There’s a long-standing argument surrounding the premise that racial profiling and racism in American police departments are systemic. While there are officers and civilians who are willing to discuss the prevalence of both phenomena, some refuse to acknowledge they exist perhaps for fear of a growing perception that bad cops outnumber the good.
Michael Birch, an NYPD officer, is suing the department on the grounds that he was punished for whistleblowing. Birch spoke out regarding a system involving what he describes as an “illegal quota” which is a practice designed to racially profile black males and inflate officers’ arrest rate for this demographic.
Birch has leaked an audiotape revealing his supervisor telling him to target black males suggesting that they are more likely to “pop”, meaning the person has a warrant out for their arrest.
