Category: Police

Racial Profiling: Resource Of Prejudice

Racial profiling to some people is a “requirement” and should be handled with extreme caution, but to others, racial profiling is severely unjust and should be handled as a case of prejudice. According to the article “Racial Profiling,” racial profiling can occur when someone is accused or assumed to be related to a crime because of race, religion, or ethnicity. The United States in particular has unreasonably targeted people of color, most of all black residents, which has subsequently dwindled the trust in law enforcement in regard to communities of color. Not only has racial profiling been used throughout law enforcement, but it has also been used by average citizens of today’s America.

Racial profiling in America is considered a major problem in the twenty-first century. According to “Public Opinion on Racial Profiling, by Race,” a bar chart is representing the percentage of how many individuals (by race) are agreeing to the saying “yes, racial profiling is widespread” in certain hypothetical situations. When motorists are stopped on roads and highways, 50 percent of Whites agree to the saying of “yes, racial profiling is widespread” while 17 percent more of Blacks and 13 percent more of Hispanics agree to be stopped by law enforcement. 20 percent more black shoppers compared to 45 percent of white shoppers are stopped and questioned of possible theft at malls and stores along with 56 percent of Hispanic shoppers. Taking the lead in being stopped at security checkpoints in airports is 54 percent of Hispanics following closely behind is 48 percent of Blacks, and taking last once again is 40 percent of Whites. “70% of Blacks surveyed by the Pew Research Center say that Blacks in their communities were treated less fairly than Whites when dealing with the police” (Public Opinion). A poll created and taken by NBC News shows statistics that 64 percent of citizens in America say Racism remains a major problem. Alongside the 64 percent is 30 percent of American citizens agreeing that racism exists in today’s society, but is not considered a major problem. In February 2018, 26 percent of individuals believe that America’s biggest source of division is race. Only three months later, that percentage went up by four in May of 2018. 40 percent of black shoppers have stated that they have been treated unfairly in stores which are 33 percent more than white shoppers. 26 percent of Hispanic shoppers being the median. Almost 100 percent of white shoppers said they were not treated unfairly in stores compared to 57 percent of black shoppers agreeing to that statement. 14 percent of white employees say they have felt discriminated against in the workplace based on their race while 48 percent of African Americans felt this way. Only 12 percent less of Hispanics from black employees agreed. Almost three-fourths of American citizens believe that a serious problem in this country is racial discrimination against blacks. 89 percent of blacks and 81 percent of Hispanics share this belief while only 68 percent of whites believe it is a serious problem in today’s America and 30 percent believe otherwise. 84 percent of blacks and 71 percent of Hispanics believe white people benefit from advantages, and while half of the white people “don’t enjoy any advantages,” 47 percent of white people do in fact enjoy these benefits (Arrange). Although 56 percent of whites surveyed being involved in social activities with multiple races of people, 39 percent said they mostly interact with whites only. This is compared to 23 percent of blacks interacting with their own race and 21 percent of Hispanics. Unbelievably, but not shockingly only 51 percent of Americans speak of race relations among friends and family while 47 percent do not (Arrange).

To introduce the opposing viewpoint of being against racial profiling is for racial profiling. In regards to the incidents involving Rodney King (1991) and Abner Louima (1997), many supporters of law enforcement have said an exaggeration of the problem pertaining to police brutality is caused by the news media, and the relevance of isolated incidents is overemphasized. It is stated that the entertainment industry and the news media enforce damaging stereotypes. White American citizens conclude from their own personal experiences that police officers enforce the law without bias of opinions and feelings. “The vast majority of police officers, they maintain, are well-intentioned professionals who do not act with abusive intolerance” (Williams 22). As sources of information, many Americans rely on mainstream news magazines and television for the latest and current news which causes media stereotyping to be cunning and sneaky (Williams 28). This creates a problem of often assuming a criminal is black and sometimes Hispanic because Americans are relying on being told rather than researching facts and statistics for themselves.

However, racial profiling is still considered a major problem and statistics prove just so. Information was collected on the likelihood that black drivers or their cars were searched, compared with white drivers based on “Racial Profiling by the Largest Police Agencies in the Four Selected States.” In Torrington, Connecticut, black drivers were five times more likely to be searched. Black drivers in Chicago, Illinois, were five-point two times more likely. In Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina, black drivers were two point eight times more likely, and the Rhode Island State Highway Patrol stopped black drivers two point five times more than white drivers. Comparing to the times more likely black drivers were searched is the likelihood that black drivers had contraband, compared with white drivers. In Torrington, Connecticut, point eight of black drivers were more likely to be traveling with contraband than white drivers. Now Chicago, Illinois is notorious for crime and rundown neighborhoods, but only point seven of black drivers were more likely than whites to be in possession of contraband. Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina well was point seven times more likely, but shockingly the Rhode Island State Highway Patrol has searched black drivers and found contraband making them one point seven times more likely to be in possession than white drivers (Largest Police Agencies). Not only are there statistics of wrongdoings pertaining to racial profiling, but are many stories and cases of racial profiling that support these statistics and stereotypes. One event is of a mom who was attending a college tour who called the police on two Native American teens because they made her “nervous.”

Racial Profiling And The Use Of Deadly Force

Racial profiling, as well as the use of deadly force, have really given our nation something to talk about, whether it be a causal political conversation with a neighbor or a worldwide news post with millions of comments about a helpless ethnic individual that was gunned down unnecessarily by a law enforcement officer for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The way that our nation views racial profiling and deadly force is much different than the way those involved in our criminal justice system view the issue. Although the views may be conflicted it is an issue that will continue to grow in our country does not put in the effort to make it go away. There is no such thing as racial profiling, there is simply racism.

Racial profiling is a growing issue that seems to have created quite the topic for a talk in our nation’s media outlets. This issue is factually defined as an issue that occurs when a group of people or individuals selectively focus on a person’s race or ethnicity and then proceed to harass, detain, or follow the individual. There are some that portray racial profiling as targeted policing efforts against minority groups while another side views the issue as mere that, an issue, an issue that our nation has within the last ten years had to look for ways to eliminate after thinking the issue was terminated after Jim Crow laws. Our nation’s law enforcement system exists merely to create safety for the citizens of the nation. Without this system, the world has no structural community safety organization. As much as a massive majority of the world wants to believe that racism is an issue of the past, it is still very much so a current growing problem in todays world. Although our law enforcement system is supposed to remain completely unbiased and never base arrests or decisions of criminal punishment on assumption that one race is superior to the other, it happens more often than it should. This does not make the entire system corrupt, just the individual committing such an act. Those who act in the dark of racial profiling need to be held accountable for their actions. Not only does racial profiling affect our criminal justice system, but it also affects the people in our communities. News media and entertainment are compelling forces in creating negative cultural and ethnic stereotypes. Due to the image that media has constituted about those of ethnic background, our communities are beginning to fear those of color. Racism is slowly expanding more and more into our country and becoming a problem that we will soon not be able to control.

Excessive or deadly force and racial profiling by police officers are completely unconstitutional, yet it is still happening. These matters often end in tragic results. There have been innumerable instances in which police have used deadly force against minorities or those of a different ethnic background when it was completely unacceptable to do so. Individuals have been beaten, murdered, and robbed of their freedom and families due simply to the fact that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and the color of their skin. In an article titled,” Skin Deep; Minorities Seek Relief From Racial Profiling”, Rebecca Porter includes, “For years, civil rights advocates have been collecting complaints from minority citizens who feel they have been singled out to be stopped and searched by police on the streets and by employees and customs agents in airports”. This statement alone displays the need for our country to pull together and put a stop to this outstanding affair. Hundreds of colored families are affected by this debilitating problem. Imagine having to worry about your son or husband getting gunned down or beaten by someone who is supposed to protect them just because the way they were walking looked a little suspicious. Not only does this affect the families but this issue has also destroyed public trust in police. Where does one turn when they cannot turn to the one organization that is supposed to protect them in a time of need. Law enforcement leaders need to step up and ensure that situations such as the Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Trayvon Martin instances absolutely do not happen again. Racial profiling does not stop in the streets, it occurs in airports as well as other public places like grocery stores, gas stations, amusement parks. Hundreds of racially targeted searches are completed each year in busy airports. Colored men and women are singled out with the assumption that they are smuggling illegal materials or drugs.

