Police officers are the individuals charged with the task of maintaining law and order and ensuring the security of the population.
To fulfill these roles, police officers are empowered to investigate suspicious activities and even use force to coerce suspects into compliance or deter aggressive parties from harming citizens.
As a rule, the society expects police officers to conduct themselves in a manner that is above reproach. However, this is not always the case and there have been cases of law enforcement officers engaging in police misconduct which includes any inappropriate behavior by a police that can be classified as either immoral or illegal or both.
Use of excessive force and racial/ethnic profiling are arguably the most problematic misconducts facing the police. Some researchers therefore suggest that more steps should be taken to control offenses such as use of excessive force and racial/ethnic profiling by the police.
They further on propose the use of stronger disciplinary measures to help deter officers from misconduct and also help weed out the offending officers from the forces.
Opponents Position
Jost (2012) argues that the racial profiling exhibited by law enforcement officers is a police issue, not a race issue . He notes that even in departments where majority of the police officers are White non-Hispanics, blacks and Hispanics are still overrepresented in arbitrary traffic stops.
The racial profiling is therefore the result of the training, culture and customs within the department that ingrains a profiling culture in the officers.
Jost (2012) also suggests that race and class are tied up with crime which results in racial and ethnic considerations being made when fighting crime.
Because of this, police officers are trained to target groups which may be more predisposed to breaking the law. To solve this problem, police officials need to come up with policies that ensure that profiling based on race or ethnicity does not happen.
Jost (2012) declares that police should do more to address the issue of misconduct and in particular to control the use of excessive force.
The author notes that it is only a small number of police officers who engage in the use of excessive force and this abuse of power tarnishes that reputation of entire police departments.
The author notes that the legal standards are loose and the city governments are not doing enough to address the situation.
For this reason, the Federal government should step in and take measures by giving guidance on use of force by police. (Jost 2012) recommends that proper training and better supervision could help in reducing excessive force by police.
Jost (2012) reveals that while the rates of police violence today are less frequent than in the 1960s, the use of excessive force is still present today.
He suggests that law enforcement agencies should adopt stronger disciplinary measures to deal with officers who are guilty of misconduct. The presently employed disciplinary measures are lenient with police officers who engage in offenses being allowed to remain on the force.
In cases where police officers are removed from the force, they are still able to find work within the law enforcement agency.
It is proposed that a system of decertifying where an officer found with misconduct is prevented from every taking part in police work should be adopted by police departments all over the country.
My Position
The use of force is sometimes unavoidable as police officers carry out their work. Kaariainen et al. (2008) state that police officers are constantly in interaction with hostile people who may present them with physical danger.
The problem of excessive force comes about since police may not know what level of force to resort to as a situation degenerates rapidly.
Additional training is required to police officers to be informed on the best way to resolve confrontations. Kinnaird (2007) states that an emphasis on non-physical means of eliciting the compliance of the offender would be best suited for to reduce levels of excessive force.
Many policies used in law enforcement agencies are made at the top level of the organization without consulting with the police officers who are supposed to implement.
This results in a tendency by police officers to disregard some of the policies since they are imposed on them without their input. This lack of support for the policies can be reduced by consulting with police officers at all levels at the formulation stage of the policies.
Kinnaird (2007) notes that including the opinion of police officers leads to increased support for guidelines and translates to lower levels of misconduct by police officers
Imposition of stronger disciplinary measures for misconduct might results in fewer reports of misconduct especially by fellow police officers.
Kaariainen et al. (2008) documents that police officers have strong bonds of loyalty towards colleagues as a result of isolation from the surrounding community. Police officers turn to each other for moral and emotional support and they place great loyalty on one another.
The code of silence which is an understanding among officers that they should not uncover any misconduct among each other therefore prevails in many departments.
Stronger disciplinary measures will only resort in less reports of misconduct since police officers will not want to jeopardize the careers of the colleagues.
Some police officers are more likely to engage in misconduct than others. With this consideration, better screening mechanisms should be employed when recruiting police officers.
Doing this will ensure that individuals who are predisposed to engaging in misconduct are prevented from joining the police department.
Kinnaird (2007) observes that there are a number of psychological tests which can be employed to identify depressive and sadistic applicants and prevent them from becoming police officers and therefore reduce future police misconduct cases.
