as American Indians.
A person’s race is noted in police reports when a crime is reported by a victim and when suspects are described. It is also noted on UF-250s, the stop, question and frisk reports.
Incorrect data, sources said, could hide emerging crime patterns or provide police with a misleading description of a suspect.
“Like any large organization we regularly post internal memos reminding employees of the importance of uniformity when preparing official documents,” said Deputy Commissioner John McCarthy, the NYPD’s top spokesman.
The memo, issued Monday by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, describes the parameters of those identified as white, black, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander and Hispanic white or Hispanic black.
http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1454465.1379037846!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/515300396.jpg
Some cops need clarity on the origin of Indian people, like this Sikh lighting candles at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India.
“Incorrect racial identification` impacts the department’s data collection, results in inaccurate information being reported by the department and can affect the subject of the reports,” the memo said.
Mallika Dutt, president of Breakthrough, a global human rights organization, said such a mistake hurts both Indians and American Indians.
“Even if it’s not intentional, because of the race dynamics of this city it becomes important,” she said.
Rinku Sen, executive director of the Applied Research Center, which focuses on race equality issues, said she appreciates that the NYPD is trying to correct a wrong.
“The memo might give police officers the chance to understand the difference between American Indians and Asian Indians,” she said.
rparascandola@nydailynews.com
Source:
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nypd-issues-memo-clarify-indians-asian-article-1.1454467#ixzz2embp2qXH