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Police brutality over the decades
Impacts of police brutality on the lives of the people
The effects of police brutality in America
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What is Police Brutality? That is the question. Well it is unnecessary force by a police officer dealing with civilians, said by S. Danilina, The Law Dictionary. But would you ever think that it is unnecessary? Maybe, it’s something that is needed among the civilians. Really when you here about a cop using force against a civilian it is usually a white cop with a black man or women. Now why don’t we ever here about anything when there is a white cop and a white man or a black cop and a black man or any other scenario that comes to hand. The point is that maybe we could use more of that unnecessary force from the police, people need to learn what they have done and sometimes that means death, that’s how I see it. If you had done something that …show more content…
This is very understandable on the point of why would they let their guard down. That there job is to protect, they need to use that force to ensure that neighborhood is safe from any drug dealer or drug takers, or even killers. That’s their job to keep it safe even if it results in intense force toward the civilian. Also, an officer with more experience or time on the force or learning about the cop life then has les use of force or not at all. So maybe it is a good thing that we have an unnecessary police force so that we know who we need to get out of there, then maybe if we trained the officers more than it would distort the problem as …show more content…
History has shown that certain racial groups, especially Black and Latino have had a long, and poor relationship with the police largely due to socio-economic and racist discrimination in one way another. Race is a tremendous part when it comes to the fact of police brutality, but you only see something have a tremendous outbreak when it is the white officers assaulting someone of the opposite race. Maybe it isn’t always the race that comes to the problem but the fact that the citizen was doing something wrong. Then just because he or she is of a different race then all fingers are then pointed at the officer who was just trying serving justice. This is saying that it could go both ways, it isn’t always the cops at fault but that is what media has perceived it to be and has but a stereotype toward officers of the law. Maybe it was the civilian that has egged them on or threatened them. They do have a right to protect themselves, and sometimes that is exploited by the media and even the community at
The police officers who approach the suspects are risking their lives to protect the citizens, that is their job. Therefore, if an officer conducts an action out of impulse, it is not out of spite or prejudice, most of the time it is out of fear. Police officers are only human and as Professor Brown said, “Cops come from citizens… you guys (the class).” We, normal citizens, conduct mistakes on a daily basis; however, we do not possess the pressure of the world on our shoulders like police officers do. A scene where police relations is displayed at its finest in Crash is when Officer Tom Hansen picked up Peter Waters in his car. As Officer Tom Hansen used his discretion, he shot Peter Waters when Peter refused to show his hands and go into his pockets. Now in that instance, he might have not told Peter Waters he was an officer, but any reasonable person who were to be in that position would recognize the authority of an officer when Officer Tom Hansen said, “Put your hands where I can see them.” Peter Waters, in my opinion, was wrong for ignoring a stranger in his car, especially since he was hitchhiking. This goes to show that behind closed curtains, the full story cannot be revealed. As white officers kill minorities, riots arise; however, one cannot rely on the media for facts. What occurred at the scene is only between the victim and the suspect, and at times, witnesses; however, not all witnesses are confidential. Race relations, in my opinion, do exist; however, the minorities do not provide a better platform for themselves to be seen in, they continue their criminal activity and expect for the misconceptions to fade away. Race relations must be
When law enforcement officers use excessive force when making an arrest or dealing with the public, this is known as police brutality. As one of the biggest police departments in America, the New York Police Department often finds itself in the midst of police brutality cases. Officers are allowed to use some force to restrain a suspect, make an arrest, prevent an escape, or defend themselves. However, there is a fine line that cannot be crossed when it comes to using force. Landing on the other side of that police brutality line can potentially put an officer in trouble, and may even cost him his job.
Imagine this: Summer break has finally kicked in and a couple of kids has decided to throw a pool party under adult supervision. The kids are munching on finger food, drinking sodas, and hanging out with their friends. Suddenly a fight between a child and her mother breaks out, and the neighbors call the police. Once the police arrived madness in the neighborhood erupted. One cop in particular began to terrorize the black children, curse at them, pulled out his gun, and manhandled them in a way that is unbelievably violent and sickening.
