Confronting Violent White Supremacy in Law Enforcement

As the United States grapples with the dark reality of white supremacist violence, a growing concern is the infiltration of these extremist ideologies into law enforcement ranks. A recent hearing by the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, chaired by Rep. Jamie Raskin, shed light on the alarming presence of white supremacist groups and ideologies within police departments. The hearing, which examined the intersection of white supremacist violence and law enforcement, highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to address this growing threat.

Key Takeaways:

• Since 1990, 51 police officers have been killed by white supremacists and other far-right extremist groups, with 83% of shootouts between police and extremists involving right-wing extremists, and white supremacists responsible for more than half of those.
• The FBI's 2006 intelligence assessment warned of white supremacist infiltration of law enforcement, citing two distinct problems: groups infiltrating law enforcement and officers sympathizing with racist ideology.
• The FBI refused to attend the hearing, claiming they have no evidence of a widespread problem, despite releasing an unredacted version of their 2006 assessment.
• The unredacted memo revealed that the FBI believed white supremacist infiltration of law enforcement departments was a serious problem, a source of potential abuse of power and authority on the street, and a source of potential violence against the civilian population.
• Recent incidents, such as police giving warnings to armed white men in Salem, Oregon, and officers referring to white vigilantes as "armed friendlies" in Albuquerque, highlight the need for better training and accountability within law enforcement.
• The social contract depends on fair and neutral enforcement of the laws to protect the whole citizenry against criminal violence and state violence.

Statistics:

• 75% of all extremist-related murders between 2009 and 2018 were committed by right-wing extremists (Anti-Defamation League).
• Since 1994, there have been nearly six times as many victims of violence from right-wing groups as from others (Center for Strategic Studies).
• In 2020, over 90% of political attacks were conducted by right-wing groups (Center for Strategic Studies).

Sources:

• Anti-Defamation League
• Center for Strategic Studies
• Southern Poverty Law Center
• FBI unredacted memo from 2006
• Plain View Project