Why do policemen continue to treat black men as three fifth (3/5) of a person? This treatment is not dissimilar to how slaves were counted & treated; 3 out of every 5 slaves were counted as a person for tax purposes in 1787. The congress at that time thought black slaves were not a whole person. This question and answer does not solely come from the police, but rather our elected politicians who constantly overlook the obvious ill treatment of black people for the sake of their jobs and/or constituents.