The people that live in this country are what keep it going the most. Whether we feel like we all play a very important role in keeping our nation’s organizational law system going correctly. This is extremely hard to do when one is living in fear every moment of their life. To those who have never experienced the inconvenience of racial profiling, it may seem to be a small topic that does not matter. The victims of this hate crime pay for it emotionally, physically, mentally, and in some cases, financially. Seeing as this has become such a huge issue, it is affecting the success of our children, the ones that will soon run this world. How are we supposed to have successful and happy children when the world is full of damage and hatred. Our education system is beginning to feel the effects of racial profiling within schools and after-school programs, this leads to bullying, which can then lead to psychological issues later on in life. It is similar to the facts stated above, although racial profiling is unconstitutional, some officers do it anyways. Although there is a zero-tolerance policy in 90% of schools, racism still occurs on a day-to-day basis. Imagine how defeating it is for our colored children to go to school and find out that they are not accepted by the other children due to the color of their skin. The problem starts at home, we should be teaching our children that everyone is equal, no matter their color, the shoes on their feet, the clothes they wear, or where they live. We are all the same biologically. Social media plays a huge role in racism in schools, it is a developing issue that will only get worse in the years to come if we do not stop it. Children are seeing racism on their social media accounts and are looking at it more along the lines of a joke than a crime. When these children return to school and use these jokes they are affecting the lives of many other children in negative ways. A majority of these kids are afraid to speak up and let someone know these things are happening in our schools. In the text, “Policing” by John Worrall and Frank Schmalleger, the following is included, “They defined police crime as an “officer’s use of the official powers of his or her job to engage in criminal conduct” (p.206) This factual statement is just one of many examples of laws that an officer breaks while acting in racial profiling. It can also be seen as corruption or abuse of authority, none of which are legal.

There are many ways one can begin to put a stop to racial profiling. The legal or law enforcement system can start by trying to be more like a protector instead of a warrior to help gain back the trust of the public. More wellness or safety programs need to be established within policing and enforced greatly to ensure that they are following all policies and rules to keep both themselves and the public safe. Better training programs could also help to put a stop to this controversy. It is important to remember that blacks are not the only race targeted by racial profiling, Hispanics, Arabs, and Muslims have also become major targets of this crime. In an article titled, “Racial Profiling and The War on Terror: Changing Trends and Perspectives”, Abu B. Bah includes, “ Prior to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the United States, blacks were the main victims of racial profiling. Since the terrorist attack, however, Arabs and Muslims are becoming the primary targets for profiling by law enforcement agencies”. Due to this awful attack, it seems as if the country has decided to target the race that committed the attack, this is completely unreasonable seeing as it was two individuals, not all of the race that committed the act. Racial profiling has fueled the fire for many political and constitutional debates, especially involving the fourth amendment rights of our citizens. The fourth amendment guarantees the right for people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures. This is a prime example of how we are taking the rights away from those of ethnicity by profiling or targeting them and proceeding to go through their properties under the assumption that they are committing a crime without any solid evidence.

One of the biggest issues we face as a country is the lack of coming together to make this world a safe and happy place. There are innumerable issues that destroy the morals and or character of our citizens. It is time that we looked away from our phones, tv screens, and computers and saw these people for exactly who they are: mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, they are human just as we are and if treated correctly they will make a huge difference in this nation. Accountability is a factor that we could really work on in this country, those who believe that racial profiling is okay should be punished through the criminal justice system just as other law offenders have. Racial profiling is a human rights violation. In order for our justice system to work properly, it depends on the equal treatment of our citizens and basing investigations on evidence, not bias or stereotypes. It is important that our criminal justice system lives up to the constitutional standards it was built on.

The Role Of The Police And Its Change Due To Political Ideology And Social Needs Over The Past 50 Years

Historical analysis of Policing

Reactive (Traditional) Policing – police respond when a call comes in stating that a crime has occurred. Upon arrival the patrol service take a report then pass the investigation over to the detectives’ branch. At this point, the patrol service officer(s) would return to their patrol vehicle or station, awaiting next call out.

Problem-Orientated Policing((POP)- has an emphasis on trying and prevent crime from happening. This policing model has detectives watching for patterns in crimes to help understand when and how crimes are being committed. Once they have a pattern they will search for ways in which to help prevent crimes from continuing to happen in those areas. This model has more of a proactive stance than the traditional policing models do.

Community-Orientated Policing – focuses on police building ties and working closely with members of the communities within their AOR. The officers will make their presence known and also rely on community members to report any suspicious behaviour or tips on criminals in the area. Crimes are those that is recognised by a community’s perception or at risk of particular types of crime given a time frame.

Intelligence-led Policing (ILP) – built around risk assessment and management, ILP is defined as a strategic, future-oriented, targeted approach to crime control, focusing upon the identification, analysis & management of persisting and developing problems or risks.

UK is a standard instance of Multiple Coordinated Decentralized police force. UK does now not have a country wide police service, however a community of 43 man or woman police forces responsible for policing particular counties, cities or areas, except the forces with distinctive jurisdiction. These forty three forces are shaped of greater than 140,500 police officers, 14,000 volunteer exclusive constables and 13,400 neighborhood help officers. UK has a three-way system of responsibility ensures forces run smoothly:

Home Office funds the police and has the overall responsibility as overseer and coordinator of the police forces.Police Authorities make sure local forces operate efficiently and effectively. Chief Police Officers have responsibility for the direction and control of regional forces.

According to UK Home Office, this system prevents political interference in policing and avoids giving any single employer power over the complete police service. In addition there is an independent Police Complaints Authority and an Inspectorate of Constabulary. While the Police Complaints Commission examines the complaints in opposition to the police officials, the Inspectorate of Constabulary acts as an audit wing for the police which observe and check the efficiency of police.

The Police Reforms Act, 2002 requires the Home Secretary to put together a annual Policing Plan and to place it before the legislature. The budgetary manage of every police pressure rests with the Police Authority, which consists of at least 17 members. There is representation for local elected representatives, judiciary and frequent men, In each and every police authority, such representation consists of nominations from the Home Office as properly as members chosen via an open recruitment process. All bodies like Inspectorate of Constabulary, Independent Police Complaints authority and Police Authorities function as impartial bodies with separate corporate identity, distinct from that of police

The difficulties facing the police is the approaches in which our society is altering will have an effect on the future of policing in essential ways. These adjustments are being fashioned by using social and economic factors that are considerably past the on the spot manage of politicians and policy-makers. Nevertheless, very vital picks do have to be made and our aim is to have a high quality impact on the future sample of policing. The British policing way of life is widely admired at home and abroad. We should attempt to retain the way of life of ‘policing with the aid of consent’ which has been and stays the hallmark of British policing.

1980s, the multi-agency approach was heralded as a panacea for many crook justice problems, among them the successful implementation of community crime prevention initiatives. Accordingly there has often been sufficient settlement to get agencies working together, resources allocated and communities ‘involved’. The highlighting of partnerships between the police and different organisations, and the improvement of multi-agency strategies, have added about some huge successes particularly in the area of toddler protection but also, for example, in relation to different types of crime such as burglary prevention in Rochdale or some of the specific objectives of the Safer Cities programme in England and Wales amongst others.

Although the positive aspects from multi-agency work have no longer usually been as vast as may have been hoped there is surely a principal price to pay in phrases of wasted resources, strength and effort if companies do now not communicate. Nevertheless, regardless of the very actual good points made in some areas, the exceptional laid plans have often led to tremendously little motion and even less success in practice.

A variety of substantial issues have been recognized in relation to multi-agency work. First, there is the question of ‘power’. With the multi-agency method there is continually the opportunity that one company — if it is sufficiently powerful — will try to set the agenda irrespective of the wishes of the other individuals of the group.

In addition, there is regularly a lack of in shape between The position and obligations of the police corporations in the criminal justice system. All too often organizations ‘do not begin on equal terms’. The 2nd hassle has often been that of resistance and non-cooperation. Whilst tremendous examples of the affect of the multi-agency strategy exist, it is obvious that a wide variety of barriers have a tendency to beset such initiatives. There is the sensible question of whether the corporations delivered collectively are without a doubt able to perceive a common problem and goal and whether or not their understandings are compatible.

There are also in all likelihood to be sectional interests within any specific locality, which straight away makes representation problematic. Not only might also it be extraordinarily hard to arrange representation of all factors of a community, however such tries as are made can also be undermined by way of the disinclination of certain businesses to be represented on multi-agency panels. In addition to the difficulties in achieving common understandings, there is also the question of the ‘status’ of communications. In particular, there are frequently tough questions about the sharing of information. There is the hassle of the breaking of confidentialities and, as some would have it, the inherent chance to civil liberties.

