Police Use of Force

1565 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Arguments for or against police use of force

The police forces in every community are deemed law enforcement officers and have to take necessary precautions in executing their job. Individuals that police officers encounter may at any time threaten the security of the officer or others. Police officers have to follow procedures that are necessary to maintain control of situations that can cause harm to others or property. The three topics that will be discussed in police use of force are; the explanation and background of use of force, limitations of use of force, and disputed court cases dealing with police use of force.

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.

Once the situation is resolved, police officers should make sure the injured receive medical treatment and notify family of any injured individuals (p.1). Levels of force that officers use depend upon the unique situation. Guidelines for use of force can be based on factors, including: federal and state regulations, police department’s experience, law enforcement technology availability, and police and citizen relationship that may exist in a particular jurisdiction (p.1)

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has stated that "…in diffusing situations, apprehending alleged criminals, and in keeping everyone safe...

... middle of paper ...

...if they are detailed to a special unit with minimal supervision, their style may be reinforced. They may perceive that the organization sanctions their behavior. This group would do better in peer counseling than individual counseling. It will then make them part of the solution, rather than part of the problem which may be central to changing their behavior.

Works Cited

Office Of Justice Programs (January 20, 2012) National Institute Of Justice (Police Use of Force

http://www.nij.gov/nij/topics/law-enforcement/officer-safety/use-of-force/welcome.htm

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: COPS COMMUITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES (Use Of Force)

http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?Item=1374

Ellen M. Scrivner (October 1994) Controlling Police Use of Excessive Force: The Role of the Police Psychologist

https://www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles/ppsyc.txt

Show More
Related

  • Police Brutality Case Study

    1858 Words  | 4 Pages

    Most law enforcement agencies have policies that determine the use of force needed. The policies describe the escalating series of actions an officer can take to resolve a situation, first level is officer presence which means no force is used, and just the mere presence can reduce

    Read More

  • Use of Force Continuum

    673 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stetser, Merle (2001). The Use of Force in Police Control of Violence: Incidents Resulting in Assaults on Officers. New York: LFB Scholarly Publishing L.L.C.

    Read More

  • Force Vs Deadly Force Essay

    545 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Annotated Bibliography On Police Brutality

    1110 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cheh, M. "Are lawsuits an answer to police brutality." Police violence: Understanding and controlling police abuse of force (1996): 247-72.

    Read More

  • Essay On Police Brutality In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1233 Words  | 3 Pages

    Over the years, our nation has witnessed countless cases of police brutality. It has developed into a controversial topic between communities. For instance, deindustrialization is the removal or reduction of manufacturing capability or activity can lead to more crimes when people are laid off. Police officers are faced with many threatening situations day-to-day gripping them to make split second decisions; either to expect the worst or hope for the best. The police are given the authority to take any citizen away for their action that can ruin their lives. With that kind of power comes great responsibility, which is one main concern with the amount of discretion officers have is when to use lethal force. The use of excessive force might or

    Read More

  • Eras of American Policing and Their Origin

    1541 Words  | 4 Pages

    Walker, S., & Katz, C. (2012). Police in America: An Introduction (8th Edition ed.). New York:

    Read More

  • Police Brutality - Racism, Racial Profiling, Prejudice

    1514 Words  | 4 Pages

    Over the years, this country has witnessed many cases of police brutality. It has become a controversial topic among communities that have seen police brutality take place in front of their homes. Officers are faced with many threatening situations everyday forcing them to make split second decisions and to expect the worst and hope for the best. Police officers are given the power to take any citizens rights away and even their lives. With that kind of power comes responsibility, that’s one major concern with the amount of discretion officers have is when to use force or when to use lethal force. The use of excessive force may or not be a large predicament but should be viewed by both the police and the community.

    Read More

  • Police Discretion and Domestic Violence Calls

    2123 Words  | 5 Pages

    Wetendorf, D. and Davis, D.L. (2003). The misuse of Police Powers In Officer Involved Domestic Violence. Protecting Citizens, Communities, and Companies Through Education. Diane Wtendorf and Dottie L. Davis.

    Read More

  • Police Brutality is a Criminal Act

    1671 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Police Legitimacy and Accountability

    1292 Words  | 3 Pages

    Skolnick, J., Fyfe, J. (1993) Above the law: Police and the Excessive use of force. United States: The Free Press

    Read More

  • Research Paper On Police Brutality

    1919 Words  | 4 Pages

    Research Paper Rough Draft: Police Brutality 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.

    Read More

  • Police Force and Discretion

    758 Words  | 2 Pages

    The degree of force that officers use is heavily influenced by police discretion in real-world situations rather than espoused by a certain agenda. Discretion can be classified into four different categories where administrators, the community, and the individual police officer exercise differing degrees of influence in decision-making. What is needed to help officer discretion is a central ethos that will guide discretion when all other rules fail to help.

    Read More

  • The Problem Of Police Brutality In The Media

    1705 Words  | 4 Pages

    Crime is a part of society encompases the news and the public. A variety of studies of media content have estimated that as much as 25 percent of the daily news is devoted to crime (Surette 1992) and that crime is the largest major category of stories in the print and electronic media (Chermak 1994, 103). (Lawrence 18). With crime at an all time high, police are constantly having to deal with more and more issues. This can lead to stressed out and fed up officers, which can lead to poor decisions by an officer. The use of force by police is a highly controversial topic as it raises questions about a government’s ability to use force against its citizens (Lawrence 19). Today’s society is caught up on the ideals of civility and equality before the law, making police use of force a touchy

    Read More

  • Police Discretion and the Use of Force

    2111 Words  | 5 Pages

    Discretion is defined as the authority to make a decision between two or more choices (Pollock, 2010). More specifically, it is defined as “the capacity to identify and to document criminal and noncriminal events” (Boivin & Cordeau, 2011). Every police officer has a great deal of discretion concerning when to use their authority, power, persuasion, or force. Depending on how an officer sees their duty to society will determine an officer’s discretion. Discretion leads to selective enforcement practices and may result in discrimination against certain groups of people or select individuals (Young, 2011). Most police officer discretion is exercised in situations with individuals (Sherman, 1984).

    Read More

  • We Must Stop Police Brutality

    835 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gul, Zakir, Hakan Hekim, and Ramazan Terkesil. “Controlling Police (Excessive) Force: The American Case.” International Journal of Human Sciences 10.2 (2013): 285-303. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.

    Read More

More about Police Use of Force

Open Document