Throughout history there has been many problems involving racial profiling and police misconduct. Very rarely do police get the proper punishment for their wrong doings. One of the most recent cases was the Oscar Grant case. Oscar Grant was 22 years old when he was killed because of police misconduct. He was killed on New Year’s Day 2009 by Ex-BART cop Johannes Mehserle. This misconduct made the people of Oakland extremely angry because they lost one of their own. After the shooting many people around Oakland started protesting. This lasted for months on end because people were very angry. Bystanders videotaped the incident. This has been one of the most racially polarizing cases in California (Ravindhran).
Police brutality is a civil rights violation that occurs when a police officer acts with excessive force by using an amount of force with regards to a civilian that is more than necessary. Excessive force by law enforcement officers is a violation of a person's rights. Excessive force is not subject to a precise definition, but it is generally beyond the force a reasonable and prudent law enforcement officer would use under the circumstances (“Police Brutality Law & Legal Definition”,2013).
Police brutality and racial profiling dates back to the 1700’s in the United States(Rushing). Unfortunately, such treatment by police continues today when police are expected to hold the civic duty to protect and serve. Mistreatment by police is just the start in most cases, when citizens fight back it becomes “brutal”. Police brutality by definition means “The use of any force exceeding that reasonably to accomplish a lawful police purpose.” Police brutality can occur in many different ways with the most common being physical harm. Although that is a big problem, there are other cases of Police brutality that involve acts of false arrest, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, intimidation, etc. An act that can be seen as police brutality could be a criminal running from the cops and an officer shoots a victim with a taser. Many cases of physical harm are police using excessive force to contain and arrest any individual. Since many accounts of police brutality have been directed towards minorities, these cases turn into acts of racial profiling. Racial profiling is the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offense. Let 's say for example Trayvon Martin, a simple 17 year old black male walking home from a gas station was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch member. This being one of the many
Police brutality is hypocrisy; as the police are meant to protect society from harm, not cause further damage and stress. Police should be trained properly so they do not resort to violence and abuse of power. Many cases of police brutality and not sanctioned and are undertaken by a group of police as a form of "mob mentality". Police are placed on a pedestal of authority and respect by the rest of society. To maintain this image, rules and codes of ethics within the police force should be maintained at all possible times. If police are using brutality to resolve issues, it doesn't set much of an example of dispute resolution between individuals. Over the past decade police abuse remains one of the most serious human rights violation in the United States. Police officers are trusted and expected to respect society as a whole and enforce the law. There is a time a place for aggressive force if needed, apprehending a suspect, however the environment and situation might influence the moment thus resulting in the brutal and barbaric behavior from the cop. The important thing to do is to understand the circumstances when excessive force can be used and times where the use of force has to be abstained. Police officers follow a strict guideline in how to handle encounters from escalating into something much more serious. The use of excessive force, in this case police brutality brings liabilities that cannot be taken lightly with the department and the community. Usually the high crime rates tend to revolve around low-income minority areas and officers tend to assume that minorities living in the areas are guilty. Police brutality that does exist is most likely result of emotional exhaustion.
The duty of a police officer is to protect the people with the laws and enforce them, not hurt the people. For all the African American women and men that have been killed by a police officer should be brought to justice. However, this is not the solution to the problem of police brutality in America. The solution to police brutality is the proper training and certification of police officers, so they understand how to handle various situations without using lethal weapons. For instance, Moore states that “extensive training for several weeks in patrol and observation, narcotics activities and community relations” (Moore, 2010) will lead to the solution of police brutality. Also, in order to dissolve the police brutality in America, America must recognize race as more than just one complexion and accept that people of color shouldn’t be dehumanized, but equal to their
Police brutality is a negative thing to think about everyday about the men and wemon that are supposed to protect and serve they swore to protect and make sure all of the laws are being followed in the past, present, and future. There isn’t anything you can do to stop the bad police officers to protect yourself other then the law that you have to fight to bring justice to the court. The youngest person that has experienced police brutality and lost their life was a 12 year old and the oldest was 65, but more than 100 victims were unknown.