Informal working preparations are held, on the one hand, to be dangerous because they are in truth unaccountable and, on the other, to be beneficial because they stimulate and facilitate fluid and innovative practices. two Finally, and possibly crucially, there is the problem of the lack of a responsible employer or individual. One of the potential problems in imposing crime prevention measures results at once from there being no organization or individual with standard responsibility for taking the lead in organizing the initiative.

Thus, in one faculty vandalism project one of the motives that some of the agreed crime prevention measures had now not been carried out after two years of the project used to be that the organizations concerned — the schools, the neighborhood authority and the police — each thinking that every other party was once accountable for driving the programme.Similarly, a learn about of an inter-agency racial harassment project concluded that ‘in future multi-agency efforts it looks fundamental to vest someone with the role of coordinator responsible for carrying out the administrative work of the project’, even though they went on to stress that the coordinator ‘should no longer be seen as a alternative for enterprise engagement with the substantial work of the project.

References

1. Multi agency working in criminal justice by Aaron Pycroft and Dennis Gough
2. Multi agency working in criminal justice by Aaron Pycroft and Dennis Gough second addition
3. Legal skills by EmilyFinch/ Steafen Fafinski
4. Coretta Philips-Home office Research,Development and Statistics Directorate-second edition (LSE Research online)
5. UK Parliament
6. Homeoffice.gov.uk
7. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/11/contents
8. https://blog.oup.com/2015/03/anti-terrorism-law-reform/
9. https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/

Police Brutality In Law Enforcement System

The police play an important role in the american society. When people think about police, they think about enforcing laws, catching criminals, helping out the public which make them feel safe. However this does not apply just in the united states but worldwide. Some people might know the concepts of the police system in the united states, but they may feel surprised about how different the organization and the structure of police agencies around the world act. It could be anywhere around the world , police officers are responsible for ensuring safety , looking out to the public and preventing crime. The international police systems have evolved on a social-cultural background, and for this reason alone there are enormous variations between these police systems.

Police officers in the united states have the right and the opportunity to act at their discretion to stop, arrest, and use force to bring about an arrest. Police discretion relates to a police officer’s ability to make a crime scene decision. Its all depends on the police officer’s decision whether or not to make the arrest or write a ticket. Some examples are when a police officer directs a driver to pull over for reckless driving or minor offense like not obeying traffic signs, the person then has a choice whether to give a ticket or a warning to the driver. There are positives and negative effects on police discretion. The negatives are applied discretion based on the belief system of the officer, one individual may receive a fine for an offense while a second individual is arrested for the same crime, and maybe some officers may disregard out of laziness blatant or outrageous violations or crimes. The positives are people who violate laws may get a warning instead of a citation or arrest, fewer jails, jail officers, or police officers are needed and officers may choose what type of traffic violations to enforce or ignore.

Police brutality is seen in the police system as a true issue. Police officers job has the potential to be extremely challenging and sometimes includes dangerous circumstances. In such situations, the officers may have to use force to gain control. The force continuum dictates the level which is best suited to the situation. Most people don’t realize that the force doesn’t meet the officers job. But overcoming the force is their job. Police departments have very strict operating procedures concerning the use of force by the officer and how force is applied. Most of these actions of police brutality are always associated with racism. Many countries have permitted their police force to use force to apprehend and protect the suspects. However, they should use reasonable amounts of force to control any situation and achieve their goals. Racial discrimination is one of the major contributors to society’s police brutality. Some of the actions of police brutality are perceived with regard to racial profiling. Racial profiling is the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offense. In criminal investigations, racial profiling is mostly brought about by early considerations of the race. Even though the police officers have been taught to follow the rules, they are too aggressive. A white officer, for example, would pull over an African American whenever they assume they have drugs or weapons on them. This assumption is proven to not be true because the US statistics have always shown that white people are more involved in drug use than the African Americans.

Police brutality can only be eliminated if the public and the police work together. The police efforts in stopping these brutalities can only be done through its administrative organs. For example the public officers regulating security need to discard laws that inflict strict punishments to the people who file falsified complaints against the police officers. This is due to the fact that at times these laws act as a limit to people who believe that they are truly victims of brutality. Many people will be convicted of crimes if they allegations are now not common and this is very dehumanizing. The police administration should also set up citizens evaluate boards. These boards will provide the citizens the chance to bring in their opinions and their definitions of excessive pressure into the evaluation of the police conduct. The federal government need to also enact laws that will propel the police officers into questioning twice before punching or kicking a person, the use of a nightstick unnecessarily, or using excessive force on the suspects. There are some public efforts that need to be administered so as to limit or even discard these police brutalities. For example, the public should be explicitly educated on a variety of ways of figuring out cases of brutality and the responsibilities which they can undertake in ending.

Comparing the policing system between the united states and a country where my parents were raised might be fascinating. My father was born and raised in Egypt . when my father was 18 years old he was a police officer, which is a very young age to start. I would ask my father about the police system and how would he act to the public. He would always tell me how hard and stressful the position was. He would have secrets that won’t be said. At night my father be around the streets in dangerous locations to make sure the neighborhood is safe. After 2 years in the police , my father had quit his job because of the stress he was going through. The Egyptian police are likely to face difficulties transitioning out of a generation where their strength used to be unmatched by the civilian populace, and with people still fearful of violence, reconciling past action will prove difficult for Egyptian law enforcement. Findings of this study will render policy makers, public officers and three police administrators clear directions to enforce policies and programs that can enhance the possibility of successful police reform. The Egyptian police brutality is seen in 2011, the revolutionary movement in the Middle East known it began to take root in Arab nations and basically challenged entrenched social values and governance styles. Egypt, in particular, bore an outstanding amount of this strain for social change, and used to be the scene for big riots and protests alike, eventually ending with the give way of the government. Police under president Mubarak had a reputation for using violent tactics with them, particularly during the protests in 2011, and Egyptians were valid in their fears of these authorities.

The police system in egypt is different from the american system because it’s both two different cultures. The U.S. police have over 18,000 U.S. federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and it is estimated there are between 750,000 and 850,000 officers. This shows that the American police population is bigger. They also receive benefits with a salary of $45,000 a year from police officers in America. In egypt police they have about was reported to be about 122,000 officers an estimated 40,000 positions were unfilled because police jobs paid poorly and offered few benefits. Since egypt is not that of a wealthy in the police system they get paid every month instead of weekly like the american officers. Every month an egyptain police officer would earn 8,000 pounds which is $470 a month. Meanwhile the amercian police would make $948 per week. Another difference is that the American police system has a lot of shootings. For no reason would police officers shoot. For example, a person can fight a police officer, if the fight gets worse, that officer could shoot at the target. Police in united states are more trustworthy with their job. For instance, American police officers respect others they speak to but Egyptian police officers are always disrespectful and use adverse language. A similarity between the American police system and the Egyptian police system is that people from different cultures protested both for what they wanted, and for what was right. In the american society Martin Luther King, Jr., was a very powerful individual, constantly struggling for what he thought to be African Americans ‘ equality. He wasn’t afraid to stand up and say what he wanted for society to tell the world. He was fearless and did all he could to prove a point. His most popular speech is ‘I Have a Dream ….’ he spoke to society about all he wanted. He wanted blacks to be treated equal as white. In the egyptian society In November 2013, the interim government of Egypt enacted a protest law requiring thorough protest notification to be considered legal for such meetings. Under former President Hosni Mubarak, restrictive protest laws and public assembly severely curtailed the right to protest. The disagreement between these legal precedents and the violence against people. This shows that both of the system is somewhat similar.

Police brutality in many cultures is still apparent to this day. These brutalities were fostered primarily by race and ethnicity. These police brutalities are aimed primarily at the minority or vulnerable groups like the poor and the weak elderly. It is the responsibility of the police and officials, the state and the general public to remove this vice.

Racism As The Main Factor In Police Brutality

Can the use of excessive force on African Americans by police officers be justified by their motto “to protect and to serve” ? According to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Frank Edwards, Hedwig Lee, and Michael Esposito found that about 1 in 1,000 African American men and boys in America can expect to be killed at the hands of police. Men and women between the age of 20 and 35 are at risk of death at the hands of police. Experiencing and witnessing unwarranted arrests, harassment, and deaths that go unpunished can inflict permanent damage both emotionally and psychologically. Police brutality is a human rights violation that classifies a civil rights violation because officers exercise excessive force against a civilian. Police brutality against African Americans is a major human rights violation that affects many individuals across the United States.