The education level of police officers should also be considered when recruiting. A study by Manis, Carol & Kimberly (2008) showed that police officers with a college education were less likely to be reported for misconduct compared with police officers with a high school education.
Police officers with above high school education qualifications should therefore be employed.
Merging the Two Opinions
Racial and Ethnic profiling by police officers is prevalent and as Jost (2012) suggests, this is as a result of customers within police departments. Considering this, the issue would be best addressed by having police officers follower clearly outlined procedures when engaging in police work.
Police officers would be required to justify their actions and an emphasize place on following department policy. In such a scenario, police officers would be less likely to engage in misconduct since it would be easy to flag down those who deviated from procedure and engaged in misconduct.
Jost (2012) agrees that police officers operate with limited guidance and they have a lot of discretional powers especially when handling tense situations.
Coming up with clear guidelines of operation will reduce this discretional powers and result in less misbehavior. However, the police officers need to be involved in the formulation of the guidelines and their input and opinion should be considered.
Some incidents of misconduct are caused by ignorance on polices on the part of the police officer. Manis et al. (2008) report that some officers violate their departmental policies since they are unaware of the right courses of action. Police officers should therefore be kept aware of departmental policies.
As it has been noted, there are some stereotypical views held by police officers. Jost (2012) blames these biases for the high cases of ethnic and racial profiling experienced by some police departments.
These biases should be acknowledged and proactive steps taken to deal with them.
Screening mechanisms employed during recruitment can be used to single out people with extreme biases and stop them from joining the police department.
Conclusion
Our police force is troubled by cases of misconduct which decreases the effectiveness of law enforcement officers. Dealing with excessive force and preventing racial and ethnic profiling should therefore be a priority for our police departments.
This paper has argued that additional training, involvement of police officers in policy formulation and better screening mechanisms when recruiting police officers should be used to help decrease the levels of police misconduct.
It showed that while enacting new policies might be a good step, gaining the support of police officers by including their input in the policies will make them more effective.
Kaariainen, J., Tomi, L., Ahti, L., & Joycelyn, P. (2008). The Code of Silence: Are Self-Report Surveys a Viable Means for Studying Police Misconducts? Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention, 9(1), 8696.
Kinnaird, B.A. (2007). Exploring liability profiles: a proximate cause analysis of police misconduct: part II. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 9(3), 201213.
Manis, J., Carol, A.A., & Kimberly, D.H. (2008). Exploring the impact of police officer education level on allegations of police misconduct. International Journal of Police Science and Management, 10 (4), 509523.
The United States continues to experience police violence at an alarming rate. A study in 2018 revealed that the police kill more than three hundred citizens every year (Cobbinah and Jan 995). Another research showed that one in one thousand young African American males are likely to die in the hands of the law enforcement in the country (Ehrenfeld and Patrice 2). This information reveals that much of the brutality has a basis in racism.
One of the effects of police brutality is the harm to peoples health. Study shows that the victims of police brutality soon suffer from illnesses after an encounter (Ehrenfeld and Patrice 3). It is suggested that the effects are especially higher when the law enforcement unevenly applies force on African American individuals in contrast to their White counterparts in a community (Ehrenfeld and Patrice 3). For example, a study discovered a connection between living in minority communities with a large concentration of force utilization by police against the public and a greater risk of obesity and diabetes (Holmes IV 4). Nevertheless, the police using force in such communities was also related to the lower risk of poor health (Holmes IV 4). The findings came before the research accounted for the ethno-racial composition of the community.
Police brutality has been known to be a cause of mental illnesses, for example, anxiety. Individuals who have had an encounter with the police officer using force against them have afterward lived a difficult life (Peeples 22). There are those that have reported that as soon as they see a police car or hear the siren, their hearts beat at a higher rate than normal (Peeples 22). Additionally, there are those who still have flashbacks of what happened to them. For instance, a child who witnessed their parent being harassed to the point of death, will forever have those memories. Others have entered into depression with the majority either having suicidal thoughts or committing suicide.
