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Use of force by police officers abstract
Use of force by police officers abstract
Racial Profiling in America
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Variation in the Use of Force Amongst Police Departments The use of force has been around since policing began, although the rules for its use have changed overtime. In a 1964 survey, the majority of police reported they were to use “good judgement” when deciding whether or not to shoot (Walker 1993, 26). Back then, police also used force for any fleeing felon, which basically meant whenever. Now that rules have changed, the American Law Institute’s Model Penal Code, established in 1962, states that police are to only use force when they feel their life or someone else’s life is in danger (Walker 1993, 27). Later on, the Omaha Police Department policy added to the American Law Institute’s Model Penal Code, by saying police cannot …show more content…
It is also used on those who may cause deadly harm to the officer(s) or others around the scene. This is one of the methods police use to control a person who has committed a crime or violation. The use of force is usually the last resort for police officers, however not always. Some police officers will encounter a situation where their life or others is immediately in danger and the use of force will be used then. The use of force includes empty-handed control, restraining a person, and deadly force. Deadly force is when a police officer cannot control the person with just physical force, so they have to resort to using their weapons on an …show more content…
Since the police officers have a lot of say in dealing with calls and crimes, they all vary in their approaches to doing so. For instance, one officer may think a call is not as important as another, while a separate officer may decide the first call was more serious and he/she may respond to that one first. This is the same problem with whether or not to use force. There are many factors that affect not only the officer’s decision to use force, but also the criminal’s choice of actions. If an officer is being rude or discriminating against a suspect, then that suspect may act in a more vicious manner. This could result in the officer deciding to use force. All officers may see a threat differently, resulting in different disciplinary actions. The use of force rules vary in different police departments. This is concerning to some because the citizens may feel that they are not being treated as equal as others. Other issues include illegitimate investigations, spying, which could result in an unfair judgement of individuals that result in the officer’s use of force (Walker 1993, 24). Some officers will report an unfounding crime, which affects the true data of lowering the official crime rate (Walker 1993, 24). These issues are occurring in society today and are common topics in the news. Citizens want to know how we can better our systems to create a safer environment for
Use of force or less than lethal force includes physical or mechanical force and is authorized when the officer reasonably believes that it is necessary to protect the officer or another from unlawful force, overcome conflict against th...
In today’s society, police officers are very cautious on how much force they can use on a suspect due to the police brutality going on right now. Police brutality is defined as the use of force exceeding what is necessary, many people argue that there should be new policies to determine how much force a police officer can use and also have laws that will convict officers who have killed people by using too much force, so that there is less incidents in the future.
With the articles and past research that I have collected, studies tell us that less than 3 percent of police-citizen contacts involve the threat of physical force by the police. The percentages are higher when the level of force is below lethal force, for instance 20 percent of arrests may involve some type of special or needed force to obtain and control the suspect in able to put him in custody. In the academy, police officers are taught to use equal or greater force to subdue the suspect and do what is necessary to protect the public and also look out for officer safety. Most incidents of force are low level applications such as using the arms, hands, legs, or their bodies to gain control of the suspect. Every police officer is supposed to be trained to a certain standard, and should be able to use the correct amount of force for the situation at hand. Police officers have situational training in the academy on what level of force to use if necessary. All police officers are equipped to handle most if not all situations or levels of force that is need to
In my opinion the concept of “warrior police” helps better explain cases of excessive force. Excessive force is “the application of an amount and frequency of force greater than required compelling compliance from a willing or unwilling subject”. Police are taught to adopt in the face of a life-threatening struggle. They have the mindset survive a bad situation no matter the odds or difficulty and to never give up even when it is mentally and physically easier to do so.
In order to diminish police brutality, excessive force, and prejudice behaviors in the police officers, several actions must be set in motion. The police hiring process, training, in-field monitoring, and disciplinary actions must be adjusted to eliminate discriminatory actions against citizens. Likewise, it is a necessity for citizens to be informed of their rights, civil liberties, and how they can resolve corruption within the justice system. These actions seek to shrink the number of minorities who are racial profiled and brutalized by police officers. A more stringent hiring process, it will help curtail unethical and unprofessional police officers. Police training must be altered so that situations are handled safely and impartial. In-field monitoring with eliminate police officers from managing to catch police officers who brutality handle citizens. Disciplinary actions help to prosecute police officers to break the law. Lastly, if citizen are informed of what they should about corrupt police officers and a poor justice systems.
This is a less physical approach for an officer to control a situation. This is when the officer physically grabs the subject when they verbally resists or becomes abusive. This type of technique is used to prevent any further escalation in the situation. The officer will come into direct contact with the subject and will increase the probability that the subject will resist the officer. However, this type of force will most likely result in further escalation of resistance. Also during this phase, the officer will try to deescalate the situation by verbally controlling the subject with phrases such as “Stop” or “Don’t move”. Verbalization is key to try to calm the subject down, but if all fails the officer can use light force to subdue the subject.