Racism towards African Americans in law enforcement causes innocent lives to be taken. Amadou Diallo, an unarmed and innocent twenty three-year-old immigrant from Guinea was killed by New York City police officers on February 4, 1999. The officers mistook Amadou for a rape suspect from one year earlier. He was shot forty one times and killed with nineteen bullets. The Supreme Court moved the trial from the Bronx New York to Albany New York because officers shared their concern that in the Bronx, it would be impossible to find twelve impartial jurors. All four officers went from being charged with second degree murder to reckless endangerment within its two day trial. “Diallo’s parents filed a $61,000,000 lawsuit against NY city and in March 2004, they accepted a $3,000,000 settlement” (Nelson). There are many families that have gone through such a painful experience and do not receive compensation for emotional and physical distress. Amadou was wrongfully identified and it cost him his life. The officers that made this mistake did not have to pay for their wrong doings.

Rodney King was on a high speed with L.A.P.D. on March 3, 1991. When the chase ended, according to Bibliography, King was removed from his car and brutally beaten. George Holliday witnessed the act and caught it on camera. The four L.A.P.D. officers that were involved in this crime were each charged with assault with a deadly weapon as well as excessive use of force by a police officer. The three month trial sparked the Los Angeles riots. Their trial was originally supposed to take place in Los Angeles, but defense attorneys argued that a fair trial in Los Angeles would be impossible because of the amount of publicity the case has gotten. The trial was then moved to Simi Valley where the jury was composed of ten caucasian and two minority citizens. The four officers were found not guilty in court. King was then awarded $3.8 million for the physical injuries he sustained. Amadou Diallo and Rodney King both had their trials moved because of the fear of an impartial jury. The trials took place in a predominantly caucasian neighborhood which also makes the jury impartial. Both cases received compensation for police misconduct that instilled trauma not only in these two men, but also in the African American communities. The fear African American communities are experiencing in relation to police officers can cause mental health issues.

African Americans are experiencing stressors related to the fear of becoming a victim to a police encounter. By experiencing and witnessing unwarranted arrests, harassment, and deaths that go unpunished, these communities fear for their life. According to Sirry Alang, a health researcher with the American Journal of Public health, when one is faced with a threat, the body will produce signals that turn on your fight or flight instincts that are necessary for survival in the short term. When the threat becomes repetitive, in the case of police brutality, the survival process causes wear and tear on the body’s organs. According to PBS African Americans face a rate of 96 out of 100,000 deaths by police while Caucasians face a rate of 64 out of 100,000 deaths by police. Having such a high statistic number is going to cause a bit of paranoia. These communities are affected emotionally because they are constantly losing loved ones at the hands of those who are supposed to protect you. Cassandra Chaney and Ray Robertsons conducted a study that examined findings provided by the National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project (NPMSRP), and found “fatalities at the hands of police are higher than they are for the general public”. This can cause individuals to be fearful of law enforcement.

Self defense is protected by the second amendment and is being taken away from the African American community. In 1976 Terrence Johnson, a fifteen year old African American, was originally arrested by two white police officers in Prince George’s County for taking coins from a laundromat. The suburb has a long history of police brutality. Johnson claimed that he was severely beaten by one of the policemen and killed the officer in self defense. The state tried Johnson for first-degree murder and requested that he be charged as an adult. “His bond was set at $1,050,000, an amount that had never been placed in the county’s history” (Turner, Seltzer). If he was convicted as an adult, he would receive two life prison terms and in order to have the possibility of parole he needs to serve at least thirty five years. If he was tried as a juvenile, he would be free by the age of twenty one. Terrence was a victim of police brutality and retaliated in self defense. When it comes to encounters with authorities, self defense is never really talked about. There is a thin line between self defense and threatening the safety of an officer. Officers are trained to identify if the situation they are in is going to require excessive force. An instance where an officer may need to use excessive force is if a criminal is trying to escape or they have a weapon on them. Race should never be a reason for an officer to feel endangered. Matthew Bernard is a caucasion 18 year old male who was charged with killing his mother, sister, and nephew. According to ABC news, “the sheriff’s office issued a BOLO for him saying he was armed and ‘very’ dangerous” (Tyree). When a police officer found him, he had his gun drawn. Matthew was running from the woods naked and strangled a bystander as the officers hit him with a baton. This man is resisting arrest, putting innocent lives in danger and was not tackled or shot. Terrence Johnson shot the officers beating him down for taking money from a laundromat. Matthew Bernard is a triple homicide suspect that was treated as a minor threat. The officer had probable cause to tackle or shoot this man and chose to do neither.

Although some may argue police officers are just doing their job, the strategies used during arrests are sometimes collateral. When police officers use excessive force against a minority, the media only shows the violent scenes. They don’t show the encounter leading up to the arrest. The citizen may have been resisting the arrest and the officer has to follow protocol. There may have been times where an officer believes they must use excessive force to complete an arrest because they felt unsafe. It is unfair to state all police officers use brutal force based on an individual’s ethnicity. This does not excuse some officers’ behaviors. Officers are trained professionals and should be able to identify at what point in time they need to be aggressive.

This is an issue that is going to take a long time to overcome because it is a grey area. The police force has rules and regulations to try and limit the amount of police brutality cases they recieve, but you can’t control everybody’s actions. Some officers believe they are doing their job and are doing whatever means necessary to protect themselves and the citizens around them. This is going to take a few years but we have already made progress. A very helpful solution is protesting and spreading awareness to police brutality cases. Body Cameras are now required for all officers. Witnesses are at the scene and can depict what actually happened by capturing the incident on camera.

Protesting is granted to all Americans by the first amendment. To end police brutality we all need to force policy makers to face their subconscious racism by protesting. Frank Leon Roberts, an activist and writer, explains The Black Lives Matter movement as an activist movement founded in 2013 when Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African-American teenager, was killed in Florida in July 2013. It originated as a hashtag on all social media platforms and informed the public about all police brutality victims. By participating in such a movement you are adding to the voice of those who lost theirs so their story can be heard and they will always be remembered. Black Lives Matter is a human rights movement rather than a civil rights movement. By protesting all police brutality encounters you are letting officers know that their actions do not go unseen. By protesting you are demanding that the court take this matter for what it is, a murder, and persecute accordingly. Protesting does not always guarantee a positive outcome. You are putting pressure on elected officials to take action, but some may not care enough to take action. The amount of publicity a case gets causes an uproar in communities but that does not mean justice will be served. The Rodney King beating sparked the Los Angeles riot which included looting, fires, and lifes lost. The four officers were found not guilty and it caused citizens to fight back. The people wanted justice which is understandable considering the case was caught on video and broadcasted on KTLA. This is not protesting, this was a violent riot that came from a good place but ended up causing more damage to the community. Nothing can change the fact that these families were impacted by police misconduct, but by telling their story we are making sure that their legacy still lives on. These victims have made a huge impact and can educate people on the reality of police brutality.

An action put in place to limit the number of police brutality cases is officers being required to wear a body camera. The North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys state, “Unlike dashboard cameras, these cameras record virtually all officer contact with other individuals in the field, whether on foot or in a vehicle—in both audio and video” (Macari). By using body cameras, police officers should be less likely to commit a questionable act because they know that their actions are being recorded and the footage can now be used against them. These cameras have the potential to make officers think twice about their behavior because they know if the situation ends poorly, then tape is now concrete evidence that can and will be used against them in court. Now all citizens have a reliable witness to use in a court case. Body cameras can be seen as an intrusion of privacy for both the citizen and the police officer. Since the officers are required to wear the camera, their privacy is being invaded. Citizens also may not want to be recorded, but it is a requirement set in place for the protection of both the officer and the citizen. If a citizen is resisting arrest or is a potential threat to the officer and the officer acts accordingly, these cameras have footage to present in court that shows exactly what happened. Same goes for a citizen that feels they are being mistreated. They can take the officer to court and use the footage as evidence. These cameras are put in place to protect all parties.

