Many sociologists would agree that crime statistics exaggerate crime levels among particular ethnic groups whilst others would suggest that ethnic minority groups do commit crime at higher levels.
There is growing evidence that crime statistics for ethnic minorities are not an accurate valid representation of crime in society. Statistics say that young, black people are eight times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people. Statistics also tend to suggest that Afro-Caribbean males and Asian males are over-represented in the prison population. In Britain today there are 55 million people. Of these, 5 per cent are Afro-Caribbean and 2 per cent are Asian. This would mean that the prison population should be 5 per cent Afro-Caribbean and 2 per cent Asian, but it is not. The actual figures are 10 per cent Afro-Caribbean and 9 per cent Asian. Of the 2 million people arrested, 16 per cent are Afro-Caribbean and 7 per cent are Asian. At the end of June 2002, ethnic minority groups made up 22 per cent of the male prison population and 29 per cent of the female prison population.
There are various ways to explain these statistics amongst ethnic groups. The main one is that the police are more likely to arrest and charge ethnic groups, who therefore experience injustice. Others could be that the police are labelling certain groups, Institutional racism, the police are mis-handling enquiries because of their own views and beliefs, discrimination, Afro-Caribbeans and Asians are more likely to be working class and finally that the media are reinforcing views.
Despite this some sociologists would suggest that ethnic minority crime statistics are accurate and do give accurate crime levels. Some sociologists do believe that ethnic groups genuinely do commit more crime. Some explain this as Afro-Carribeans and Asians are mainly working class,