Police brutality is a very real problem that many Americans face today. The police carry an enormous burden each day. Police work is very stressful and involves many violent and dangerous situations. In many confrontations the police are put in a position in which they may have to use force to control the situation. There are different levels of force and the situation dictates the level use most of the time. The police have very strict rules about police use force and the manner in which they use it. In this paper I will try to explain the many different reason the police cross the line, and the many different people that this type of behavior effects. There are thousands of reports each year of assaults and ill treatment against officers who use excessive force and violate the human rights of their victims. In some cases the police have injured and even killed people through the use of excessive force and brutal treatment. The use of excessive force is a criminal act and I will try and explore the many different factors involved in these situations.
The “National Use of Force Framework” is the model that Canadian policing agencies follow when training future police officers (Butler, n.d., p. 6). This specific model has five steps that an officer should follow before resorting to the usage of lethal force (Butler, n.d., p. 19). One common guideline in police use of force is to apply the minimum amount of force necessary to achieve “control” of the situation (Butler, n.d., p. 14).
Police use of force can be described as being the "amount of effort required by police to compel compliance by an unwilling subject.”(nij.gov, p.1) The stages of force police use are simple verbal and physical restraint, less lethal force and lethal force. Police officers are encouraged to use only enough force necessary to control a situation, arrest the person, or protect themselves or others from harm (p.1). When a situation begins to spiral out of control for the police officers, the next level should be used in order to gain control.
Just how much force is appropriate under various circumstances can be debatable. When an officer uses excessive force, he or she violates the law. Most brutality is directed against minority groups or otherwise powerless populations. Officers who engage in brutality rationalize their use of extralegal force, they claim they are punishing those groups that threaten to disrupt the social order. The importance of understanding racism in the context of police brutality cannot be underestimated. Many police officials automatically regard racial minority group members as potentially dangerous regardless of their particular activities, gestures, or attire. This perception of racial minority citizens as “trouble” sometimes translates into racially discriminatory police behavior. Most police officers expect citizens to always surrender to police authority. When citizens challenge it instead, some officers view such behavior as the unofficial crime of disobeying a police officer and use physical force to gain compliance. So what can be done to help prevent police brutality around our
When hearing the phrase “police brutality,” many people imagine batons cracking skulls, tasers electrocuting bodies and bullets penetrating innocent teens. While police officers have been known to use violence, police brutality does not occur as often as many believe. In many situations, officers have to act on impulse and curiosity, despite the backlash the media may create.
Use of Force Ambrose Bierce, a social critic known for his sarcasm and wit, once described the police as "an armed force for protection and participation." In this pithy statement, Bierce identifies three critical elements of the police role. First, by describing the police as "armed," their ability to coerce recalcitrant persons to comply with the law is emphasized. Because police carry weapons, it follows that the force they use may have lethal consequences. The capacity to use coercive, deadly force is so central to understanding police functions, one could say that it characterizes a key element of the police role. Second, the primary purpose of police is protection, and so force can be used only to promote the safety of the community. Police have a responsibility for safeguarding the domestic well-being of the public, and this obligation even extends in qualified ways to protecting those who violate the law, who are antagonistic or violent toward the police, or who are intent on hurting themselves. In dealing with such individuals, police may use force in reasonable and prudent ways to protect themselves and others. However, the amount of force used should be proportional to the threat and limited to the least amount required to accomplish legitimate police action. Third, the concept of participation emphasizes that police and community are closely interrelated. Police are drawn from the community, and as police they continue to operate as members o...
New York City Police Departments has a hierarchal structure with each rank carrying its own individual purposes and belong in different precincts. It has a rank structure which from the lowest are the recruit officer while police officer is in the middle and the chief of department is the highest. The recruit officer which is the lowest in the hierarchal system, are the police officers who graduate from police academy. Many would strive for a better rank which can include detectives, sergeants, captains or even the chief of the department. As you go higher, the more responsibility and leadership will become heavier than before.
The two main circumstances would be: protecting someone (like a hostage), and the second would be protecting themselfs (like in a "shootout"). The officer who uses deasly force, will have to show why he/she thougt it was justified. For exmple the club that just had a shooting. Say you were standing face to face with him (after all the shooting), deadly force would be jestified because you know what he is there to do. The basic things an officer needs to show: are they in danger, was someone else in danger, and or was there percived danger.
According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, use of force is defined as the "amount of effort required by police to compel compliance by an unwilling subject.” (Neubauer, 2001, p.6) Ethical questions are being posed by media outlets related to biased based racial discrimination and the public perception of law enforcement is shed under a negative light regardless of legitimacy. Current instances of ‘police brutality’ towards minority persons are the center focus of attention, again regardless of the validity of the action by law enforcement. Police officers should exercise their arrest powers with great care… they should be circumspect about their application of force. (Perez & Moore, 2013,