Police officers have to put aside their prejudiced views towards African Americans and put the law above their stigmatism. The only way to truly stop racism in police brutality is to eliminate all racism within law enforcement. Officers can not fear African Americans and take extra precautions based on their skin color. A traffic stop needs to just be a traffic stop. There is no need for somebody to lose their life for running a stop sign. According to the American Psychological Association, “New Orleans police are being trained to step in when they see their colleagues about to overreact in heated situations, tell them to take a break and urge them not to do something they will regret” (Novotney). The goal of this training is to provide officers with tools to help prevent overreactions or potential misconduct by officers. They implemented using discrete codes that encourage a coworker to calm down and to stop what they’re doing or let them know another officer is going to take over. Law enforcement needs to be trained on how to put the law before their own tempers. This is taught during their training. There needs to be regular checkups on these officers. Police officers tend to have ptsd from previous arrests and can cause them to act out of character. That’s why seeing a therapist regularly can help level their mind. When law enforcement is on duty, there is nobody watching their every move so by having a college with them, there is somebody there to step in if the officer is losing their temper. You can’t control everybody’s actions and police officers are human. Everyone has their own beliefs but as an officer your job is to put the law above all. If you can not do that, then you should not be a police officer. Subconscious racism exists in all fields of law enforcement, but can not be acted on. Officers must face penalty if caught in a racist act or they will do it again.

Being educated on all human rights violations is extremely important so you know what is happening in the world. Just because it is not affecting you directly, that shouldnt make it any less important to you. As an ally your voice needs to be heard along with those who have been fighting for their freedom. The more people protesting, the louder our voices are heard and government officials will be forced to take action and make a difference in the community. Officers have instilled fear in the African American community when they are supposed to be the ones you call when you’re in danger.

Police and Abuse In Power

“There is a difference in knowing you are black and in understanding what it means to be black in America. Before I was ten I knew what it was to step off the sidewalk to let a white man pass.” – Margaret Walker

The issue of the abuse of power in high positions is something that happens frequently in everyday life. It can happen in the work place, it happens in politics and it happens with the police. Although racism is strictly applied to racial groups in interaction, the concept of power can be more generally applied. In fact, power, is a concept of considerable scope: it can be used to help account for group oppression per se and to explain the continued association of certain racial groups with certain class or caste positions. Class or caste membership develops from historical contact in which groups possessing a power advantage have been able to place themselves in superior positions solidifying a social structure that features a racial stratification system (Wilson, 1976). Police brutality is an ongoing problem, especially in America, it leads many people to wonder why this is the case, whilst racism is the obvious answer, the evidence of police brutality, why the police who are committing murders are not being held accountable and the improvements and efforts to bring about change in the treatment towards African American people are also is an important factors to considered. There is a general understanding of what is meant when we speak of ‘police brutality’ but for clarification, police brutality is a civil rights violation that occurs when a police officer acts by using an amount of force with regards to a civilian that is more than necessary. Excessive force by a law enforcement officers is a violation of a person’s rights (US Legal, 2019).

Although police brutality has always existed, police brutality towards black people has become more significant over the past years because activist groups like ‘Black Lives Matter’ founded by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi in July 2013 have allowed this issue to become an internationally recognised topic. This movement started as a hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, after the acquittal of George Zimmerman (who is not a policeman, but a neighbourhood watch coordinator), who shot and killed an unarmed young black boy, Trayvon Martin. The Black Lives Matter movement, has been challenged by some people claiming that ‘all’ lives matter, not just ‘black lives’, as true as this is, the movement started in response to the grotesque and obvious racism against black people, therefore the people who oppose this view are explicitly suggesting that they either do not fully understand the concept, or that they do not care, meaning they are racist themselves. This is another part of the problem because although all lives do matter this contrast defeats the purpose of the subject totally as it is a way of deflecting from the problem that Black Lives Matter is trying to highlight. Black Lives Matter and Amnesty International have both worked astoundingly hard to address the issue, and their works will be displayed later in the essay in chapter 3.

The aim of this dissertation is to explore the evidence regarding police brutality, to explore if police officers are held accountable for their actions and most importantly if there has been efforts and success in improving the current situation. Additionally, the problem with general racism in America is evident and there is always a new story on a white person calling the cops on a black person, or a black person being unfairly treated by the cops. The police are in society in order to protect and implement the law, as this is their job, however, with this power they also have the right to use reasonable force (this is supposed to be used responsibly). The use of ‘deadly force’ is also allowed to be used as stated by the U.S. Supreme Court, who established that that a police officer who has probable cause to believe a suspect poses a threat of serious harm to the officer or others may use deadly force to prevent escape (Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985). This might happen, for instance, if the suspect threatens the officer with a gun. The Court, however, indicated that officers should issue warnings when possible. It also held that deadly force is unjustified when the suspect poses no immediate threat to the officer and no threat to other, however, some police officers believe because they have a badge they are protected by law, and therefore they abuse their power and do anything that they want to do. This is the beginning of the problem.

No greater difference exists between blacks and whites than the extent to which racism exists in the administration of justice (Seltzer and Johnson, 2009). Blacks and Hispanics are far more likely than whites to believe that racism pervades the justice system from arrests to prosecutions to convictions to length and type of incarceration (Weitzer and Tuch, 1999). There have been many cases where a policeman has targeted an arrest towards a black person (as shown later in the essay in Ferguson), shot and killed or used excursive force in detaining a civilian, (Eric Garner) resulting in their death. Police use of force – particularly lethal force – is one of the most divisive issues of the twenty-first century. When an officer discharges a weapon, it’s a life changing event. A single bullet – which weighs about .02 pounds and is 10mm long – can end a life, erase a pension, or change the image of those who are sworn to serve and protect (Bergman, 2019). It is fair to say that some police officers act differently towards black people, and in particular, towards black males. There is a common stigma thought by many that black men are dangerous and a threat, however, this assumption is based on racist opinions and views, because it is impossible to gain this opinion by physical appearance. This was the case with 12 year old Tamir Rice, which will be further explores along with other cases.

Why Police Officers Should Wear Body Cameras

Imagine hearing on the news where someone is being accused for not corruptating during an arrest. In most of these cases it is the polices’ word against theirs. How does anyone really know the truth? With police wearing body cameras there would be footage of the arrest taking place. Therefore helping to hopefully clear up the mis conception. Of course there are other circumstances to consider. There could always be an issue of blurry footage or unseen situations that was not in the camera range. Unfortunately that is something that could occur and the camera would not be very helpful. In Most cases the arrest is caught on camera and is beneficial to the police, police department, and citizens to the community.

Police wearing body cameras can be very beneficial for accountability for the criminal as well as the police officer. For the accused suspects, there will most likely be a trial date. Their attorneys will review the footage and figure out the best way to conduct their defence in the courtroom or decide if they want to plead guilty. Oftentimes criminals are arrested under the influence of drugs and or alcohol and do not fully remember all the details of their arrest. They sometimes believe the situation occurs differently then what they may remember or what they feel actually happened. It can be beneficial towards helping a criminal decide if he or she wanted to fight potential charges of resisting arrest. It may also be helpful for the judge to view the video and get a better idea of the situation that occured.

Body cameras can be beneficial to police officers when their character is being question and if protocol was being followed during the arrest. Unfortunately today there are many reports of unfair police reporting due to prejudice against race, religion, sex, etc. By having this footage, this can be disputed fairly because it is not one person’s word against the other but rather actual video proof, therefore eliminating any doubt about whether the crime actually occurred the way the police stated. This could potentially save the police officer from having to go through a lengthy trial to defend his character.

Cameras can also help police in the way of documentation. Accurate documentation is very important for police to have, because it can be very useful in helping to prove the guilt or innocence of a potential criminal. Sometimes during an arrest actions unfold quickly and when the officer is ready to write his or her report they may not quite remember it fully. The officer can then go back and watch the footage of the arrest and get the any forgotten information they needed to complete their report. Attorneys use this documentation in helping to outline their defense stagrities in the courtroom. By having the body cameras they can conduct an accurate report from viewing the footage showing them exactly how the situation occurred. The body camera shows how the criminal is behaving towards to the cop and also how the cop is handling the situation. The camera also provides complete media of the incident, so you will have all the proof you need..

