Poll: Many Blacks Say Police Treat Them Unfairly

(CBS)

Forty-one percent of blacks and non-white Hispanics say that they are treated equally. An additional five percent volunteered that "it depends," while the rest say they don't know. Zero percent of blacks and non-white Hispanics say they are treated better than whites by police.

An important note: The sample size of blacks and non-white Hispanics in this survey is relatively small, and the margin of error for the subset is 10 percentage points. By contrast, the margin of error for whites and the total sample is three points.

Whites are more likely to say police treat both groups the same, the poll finds. Forty-nine percent of whites believe there is equal treatment, while 34 percent say blacks and non-white Hispanics are treated worse than they are. Three percent of whites say blacks and non-white Hispanics receive better treatment from police than they do.

(CBS)

Less than one in five Americans overall – 18 percent – says they have been discriminated against by police because of their race or ethnicity. But the percentage of blacks and non-white Hispanics who say police have discriminated against them because of race or ethnicity is far higher – 52 percent.

Only eight percent of whites say they have been discriminated against by police because of their race or ethnicity. Ninety-one percent say they have not been subject to such discrimination.

More from the CBS News poll released Wednesday:

Poll: Obama Not Blamed For Economy

Poll: Public Conflicted Over Health Reform

Poll: Many Blacks Say Police Treat Them Unfairly

Poll: Americans Want Deficit Reduced

Video: Polling Director Sarah Dutton Discusses the Poll

This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.