Another effect of police brutality, apart from health issues, is death. A study revealed that the use of force by the law enforcement is a major cause of death amongst the young African Americans (Peeples 23). The findings showed that over the course of lifetime, around one in every one thousand individuals are likely to die, mostly between the age of twenty and thirty-five years (Peeples 23). The researchers utilized information from an impartial, journalist-led program seeking to establish a nationwide database that involves interactions with the law enforcement (Pillay 317). They accounted in total for about eleven thousand police encounters in the analysis which examined at how race, age as well as sex impacted mortality risk (Pillay 317). They discovered that the greatest levels of inequality in deaths are experienced by African American males.
It is critical to note that the risk of dying in the hands of the law enforcement is twenty times as high for males generally as it is for females of any ethnic group. To be specific, the risk is one in two thousand generally for males in contrast to one in thirty-three thousand for females (Schwartz 3). Moreover, African American males were nearly twice more likely to die than white males, while females from that community too were at the same rate. The same is for the other minority groups (Knopf et al. 460). This is alarming when police brutality is compared with other death causes. Trailing behind cancer, HIV, accidents, homicide, suicide and heart diseases, it is the leading cause of death.
Nonetheless, more young African Americans died due to the police violence than they due to health conditions such as influenza, pneumonia, respiratory illnesses, and diabetes. When examining the same statistics, the ranking remains almost similar with diabetes overtaking the three law enforcement brutality mortality rate (Schwartz 5). According to CD, police brutality still accounts for more death cases every year than chronic lower conditions, influenza, pneumonia and cerebrovascular.
Potential Solutions to the Issue of Racism (Evidence, Statistics, Example)
The issue of racism is one that has led to police brutality that has been witnessed in the American society for a long time. There have been cases of White individuals in the police force using their power to mistreat or harass African American individuals. For instance, in the last two years, there have been more than two cases that received nationwide attention as they were recorded and the videos went viral on social media (Stelkia 2). It has reached a point that even young children have learned words that seek to cause others feel underappreciated. It is possible to stop the issue from continuing through certain measures as explained below.
The first step Americans can take is learning how to recognize as well as comprehend ones privilege. Understanding racial privilege and utilizing it to dismantle systemic discrimination are two approaches to start this complex procedure. Nevertheless, race is only a single aspect of privilege (Stelkia 3). There are others, for example, religion, ability status, sexuality, gender, socio-economic status, citizenship and language. All these have the capacity to impact ones level of privilege. For instance, someone who is rich is treated differently from that who is not. Using a privilege to empower one another instead of discriminating or seeking to undermine is among the ways to deal with the issue of racism.
The other measure to take is validating the experiences as well as feelings of individuals of color. This can be accomplished by supporting people of color and engaging in difficult dialogues concerning injustice and race (Holmes IV 7). Americans should not be afraid to discuss discrimination and oppression for fear of hurting others. Rather, everyone should take action and learn the ways that racial profiling continues to influence the society, for instance, through watching documentaries or reading books. One can liken the issue to domestic violence whereby an advocate learns about it through listening to survivors.
Another step of dealing with racism is by challenging the colorblind concept. This is pervasive misinformation that people live in a post-racial society whereby they do not see each others skin color. Perpetuating this contributes to racial discrimination more than the majority think. When Dr. King, Jr. stated his hope for being in a world that does not see color, he did not imply that individuals need to ignore race. It is difficult to remove racism without acknowledging it first. Being colorblind means ignoring a major part of someones identity as well as dismissing the actual injustices that most encounter due to their skin color. It is important to see color first in order to collaborate for equality and equity.
The other step to take for Americans is calling out statements or jokes that appear racist. It is important to let everyone understand that racist comments are not right to make. If one is uncomfortable or does not feel safe being confrontational, they should attempt to explain their thought process and ask questions. For instance, explaining to someone that their joke might be funny but it means something else to a person of color. People should escape from the fear of having conversations with colleagues, friends and family. Failing to say anything about it means agreement which may be fatal in future.
Another step is finding out how a company or educational institution is working to expand chances for minority groups or treating those from such communities. The AAPF stated that in 2014, a twelve-year old encountered criminal charges and expulsion from her school for writing on the walls of a locker room. Campaigns such as #BlackGirlsMatter address issues of under protected and over policed African American females within the education system. It is essential for organizations to address such matters and foster a culture or equality and equity.