With the presence body cameras, it can be very helpful with training new police. The Chief of police can use the film to help the new police in training. He can use the film to demonstrate to the police trainees how to handle the situation correctly. The videos can demonstrate protocols that are in place and how they are used in the field. They can potentially be used to show how not following protocol can result in a more dangerous situation. It can open up discussions in class about the correct way to react in certain situations, and therefore will insure their ability to perform their duties in the field with confidence that they are doing it accurately. This should also help to ensure their safety out in the real-world. The Police Academy can use this tool in classes to quiz trainnies on how they would handle the situation by viewing portions of the video and having discussion about what is being viewed. This can help the instructor to see potentially where his officer in training may need more instruction and training. They can be helpful in training situations where a crime is being simulated and the student is being tested on how they handle the situation. They can then view the video later in the classroom setting and discuss whether is was handled correctly or not. Once they have decided if they handled the simulation correctly they can feel confident on sending them out to patrol the real-world.

It can be speculated that body cameras could possibly help reduce the rate of instances where people are resisting arrest. If police are required to wear body cameras, people may be less likely to resist arrest knowing that they could not prove their innocence because it would be caught on camera. They might even show more respect to police officers knowing that they are being filmed.

One could assume that body cameras could help in the community by deterring criminals from breaking the law knowing they were on camera as well as exposing any police officers that demonstrate improper policies. Police officers would have to be accountable for their actions and they could potentially face criminal charges as well as being removed them from the force. If it showed the officer having negative behavior, using unnecessary force or discrimination this could result in serious consequences. By this being advent we could remove these officers that are the bad seeds and hopefully make the community a safer place and renew trust in the police force.

All and all it appears that body cameras would be very beneficial. Not only could it help out the suspect being arrested, as well as the officer. But it could also help with the community. It seems to be noticed that people will conduct themselves in a different manner when they know they are in the public eye. So between mandatory body cameras that police wear as well as cameras that are on public streets, businesses, and or homes, maybe the police body cameras would help eliminate the blame game that goes on between police officer and the suspect he or she is arresting. Over time body cameras could improve safety for our officers as well as the community which is never a bad thing.

The Issues Of Modern Police Officers

In this essay I will focus on some of the problems with police officers. I will talk about homicide trends, drug overdose trends, and gun control trends. I will talk about my concerns. I will talk about the problem with racism in police departments. I will talk about crime and police conduct, race relations, gun control and drug abuse. I chose this topic because I felt as if there are many different things that are in need of change in this topic and it is a decently broad topic.

According to Crime and Police Conduct, they state “police treatment of blacks and other minorities, relations between citizens and police remain troubled,” (peter katel) homicide rates seem to be increasing mainly in larger cities. They want to look at the use of excessive force in officers. With the new era of cell phones and police body cameras. They are able to see interactions with officers and the general public. Homicide is increasing in larger cities. Which adds a new debate with police conduct toward minorities. They state “debate over police conduct toward minorities sparked by a series of deaths at police hands in recent years.” (peter katel) Violent crimes remain and are a danger to society, especially in a few minority communities. In 2015 the homicide rates increased by 16 percent. The reasons they believe are the cause states “easy access to guns by young men with few job prospects, gang feuds, disputes over social media postings, an enforcement pullback by police in response to heightened public scrutiny – or some combination of these factors.” according to the article “minorities see themselves at greatest risk of being victimized by crime, as well as by police misconduct.” In a study that was conducted about two thirds of African Americans stated that them or a family member suffered mistreatment by police because of their race.

I believe that is article is important to my topic because mistreatment of minorities has become a problem more recently. People are being mistreated because of their race. We’ve tried so hard to make sure that everyone has the same rights and that everyone is a person. But the fact that some officers are mistreating someone because of their race. It sets us back because if everyone is supposed to have the same rights then why are people being mistreated to begin with. I personally believe that officers should be trained to treat everyone with the same respect. If they expect us to respect them they need to respect everyone else the exact same. Minorities are terrified of officers because they feel like they’re going to be mistreated. We hear on the news all the time about officers firing their guns at an innocent person. I feel like that wasn’t really a thing before but now it feels as if that is a common thing. It’s wrong in my opinion for people to be scared of officers they should be seen as the people who are here to help us. When they actually are seen by some people as the enemy. Innocent people shouldn’t be scared or think of officers as the enemy. But it’s not their fault for thinking of them that way. I believe it’s the officers doing because they are the ones mistreating people. And it’s not all officers that mistreat people there are plenty of officers that do their job correctly but for the ones that we hear about on the news. The ones that make everyone unsafe are the ones that I feel need to be retrained to make everyone feel safe and protected.

According to Race Relations, two officers were shot in a protest. They have stated “That demonstration followed the resignation of the police chief and the release of a blistering Department of Justice report documenting a pattern of racist behavior by the police department and local courts.” There was an 18 year old African American who was unarmed and was shot and killed by a police officer. The officers left him lying in the street for hours after he was shot. Which made people upset. He was walking in the street and ended up arguing with an officer. The officer told the man to walk on the sidewalk. They ended up fighting each other and the officer said that he feared for his life which resulted in him shooting and killing the man. He left his body laying in the middle of the street for hours. The community was upset by this situation and they ended up protesting for days. “The march justice report said that ferguson’s police department singled out black people for arrest, routinely used force (including with police dogs) against them and issued an excessive number of tickets to African-Americans for traffic and other offenses to rake in revenue. And the report cited emails in which unnamed ‘police and court supervisors’ forwarded racist jokes. In announcing the report, then-attorney general eric holder said that although discriminatory policing issues ‘may be particularly acute in ferguson – they are not confined to any one city, state, or geographic region.’”

This is important because people are scared that they are going to be harmed by officers. There was a case where a guy died while he was in police custody. Innocent people are being shot for doing absolutely nothing. People believe that it is because of their race or beliefs. I just think that officers are being trained to be aggressive and use force on people even when it’s unnecessary. I think that they are threatening people over nothing. One guy was just walking in the street and it ended in an officer shooting and killing the guy and left him there for hours. The fact that an officer can do that and think it is ok is not ok. They are using unnecessary force on people that aren’t doing anything.

According to Gun Control, 26 states have adopted 55 different gun control measures. They are trying to stop gun violence. They have stated that “the new state gun-control laws have, among things, strengthened background checks for firearms purchases, banned bump stocks (which allow semi-automatic weapons to fire hundreds of rounds in a minute) and barred gun ownership for anyone convicted of domestic abuse. Some states also have passed ‘red-flag laws’ that allow police to seek court orders to seize guns from people deemed a threat to themselves or others.” There have been many school shootings. And people are in support for gun control because of it. A few states have passed laws because of school shootings on gun control. In 2018 by october 8th we experienced over 200 mass shootings. A mass shooting is defined as four or more people are injured or killed not counting the shooter. There was a shooting october 4th which resulted in six officers that were wounded and one that was killed. Oregon was the first state to expand their gun control laws after the parkland shooting. They have stated that “theSupreme Court declined to hear challenges to state gun restrictions brought by gun-rights groups.”

I believe that this article is important because it involves both officers and the general public. The shootings aren’t mainly focused on to one group of people. When people are apart of mass shootings they aren’t focusing on certain people that they want to harm. They aren’t just trying to shoot certain people so they will harm officers and the general public. It’s not just the general public that this concerns because it also involves officers and anyone. I think that it is important because more and more shootings are occuring. There have been about the same amount of school shootings this year as there has been school weeks. Which I personally think it’s ridiculous. I personally don’t understand why people want to harm another person. It’s just concerning that this has kinda become normalized. We’ve heard so much about these school shootings it doesn’t really affect us as much. When it wasn’t as common it would be very shocking but know whenever I hear about a school shooting I don’t really think much of it because of how normalized its become. People have become used to the fact that school shootings are happening and I feel as if we’re not really trying to stop it as much as before.

According to Drug Abuse, deaths because of overdoses have increased because of opioids. “State governments are working with federal authorities to address what they are calling public health crisis of addiction to opioid painkillers and heroin. New challenges abound: Pockets of the country are seeing a rise in overdoses of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid painkiller 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, and an even deadlier new drug cocktail called ‘gray death.’” There was a photo of two middle aged people that were passed out due to a heroin overdose. They were in the front seats of the car and her grandson was in the back seat of the car. Officers were able to revive the couple. According to the article they’ve stated that “Dangerous mixes of heroin laced with fentanyl or other synthetic drugs have fueled an increase in drug-overdose deaths even as overall abuse is declining.” The amount of people using hasn’t increased but the amount of deaths are increasing. People are using heroin rather than prescription drugs.