Police shootings occur all over the world but are a huge problem within the United States. We continue to hear more and more about them. These shootings are making headlines. Front page news it seems almost weekly. All the shootings go one of two ways. Either a Police Officer has been shot or a Police Officer has shot a citizen, but either way the final result is death. Whether an Officer has been shot or an Officer has shot someone these cases seem to be related to one thing, fear. People in today’s society feel as though they can’t trust Police Officers as they are there to hurt and kill them. And Police Officers feel as though they are in danger of doing their everyday duties because people see them as the “bad guys” and want to hurt or kill them. Yes, police brutality and racism still exist, but not all cops are bad. Yes there are still bad citizens in this world that want to kill and harm others, but not all citizens are bad. People seem to react to these shootings by rioting quickly after a police officer has shot and killed someone without
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.
Chaney and Robertson, (2013) stated that “The Department of Justice office of Civil Rights has investigated more than a dozen police departments in major cities across the country on allegations of racial discrimination or police brutality”. Police brutality is defined as the use of excessive physical force or verbal assault and psychological intimidation. White police officers who grew up in the south and were raised to see African Americans in a negative way have a lower opinion of them. However, not all white police officers are from the south, some say that police officers are just abusing their power. When we look at what is going on around the country, it appears racism plays a part in police brutality. Even during this new digital age, there are video cameras in police cars facing the front of the vehicle, but that still does not hinder police using excessive
Police brutality is one of the most serious human rights violations in the United States and it occurs everywhere. The reason why I chose this topic is because police brutality happens all the time in the United States and still remains unrecognized by many. Additionally, the public should be knowledgeable about this topic because of how serious this crime can be and the serious outcomes that police brutality can have on other police officers and the public. The job of police officers is to maintain public order, prevent, and detect crimes. They are involved in very dangerous and stressful occupations that can involve violent situations that must be stopped and controlled by any means. In many confrontations with people, police may find it necessary to use excessive force to take control of a certain situation. Sometimes this makes an officer fight with a suspect who resists being arrested. Not all cops in communities are great cops. At least once a year, the news covers a story about a person being beat by an officer. The article “Minority Threat and Police Brutality: Determinants of Civil Rights Criminal Complaints in U.S. Municipalities” by Malcolm D. Holmes from the University of Wyoming, uses the conflict theory to explain why officers go after minorities sometimes causing police brutality. It explains the police’s tension with African American and Latino males. Those minorities are the ones that retaliate more against police officers which causes the officer to use violent force to defend themselves.
In conclusion, it is a well-known saying to treat others as you would like to be treated. Why some people feel it is ok to treat others as subhuman is beyond understanding. Police brutality should not be allowed to continue because it is unethical, can be discriminatory, and can result in murder. In the days of slavery blacks were segregated and used as slaves. In Germany, Jews and homosexuals along with many others were cordoned off in concentration camps and slaughtered like cattle. The Nazi’s targeted Jews, homosexuals, and politico’s. At the time it was against the law to have relations with anyone of the opposite sex and it took many years for that law to be abolished. Humans can be cruel against those who are different. It is wrong
Police brutality is an act that often goes unnoticed by the vast majority of white Americans. This is the intentional use of “excessive force by an authority figure, which oftentimes ends with bruises, broken bones, bloodshed, and sometimes even death” (Harmon). While law-abiding citizens worry about protecting themselves from criminals, it has now been revealed that they must also keep an eye on those who are supposed to protect and serve. According to the National Police Academy, in the past year, there have been over 7,000 reports of police misconduct; fatalities have been linked to more than 400 of these cases (Gul). Police brutality is often triggered by disrespect towards the police officer.