To fully understand how police brutality is affecting the society and how to fix the situation of racism, an interview was conducted, as detailed below, to help confirm some of the information available. The interviewee is a police officer who asked for his personal details not to be revealed for fear of losing his job. He has worked in the law enforcement for about fifteen years. Thus, he is experienced and information he provides is dependable.
Interview
The aim of this interview was to identify the effects of police brutality on the society, racism and the solutions to both. The interviewee detailed that police violence for a long time has been part of the culture in the United States law enforcement. Upon starting to work, one is forced into choosing either to stay with the good side or the bad side. He claimed that not everyone is courageous to say no to the bad side recruiters especially when there are top leaders in that category. At the start of his career, his then boss approached him and asked him which side he chose. He did not understand initially until he went for patrol. His first experience defined his career for the next ten years.
The interviewee shared that for the police involved in brutality, it reaches a point it seems as a sport which explains why the cases continue to increase as detailed in the first section of the paper. They view their victims as preys and they are the predators. The section of the officers that do not allow this to happen in their presence are isolated and can even be denied a chance to enter into certain groups or places such as police bars. Ninety-five percent of those that act wrongly are White officers while the remaining comprises of those from the minority groups. Majority of the latter were forced into that life due to fear. He detailed that they would have meeting s and set target for every one of them on how many people they would arrest wrongfully. If the individuals refused to comply, they would be encouraged to shoot them as the Police Union would defend them in Court.
Upon inquiring what might have been the motive behind all this, the interviewee claimed that the violence stems from racism. He claims that all the wrong acts he has witness, are against the African Americans. In a year, he counted between three hundred and four hundred deaths resulted from violence according to their national meetings they hold annually. This is accurate since a study in 2018 revealed that the police were responsible for the death of more than three hundred people every year (Cobbinah and Jan 995). The interviewer questioned the officer desiring to understand the reason behind his choice away from that life.
He detailed that he has been part of an incident that led to the death of his sons friend and basketball teammate. This was his turning point as he thought about the situation as if he had killed his child. Additionally, he stated that some of the people especially the youth that they had harassed in the past, do not seem healthy psychologically. He explained of an incident that when he was heading home one evening and a young boy got a panic attack. After abandoning the life involving working against the public, he chose to join a group that deals with social issues. He claimed that he has met many cases of depressed individuals especially from the minority groups. This information is essential as it supports the argument on the effects of police brutality on the society.
Conclusion
Police brutality is an issue that has been affecting the United States for a long time and it seems that the rate of cases continues to rise. It is not right that individuals in power let the situation worsen. It is important that the root causes be understood and solved. For instance, racism, which has been identified as one of the reasons the police officers have been involved in violence against the public, needs to be solved first.
Works Cited
Cobbinah, Stefania Sarsah, and Jan Lewis. Racism & Health: A Public Health Perspective on Racial Discrimination. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, vol. 24, no. 5, 2018, pp. 995-998. Web.
Ehrenfeld, Jesse M., and Patrice A. Harris. Police Brutality Must Stop. American Medical Association, vol. 29, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-4. Web.
Holmes IV, Oscar. Police Brutality and Four Other Ways Racism Kills Black People. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 39, no. 7, 2020, pp. 1-7. Web.
Knopf, Amelia, et al. A Review of Nursing Position Statements on Racism Following the Murder of George Floyd and Other Black Americans. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, vol. 32, no. 4, 2021, pp. 453-466. Web.
Peeples, Lynne. What The Data Say About Police Brutality and Racial Biasand Which Reforms Might Work. Nature, vol. 16, no. 5, 2020, pp. 22-24. Web.
Pillay, Anthony L. Basic rights caught in the web of racism, classism and police brutality. South African Journal of Psychology vol.50 (3), 2020, pp.316-319. Web.
Schwartz, Stephan A. Police brutality and racism in America. Explore (New York, NY) vol.16 (5), 2020, pp.1-10.
Stelkia, Krista. Police brutality in Canada: a symptom of structural racism and colonial violence. Policy Brief vol.10 (72), 2020, pp.1-4. Web.
