There is a defined racial divide in America between how whites and non-whites view police and the criminal justice system , according to a CNN / ORC poll released Monday . More than half of white Americans - 57 % - think none or almost none of the police in their area are prejudiced against blacks . Just one quarter of non-white Americans feel the same way . The survey , which was mostly conducted before the shooting of NYPD Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos in New York over the weekend , found similar results on perceptions of the justice system as a whole . While 41 % of Americans say the criminal justice system treats blacks fairly , far more whites - 50 % - see equity . Among non-whites , that figure drops to just 21 % . Two-thirds of non-whites said that the criminal justice system favors whites over blacks . Related : Blame piles on NYC mayor for cop shooting . The CNN / ORC survey offers a statistical explanation of the national racial drama that has unfolded in cities over the past several months , with nation-wide protests over the killing by police of an unarmed black man in Ferguson , Missouri and New York . It reignited over the weekend with the revenge-killing of two New York City policemen . Americans see racism in the justice system , but they do think the problem can be fixed ; 53 % of whites and 50 % of non-whites say racism will not always be a problem in the United States . The CNN / ORC poll is based on interviews with 1,011 adult Americans , including 748 whites and 263 non-whites . It was conducted December 18-21 , 2014 . Related : Read the entire CNN / ORC poll . Special Coverage : Ferguson shootings and protests . Related : New York man dies after chokehold by police . Related : Obama says Americans carry 'hidden biases , ' but are 'basically good '
CNN / ORC poll released Monday shows a startling racial divide on the issue of police and the justice system . More than half of whites say the police in their area are not racist . But only about one third of blacks agree.