From [HERE] and [HERE] The contradictions discussed above are further complicated by the fact that many African Americans justifiably perceive the police force principally as an alien, hostile, colonial/imperialistic constabulary deployed against them. The force's reasons for being in the African American community is seen as that of maintaining the racist status quo through intimidation of the local Black populace, reinforcing stereotypical racist attitudes, prerogatives, and power, protection of property (particularly that owned by alien landlords and merchants), rather than people. It appears more concerned with containing crime within the African American community rather than preventing it. Many African American communities suspect the police of corruptly cooperating with certain criminal elements, particularly drug dealers and petty racketeers, of being "on the pad" to those elements as well as sponsoring those elements directly thereby abetting the criminality they are allegedly there to eradicate.

When police personnel demonstrate racist contempt for the people, they are supposed to protect — whose servants they are supposed to be — it is not difficult to imagine their lack of zealous and unbiased enforcement of the laws. A racist police force is vulnerable to corruption by local criminals whose activities are seen by it as only impacting on a race and population they care very little for, if not hate: a race and population they view as essentially subhuman, criminal, and not worthy of respect. Under these circumstances the police and the African American community perceive each other as the enemy. Their relationship becomes characterized by acrimony and mutual distrust.