Law enforcement is a field that is influenced by both internal and external forces. Agencies are operating in this encounter financial, organizational, social, and economic pressures from different stakeholders. They should also interact positively with communities and deliver desirable services. This discussion explains why (and how) external and internal stakeholders can influence the future of police brutality.
Internal and External Stakeholder
Law enforcement is an integral part of the wider criminal justice system. There are internal stakeholders who are connected in such a way that desired goals are realized. These include judges, police officers, parole officers, lawyers, judges, court personnel, and probation officers (Obasogie & Newman, 2017). These players must liaise with each other in order to apprehend and prosecute offenders. Suspects and criminals are also categorized as internal stakeholders. The ultimate goal of these players is to maintain the integrity of every law enforcement agency in the country.
External stakeholders include politicians, businesses, and media houses. Schulenberg, Chenier, Buffone, and Wojciechowski (2015) indicate that society is part of this group. The media is also tasked with reporting incidences of crime while community members are affected by any form of criminality. Politicians and policymakers are external players who formulate desirable laws to deal with offenders.
Influences
The above stakeholders have influenced the problem of police brutality either positively or negatively. To begin with, internal stakeholders such as police officers and judges have been observed to enforce the law discriminatively. Consequently, more citizens have been affected by the problem. They are also some lawyers who have worked hard to deliver positive results and address the needs of those who are affected by police brutality (Obasogie & Newman, 2017). Some officers and personnel have failed to apprehend and prosecute the right people. They have also victimized others based on their racial backgrounds.
External stakeholders such as media houses, businesses, and societies have used their positions to address this predicament. For instance, the media is always keen to report cases to do with police brutality. They also dig deeper to analyze shootings and different forms of abuse. However, some community members tend to promote malpractices such as racism and inequality (Wahl, 2014). Such misbehaviors have been replicated by police officers and law enforcers. Some policymakers and politicians also work hard to promote superior policies and initiatives that can be used to tackle this problem.
Addressing the Problem
The outlined stakeholders can be considered in an attempt to deal with the above problem since it affects the welfare of many American citizens. The first initiative that should be considered is to engage external stakeholders. These will include family members, communities, businesses, companies, and learning institutions. Such groups will work together to promote superior campaigns that challenge the malpractice. Individuals should also be sensitized about the dangers of police brutality and how it can affect every citizen in the country (Obasogie & Newman, 2017). Policymakers can be encouraged to propose and support powerful laws that have the potential to deal with police brutality. Such policies will encourage more officers to become responsible.
Internal stakeholders should be considered in an attempt to deal with the targeted problem. Lawyers and judges can be empowered and informed about the issues associated with police brutality. Police and correctional officers can be guided to apprehend suspected criminals efficiently and stop relying on their racial backgrounds (Schulenberg et al., 2015). Different law enforcement departments and agencies can be guided to engage in effective policing. Basically, the major stakeholders will be informed about the dangers of police brutality. These actors can coordinate to identify the major catalysts of this malpractice and propose evidence-based measures to deal with it (Wahl, 2014). They will also focus on new policies and campaigns to transform the situation and meet the needs of all citizens.
Motivation
Police brutality remains a major predicament that affects every aspect of American society. Those who are impacted by the malpractice find it hard to achieve their aims in life. Malpractice has also been observed to promote racism and inequality. These challenges explain why all people must be encouraged to support the implementation of new policies aimed at tackling misbehavior (Obasogie & Newman, 2017). It will, therefore, be appropriate to use a powerful strategy to motivate more persons to buy into the proposed solution.
The use of campaigns will sensitize more individuals about the history and true picture of police brutality. Statistics and emerging issues will also be presented to them. They will also be informed about the importance of ethical policing and how it can fulfill every citizens needs (Wahl, 2014). This kind of motivation will ensure that the proposed solution is accepted by all stakeholders and reduce the level of brutality in the country.
Conclusion
The law enforcement field is comprised of both external and internal stakeholders. This means that different players have dictated or influenced the nature of most of the obstacles affecting the country, such as police brutality. The above stakeholders should support the introduction of powerful policies to address this misbehavior and empower more citizens in the United States. They should also be motivated in an attempt to deliver positive results.
References
Obasogie, O. K., & Newman, Z. (2017). Police violence, use of force policies, and public health. American Journal of Law & Medicine, 43, 279-295.