This is important because more and more people are dying because of this. It includes both the general public and officers. It doesn’t just include officers because they are charging more people of drug crimes or the fact that they have to try and help people that are dealing with this. Some officers are also using and overdosing on opioids. There have been recent cases of officers dying because of this. I believe that maybe we need to try and make it more difficult for people to get a hold of these substances. The amount of people using hasn’t increased but the amount of deaths have. It’s concerning that so many people are addicted to these substances.

In conclusion, I talked about trends in homicide, drug overdose, and gun control. I talked about my concerns. And I talked about the problems with racism in police departments. I talked about crime and police conduct, race relations, gun control, and drug abuse.

The Importance Of Physical And Mental Training For Police Officers To Avoid Brutality

On October 2019, an African American was shot at his own apartment by a police officer because she thought that he was an intruder. She was charged with murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. For the past century, there has been a lot of cases in which police officers have acted out of instinct rather than analyzing the situation. Nowadays, we are experiencing a higher level of violent action by police officers that are seemingly not trained. I believe that police officers should have more well-prepared training physically and mentally and to prevent innocent fatalities and family mourning and have accountability.

Police officers should be well trained physically and mentally because of how they react toward a situation. Of course, police officers are going to be ready for anything and need to be alert and aware that they are in a dangerous situation when they are called in or need back-up. But, if they are in a place where they feel threatened, that doesn’t justify for them to shoot automatically. They should first identify themselves and do a “warning shoot” to warn them. For instance, on October of 2019, a woman was shot in her own house because she was mistaken by a robber or intruder. The police officer came in because of a call they received from a concerned neighbor. When he arrived at the house, he noticed that the doors were open and noticed a shadow with a gun by her window and shot the victim without identifying himself. ““I get it,” Chief Kraus said of the widespread public anger that followed the release of body camera video in the case. It showed that Ms. Jefferson had been given no warning that it was a police officer who had crept into her backyard, shined a light into her bedroom window and shouted, “Put your hands up! Show me your hands!” immediately before firing a single fatal shot.” (The New York Times). This case is also related to one that happened a year ago where a man was shot in his own apartment by a police officer because she mistakenly thought it was her apartment and thought that the man was an intruder. The woman was recently convicted this year for murder and was given 10 years of prison (Fox News). It’s understandable how police officers come from a long day and they’re tired. But they still have the responsibility to perform to their best ability at any time and to protect their community. “Criminal justice professor Maria Haberfeld argues that police officers in America are simply not getting enough training.” (Maria Haberfeld, Dudley William 64)

Over the years, there has been some complaints about how police officers abuse their use of weapons. They are believed to use forces without justification or for no reason. Of course, they have the authority to use weapons when needed. Although, if they use a weapon such as taser, CED, pepper spray, baton sticks, or just simply must take them down, they need to know how not to take things too excessively. For example, there was a time where a police officer was being investigated for excessively abusing his use of force by tackling and throwing down and African American (Dudley, William) “But in October 2015 the Civilian Complaint Review Board, an independent New York City agency that handles complaints against police, concluded that while Frascatore may have had legal authority to temporarily detain and interrogate Blake, his use of force was excessive and constituted an abuse of that authority.” (Dudley, William) (Civilian Complaint Review Board). This has been one of many cases where police officers were seen as abusing their powers. It wasn’t necessary for the police officer to react in a violent way to tackle and throw the man down. Also, in some cases, there has been a belief that police officers tend to be more abusive and violent towards African Americans and minorities. For instance, there had been three incidents where they were all African Americans and were all shot by white police officers. This raised questions on how police officers mistreat minorities. The National Association for the Advancement of colored people (NAACP) and Black Lives Matter have concerns of the abuse of police officers against them. “According to their analysis, from 2010 to 2012 white males ages 15 to 19 were killed at a rate of 1.47 per million individuals. From 2010 to 2012 black males ages 15 to 19 were killed at a rate of 31.17 per million–a rate 21 times higher than for whites.” (ProPublica). This proves how African Americans tend to confront police officers and are killed more than white males. ‘African Americans are statistically more likely to be arrested than other groups, are more likely to have force used against them, and are more likely to be killed in confrontations with police.” (Dudley, William) There was a specific case where an eighteen-year-old was killed by a police officer in an unnecessary act of matter. In addition to this there has also been body camera footage and surveillance videos that prove and show us how police officers contradict their stories about how a crime scene happened or try to mix up their stories to what actually happened. For instance, a man was shot by a police officer because of a concern of a license plate (Dudley, William). “University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing shot and killed Samuel DuBose at a traffic stop concerning a missing license plate. Tensing initially claimed DuBose was threatening him with his vehicle; surveillance and body camera footage seemed to contradict his story. Tensing was indicted for murder and voluntary manslaughter and faces a possible prison sentence.” (Dudley, William). This adds up to the fact that police officers need to be more aware of how their actions are impacting the communities concern about their safety.

Another occurrence in which raised questions as to how police officers abuse their power is that they don’t hold accountability towards a crime that has been committed and which can result not having trust towards police officers. There have been many cases where police officers are investigated for a shooting but go unpunished or are on what they call administrative leave until the investigation is closed. On November 2015, Jason Van Dyke, was sentenced for the death of a 17-year-old African American. “Van Dyke, a white officer, had shot the seventeen-year-old African American sixteen times on October 20, 2014, in an incident that was captured by a video camera on another squad car. Many of the shots were fired after McDonald fell to the ground from the initial burst of gunfire.” (Dudley, William). Although he was convicted, many people were protesting and angry not only for the police officers’ actions, but because of how the police department act towards the crime and their actions. It had to come to that incident for the department to accuse him. There had already been many complaints on how the police officer acted inappropriately in other cases. And, the fact that they didn’t fire him in that moment but was assigned to desk duty made people realize how the department didn’t held accountability for the police officer’s actions. 84% of police officer reports that they’ve seen them use excessive force and only 61% admit that they don’t always report even serious crimes because they most likely curb it. (Dudley, William) ““There’s shockingly little accountability for police and other law enforcement…. Indictments for police homicides are rare, and convictions almost nonexistent,”(3) writes journalist Jamelle Bouie. Suggested reforms to increase police accountability include the use of independent investigators to address complaints of police abuse and greater civilian oversight of police departments.” (Dudley, William, Jamelle Bouie). Police officers go to work every day not knowing if they’ll come back. They should think about the victim’s family whenever they’re pointing a gun at somebody. All of these loses and cases where a victim dies out of a fatal shooting, their families are in pain and want justice to be served. That’s something that police officers and the department need to take in consideration.

Police officers must be responsible in what they do. Either it being preventing crimes, helping those who need protection or the community, and other services. We see police officers as our guardians who represent to protect us and make us feel safe. “Critics argue that police need more training on how to communicate and interact with people, how to avoid or de-escalate confrontations, and how police actions (such as use of force) may impact the department’s and officer’s relationship with the community.” (Dudley, William) Police officers should have more time for training, communicate more effectively, and improve in their use of force. Police officers set a role models to kids who look up to them and might want to be them one day. Not only is an innocent life taken but their family members are left behind. Wanting a “love you” from their loved one before their last breath or to at least be able to say goodbye to them.

The Peculiarities Of Police Officers’ Training

There has been a lot of news and social media coverage on police brutality and shootings leading to a push for police retraining. The aftermath of events like Ferguson, Missouri, New York, Baltimore, and Cincinnati, Ohio. Has led to the development of many social activist groups such as Black Lives Matter, Cops Watch, and Cop Block.

Which has fueled the discussion on police training and how citizens have become proactive in patrolling their communities using technology with cameras as surveillance. Taken this approach versus reactively turning on their cameras when police enter their neighborhoods or when they happen to be around police activity.

Examining how police are being trained and continued training; in areas of approaching suspects, mentally health population, shooting of unarmed suspects, and mass shootings. Evaluating a variety of training polices in various police departments and partnerships to assess the differences in how police are trained to address issues. I will look at these cases to see if there is a difference in policies. Correlating these training policies against the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) guide to examine if various competencies are being meet. This will help in identifying gaps in training and the need for further evaluations, amendments, and recommendations.

Police Training

All police officers go to training. Receiving an offer of employment is not immediately accompanied by a badge, uniform, and set of keys to your new cruiser. Completion of an academy and field training program will be the final step to becoming a full-fledged officer.

Each state and jurisdiction have different training requirements. Training can be gained at such places like community college, state sponsored institutions, in house training programs after the hiring process or sponsorship to attend an academy somewhere else. Whichever route a potential officer take, rest assured, they will receive extensive training prior to been put on the streets.

