In the United States, “Defund the Police” is a slogan that supports removing funds from police departments. Calls to defund the police have gained traction in recent years in the United States, with supporters citing concerns about police militarization, racial discrimination, and the allocation of funds that could be better used elsewhere. While it is important to address these issues and work towards reform, completely defunding the police is not the answer. There are alternative solutions to address the problems within law enforcement that do not involve defunding. Defunding the police would have negative consequences, such as creating an understaffed police force, impacting public safety, and creating a rhetoric to the so-called “activist” …show more content…
“I believe it is nothing short of the politicizing of current social events in the effort to garner votes during this election season” (Scott). Politicians that want to link themselves with the rising calls for racial justice and structural change may embrace this movement in an attempt to win over more voters. Politicians may court progressive voters by endorsing the defunding of police units and projecting an image of support for underprivileged neighborhoods. There is a theory for people like this. It is called the rational choice theory which says, “An approach to political behavior that views individuals as rational, decisive actors who know their political interests and seek to act on them” (Morone). It is simple that the demand to defund the police is socially constructed. People can see this and see that there are no statistics supporting defunding the police is a good idea, so they conclude that if a big enough movement is created it can make an impact no matter what it is, as long as the politicians are gaining …show more content…
To conclude, completely defunding the police will never be the acceptable answer. Defunding the police will create an understaffed police force, negatively impact public safety, and create a dangerous precedent for politicians to endorse any movement for votes. It is essential to recognize the hard work and sacrifice made by law enforcement officials. We also need to realize there is a more nuanced approach that addresses the root causes of inequality and injustice, while supporting law enforcement in their efforts to serve and protect. Instead of defunding the police, we should focus on implementing comprehensive reforms that address issues such as police misconduct, racial bias, and inadequate training. This could involve reallocating resources within police departments to prioritize community policing, mental health services, and social support
The documentary “Policing the Police,” by PBS, assists in providing insight into problems facing the city of Newark, New Jersey, and its police department. The documentary displays the opinions of both the police officers and the people of the communities on the most pressing crime related issues in the city and the solutions to them. The variety of perspectives that documentary provides is very informative and forces the viewer to look at the problems of police brutality in a more complex manner rather than black and white. Ultimately, the documentary exposes the failure of the Newark Police Department to work effectively and the solutions new leaders are beginning to implement.
One of the most disturbing trends in American policing in recent years has been the militarization of police weaponry and tactics. In his new book, “The Rise of the Warrior Cop”, author Radley Balko traces the roots of American law enforcement from the constables of colonial times to present day SWAT teams and special response units. With the high controversy surrounding the “war on drugs” and the “war on terrorism,” policymakers have signed off on a dangerously aggressive style of policing that too often leads to unnecessary deaths and injuries. Some people say that modern law enforcement is on a collision course with our Bill of Rights and is unconstitutional. In the book “ Rise of the Warrior Cop” the author talks about how modern day policing are adapting mostly all military tactic. These wars are more than just metaphors designed to rally public support and secure all the money they can to support these programs. They change the way we think about what the police do. Wars mean shooting first and asking questions later. Wars require military tactics and weaponry. Wars mean civilian casualties. Are we at war with our own people?
The pass several years many police officers have abuse their power for their own good and/or for others. And almost every police officer knows that one person who abuses the system and they would not confront about it. Many police officers think they wouldn’t get caught on the things they do such as, stealing money, getting drugs, stealing other things from the job and helping criminals. It’s mostly drugs that police officers get involved in because drugs are very well known, expensive and drug dealers are the richest people; so they either become drug dealers or work with the dealers. Today, many police officers are known for being rude and/or prejudice because even when they not in job duty, they go hang out and do something inappropriate and it affects their job. And many police officers that are off duty know what is wrong and right but they don’t care because they think they would not get caught or their workers wont tell. Some police officers turn bad to make money through ripping off drug dealers and even dealing drugs themselves. Some try and cover up their own acts of brutality, murder and even torture. One of the worst police corruption was in the 1980s in East New York, Brooklyn, 75th precinct. A police officer name Michael F. Dowd considered himself “a gangster and a cop”, he put his life in danger for some cocaine and cash. He was a cop for a month and was already
During the seventies in New Jersey created a program that could change life in society. This program occurred only in twenty-eight cities. Government and public officials were excited about this concept. Police officials were not so much. Foot patrol made officers walk in sleet and snow. Assigned foot patrol was a way of punishment for officers. State funding of foot patrol shut the mouths of some people. Silence stopped after the “Police Foundation”(Kelling) put foot patrol to the actual test. To contrary belief this rattled some arguments in the community an...
In the fifth chapter of Walker’s book, he discusses the idea that we can reduce crime rates if we “unleash” cops and give them more capabilities, deter future crimes through more severe punishments, and that we should lock up more criminals and for longer terms. The author of 14 books on issues of crime, policing, and policies surrounding those issues, Walker holds the title of Emeritus Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he taught for many years, even though he has not taught there since 2005. Before this, in 1973, he acquired a Ph.D. in American History at Ohio State University which is his highest degree to date. Walker has written and done research on numerous subjects involving the criminal justice system and because of this has keen insight into the world of law and policing.
American policing originated from early English law and is profoundly influenced by its history. Early law enforcement in England took on two forms of policing, one of which heavily influenced modern policing and it is known as the watch (Potter, 2013). The watch consisted, at first, of volunteers which had to patrol the streets for any kind of disorder including crime and fire. After men attempted to get out of volunteering by paying others, it became a paid professional position (Walker & Katz, 2012). The three eras of policing in America are shaped by these early ideas and practices of law enforcement. Throughout time, sufficient improvements and advancements have been made from the political era to the professional era and finally the community era which attempts to eliminate corruption, hire qualified officers and create an overall effective law enforcement system.
This era is where the shift from a centralized task force has gravitated to a decentralized task force, causing some friction from both the community and the officers that serve it. Police are told that they are needed to listen to the concerns for the community; however, law enforcement is still the primary goal. Police forces now have to defend the values for which the forces were built upon. The idea of problem solving has come into question with police discretion towards certain run-ins with the law. Williams and Murphy argue it is due to the lack of sensitivity from minorities and the concern on crime itself than the community. Kelling and Moore contradict Williams and Murphy, with Kelling/Moore suggesting the era is more about listening to concerns of the community and improving the citizen satisfaction. But both the article came to the conclusion of the silent underlying problems that are becoming more of a “quiet riot” with the police and the
It is easy for police to get caught up in the idea that it is them against the rest of society (Barkan, 2012). Many citizens in today’s democratic society have a negative or fearful view of our law enforcement. Think back to grade school, who was that one kid in class that everyone was annoyed by or despised? Most people would answer the teacher’s pet or the tattletale. We have grown up from a young age to have a negative view towards those that get us into trouble when we think we can get away with something we know is wrong. In the adult world, the police force can equate to those tattletales.
Our society has become one that is very diverse. Law enforcement agencies (local, state, and federal) for our changing society need to include an increase representation of women and minorities, definite improvement in leadership skills, and to strengthen community policing. These are all issues of great importance, which are no longer going to be pushed aside.
Police misconduct is as rampant as ever in America, and it has become a fixture of the news cycle. Police brutality is the use of any force exceeding that reasonably necessary to accomplish a lawful police purpose. The media is inevitably drawn toward tales of conflict, hence why there are so many crime and police stories on the news. Despite the increasing frequency of misbehaving cops, many Americans still maintain a high respect for the man in uniform. Still, police misconduct is a systemic problem, not just an anecdotal one. Here are some reasons why it is a problem. First, many departments do not provide adequate training in nonviolent solutions. With this, police are unfamiliar with what to
Police corruption, misconduct, and brutality in the United States have been issues since the creation of watch system in the United States (Grant& Terry, 2012). New policy and training is now in place and the corruption, misconduct, and brutality has gone down since the beginning of policing. This is a huge issue that impacts all police organizations in the United States. The extent of police corruption, misconduct, and brutality is hard to track in the United States. A lot of these crimes go unreported, tossed aside, or the officer responsible gets little or no punishment. This is huge issue in the United States criminal justice system.
Can you imagine going through stressful, exhausting, and depressing days repeatedly everyday? This could potentially ruin futures and also great opportunities in life. Marge Piercy’s poem, “ The Secretary Chant,” uses despondent vocabulary and a depressed tone to express her feelings on how your work could be the downfall of your life. The poem takes place in a secretary’s office where the secretary feels she is a tool in our society. Her body parts are being compared to a bunch of office supplies, thus making her seem like a tool not a human being. After a firm analysis on the Marge Piercy’s “ The Secretary Chant,” I have come to the decisions that people are tired of doing the same stressful work consistently without
Police reform should start by giving proper training to the new recruits and veterans in the force. During their training, “Law enforcement agencies should adopt and enforce policies prohibiting discrimination based on race, ethnicity immigration status, etc.” (Cops, p.90). It is apparent
Bibliography Why Good Cops Go Bad. Newsweek, p.18. Carter, David L. (1986). Deviance & Police. Ohio: Anderson Publishing Co. Castaneda, Ruben (1993, Jan. 18). Bearing the Badge of Mistrust. The Washington Post, p.11. Dantzer, Mark L. (1995). Understanding Today's Police. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc. James, George (1993, Mar. 29). Confessions of Corruption. The New York Times, P.8, James, George (1993, Nov. 17). Officials Say Police Corruption is Hard To Stop. The New York times, p.3. Sherman, Lawrence W(1978). Commission Findings. New York Post, P. 28 Walker, J.T. (1992). The police in America, p.243-263, chp. 10, Walker, Samuel (1999).
In our times, the police have become the criminals. Some police are using their power to do bad things, and society has come to fear police. The law enforcement system needs change. The courts have failed the police, and the police have turn to other means of justice. We must stop the corruption in the police force.