There is no standard national curriculum, but the state may guide agencies in developing training programs. Each state has a Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) or similar entity which establishes minimum selection standards for law enforcement officers, sets minimum education and training standards, and serves as the certification or licensing authority for sworn personnel (1). These agencies may be helpful in getting an idea of your state’s approach to law enforcement training.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Training Agencies (CSLLEA) (2011) From 2004 to 2008, the total number of full-time local police employees increased by 20,000 (3.5%) to about 593,000 (Table1).

The 2008 CSLLEA included 17,985 state and local law enforcement agencies employing at least one full-time officer or the equivalent in part-time officers. The total included:

• 12,501 local police departments
• 3,063 sheriffs’ offices
• 50 primary state law enforcement agencies
• 1,733 special jurisdiction agencies
• 638 other agencies, primarily county constable offices in Texas.

Increasing hiring police offices, agencies must be equipped to handle the needs and requirements of this highly active public sector job. Although, recruitment increased, there was a net decrease in full time sworn personal, employed by state and local law enforcement agencies in 2002-2004.

There is an apparent need for training and many police officer’s organizations have stepped up to fulfill that need in conjunction with officers. For instance, to meet the needs of police officers serving rural communities, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) worked in collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and numerous rural Indian tribal police agencies to develop a basic training program that would focus on training officers to respond to police calls in which they have little or no backup. In 2011, FLETC and its BIA and Indian tribal police partners began to make the training need become reality. For two years, they held numerous working group meetings to discuss every aspect of law enforcement training to determine the curriculum for the Rural Police Officer Training Program (Smoot, 2016).

Community policing is an organizational philosophy that promotes community and police partnerships, and focuses on proactive problem solving and community engagement to address the causes of crime, fear of crime or being a victim of crime, and other community issues. By effectively training officers to address the people and issues that they were sworn to sever gives each party a stronger sense of community. It also, shows that the police officer is part of the community and should not be seen as threat. As Block (2011) mentions, effective leadership is the building blocks to a continued relationship building.

To define the role of a police officer one must understand completely the role of the police in today’s world and to ensure that cognate basic recruit training programs are the rule rather than the exception. A framework has always been necessary for viewing the police function. So that training planners include within any given training program all of the actual activities in which police become involved during their daily tours of duty, based on the realities of police work. As such, officers all across the law enforcement community embarked on their respective job task analysis efforts in agencies’ attempts to define exactly what basic training was important and how much of it was needed in any given area of the job. For many peace officer standards and training (POST) units, this has proved to be a very fluid process, which means that job task analyses must be reevaluated to stay up to date with what is happening in the society at large at any given time (John, 2016).

While police officers remain our primary first responders to active shooter incidents and mass-casualty events. Responding officers can prevent unnecessary deaths by addressing immediate threats, and then providing emergency care including the application of tourniquets and pressure dressings to prevent hemorrhage, triaging casualties, establishing secure casualty collection points, and coordinating care with existing EMS responders.

The time has come to provide officers with basic Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) training and equipment in order to potentially save the lives of victims, bystanders, police officers and suspects in the event they are wounded. TEMS is not intended as a replacement for EMS services; rather, it’s an operational medical element that complements these resources in order to promote the success and safety of the law enforcement mission. Federal, state and local governments should recognize this need and provide the necessary funding to train and equip police officers for an effective response to mass casualties (Gerold, 2013).

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) partnered with the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) to create a one of kind cultural awareness training program tailored to the needs of Las Vegas law enforcement. The online training module was released in September 2011. The module is based on the Law Enforcement Partnership Program training program SALDEF developed in conjunction with national law enforcement professionals in 1999. The training program includes “On Common Ground”, a training video developed by SALDEF and the United States Department of Justice. The training program has been used by numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement departments, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Washington Metropolitan Police Department (Singh, 2012).

In U.S. police department budgets, most funding goes to salaries and equipment, and virtually nothing to training. It is a deadly formula, says Maria Haberfeld of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice (Waldman. 2014).

Police departments can repair and strengthen community relationships by understanding and training officers on three key concepts: procedural justice, bias reduction, and racial reconciliation. Together and when implemented, these concepts create an environment in which effective partnerships between the police and citizens can flourish. The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office seeks to provide these critical resources to ensure integrity and ethics are well-understood and embedded in the culture of policing.

With the help of COPS Boston Police Department has developed an Enhancing Cultures of Integrity Technical Assistance Guide (2010). This guide has 7 Strategies for project development and implementation; 1) Self-Assessment Techniques for Internal Monitoring, 2) Improving Citizen Complaint Processes, 3) Ensuring Accountability to the Community on Special Events Planning and Intelligence Collection, 4) Adaptation of Command Staff Integrity Training, 5) Review and Enhancement of Use of Force Policy and Training, 6) Recruitment Initiative, 7) Transition Team Focus Groups.

This technical guide is similar to SHM Competencies by outlining specific strategies. For example, Strategy 5: Review and Enhancement of Use of Force Policy and Training. The BPD planned to deliver 1-day training sessions to police chiefs and senior managers on the complexities and responsibilities associated with using force in the line of duty. The proposed training model would employ case studies to help participants:

• Engage their beliefs and experiences about using force
• Examine and discuss police accountability in the field
• Study the impact of using force on community/police relations
• Consider the relationship between use of force issues and police integrity/leadership

This is the type of framework that every police agency needs to be effective in address those components that are relevant to the neighborhoods that they serve as well as standard in force, communication, community building, and interviewing.

In conclusion, there must be ways to provide necessary basic recruit academy training and continued training. Allowing recruits to have hands on training and current officers continued training while serving the public, at the same time. One means of striking this balance is to utilize a staggered agenda, along with mandated step-by-step certification levels. States like Texas, over the past decade, has developed personnel expertise. Satisfying the interests of specialized interest groups and legislated training mandates.

Input from all levels of personnel; Chiefs, Academy Directors, and POST commissions can and should provide recommendations regarding line personnel training issues as well as a supervisory curriculum. In house training styles should reflects a step-by-step, progressive education program. Offering both mandated training topics as well as discretionary training preferences within defined timelines.

Reference

1. Block, P., 2011. Flawless consulting: A guide to getting your expertise used. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.
2. Bernd, C., 2014. Police Departments Retaliate Against Organized” Cops Watch” Groups Across the US. Retrieved from http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/26527-police-departments-retaliate-against-organized-cop-watch-groups-across-the-us September 23, 2016
3. Connolly, J., September 2016. Rethinking Police. The PoliceChief Retrieved from http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=1667&issue_id=112008#2 September 15, 2016
4. Georold, K., 2013. National Tactical Officers Association Calls for Increased Emergency Medical Training for Police. Law Officer. Retrieved from http://lawofficer.com/2013/10/national-tactical-officers-association-calls-for-increased-emergency-medical-training-for-police-officers/ September 21, 2016
5. Grossi, D., 2011. Police firearms training: How often should you be shooting? PoliceOne. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/legal-and-compliance/employment-law/pages/shooting-deaf-man-inadequate-police-training.aspx September 16, 2016
6. Singh, K., 2012. Las Vegas Police Department Develops Cultural Awareness Training Program. Law Officer. Retrieved from http://lawofficer.com/2012/01/las-vegas-police-department-develops-cultural-awareness-training-program/ September 21, 2016
7. Smith, A., 2016. Fatal Shooting of Deaf Man Raises Concerns About Police Training.
8. SHRM. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/legal-and-compliance/employment-law/pages/shooting-deaf-man-inadequate-police-training.aspx September 13, 2016
9. Smoot, R., 2016. Rural Police Officer Training. Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers Journal. Retrieved from https://www.fletc.gov/fletc-journal September 14,2016
10. Unknown Author, July 2011 Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Training Agencies. Retrieved from http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/csllea08.pdfSeptember 14, 2016
11. Unknown Author, 2010. Boston Police Department Enhancing Cultures of Integrity and Technical Assistance Guide. COPS. Retrieved September 16, 2016 from http://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-p184-pub.pdf
12. Unknown Author, 2016 International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training, Model Minimum State Standards For Post Administration, on the Retrieved from http://www.iadlest.org/standards September 12, 2016.
13. Waldman, P., 2014. Expert: U.S. Police Training in Use of Deadly Force Woefully Inadequate. The American Prospect. http://prospect.org/article/expert-us-police-training-use-deadly-force-woefully-inadequate September 23, 2016