Schulenberg, J. L., Chenier, A., Buffone, S., & Wojciechowski, C. (2015). An application of procedural justice to stakeholder perspectives: Examining police legitimacy and public trust in police complaints systems. Policing and Society: An International Journal of Research and Policy, 27(7), 779-796. Web.
Wahl, R. (2014). Justice, context, and violence: Law enforcement officers on why they torture. Law and Society Review, 48(4), 807-836. Web.
Police are charged with the responsibility of safeguarding citizens and dealing with crime. In performing these duties, they are authorized to use the acceptable force within certain limits. The amount of force that a police officer is entitled to use depends on the situation and it varies greatly from one situation another.
However, law enforcers have abused this privilege due to lack of clear laws on the amount of force that an officer is entitled to use in a given situation.
Some officers have resorted to using excessive force even under unnecessary circumstances. Excessive force may take the form of physical assault, sexual assault, verbal abuse, or use of lethal force when dealing with suspects or the public at large. Police brutality is a contemporary worldwide issue as cases of savagery continue to arise despite the numerous laws governing the conduct of police officers.
Police use of force in the US
The laws governing the conduct of police officers in the United States are very clear. They give a police officer the right to use reasonable force when dealing with law aggressors, but at the same time they set limits in which such right is applicable. However, police officers tend to abuse this privilege by assaulting innocent citizens in the pretext of maintaining law and order.
A police officer who violates the rights of a citizen in any way is liable to pay for damages and injuries suffered. The local media in the US reports on many cases of public assault; however, most of these cases do not reach the international media and the perpetrators go unpunished (Ritchie & Mogul 2007). Presumably, in the United States, this malpractice is directed towards the minorities and it is very common amongst African Americans.
Police brutality in the US has a long history and it was first described in the New York Times in 1893 to describe acts of a police officer who had assaulted a member of the public (Troutt 1999). Even before the modern policing came into existence, there were cases of public harassment by the traditional patrol officers who used nightsticks and blackjacks. The highest cases of police misconduct were recorded during this period probably due to lack of formal laws governing their conduct (Troutt 1999).
With the introduction of the modern policing in the nineteenth century, cases of police brutality reduced slightly in the United States. The nineteenth century was characterized by many reforms in the police department. Several laws were enacted to protect the public from police assault and some police officers were charged in court for allegedly misusing their positions to cause suffering to civilians.
One of such reforms occurred in 1991 when a judge sentenced several officers to a jail term of 32 months each for assaulting an African- American in Los Angeles (Davis 1994). The sentence followed a video recording by a civilian as the police assaulted the man, which was then presented to the court. The news hit the international media and reached almost all parts of the world. Unfortunately, the efforts were not good enough to stop this vice.
In 1992, police officers killed more than 50 people while thousands of others were injured as they staged peaceful demonstrations on the streets of Los Angeles opposing the release of two of the four police officers charged for the murder of Rodney King (Medina 2012). Rodney Kings case prompted the formation of an independent commission referred to as Christopher Commission to investigate the conduct of police officers across Los Angeles.
The commission executed its mandate and came up with recommendations, which were never implemented. The commission revealed acts of abuse and misconduct by police officers, which supported the case filed by Rodney King. On the other hand, the media reported on the severity of misconduct by police officers and cited the Blue code of silence as the key setback against the fight against police torture (Davis 1994).
The 19th century also saw the formation of district attorneys and other commissions that were mandated to carry out investigations regarding police brutality. The composition of these commissions was in question as the members were fellow police officers. Only a few commissions ran under the watch of civilians, but they depended on police officers in their investigations. These commissions operations were thus compromised and they only contributed less in the fight against police misconduct (Westmarland 2005).
Police harassment continued even after the formation of organizations opposing the vice. Demonstrators faced torture as they staged demonstrations in the streets. Use of tear gas and truncheons formed the order of the day. In 1967, during the Vietnam War, the police used tear gas and live bullets to disperse crowds gathered to demonstrate against the war (Villalobos 2011). Police brutality cases were surging over the past one decade.
Reports tabled by various researchers indicate that most cases go unreported due to public ignorance of the law and the lengthy process involved in filing such cases (Villalobos 2011). A study carried on a sample of about 12,500 people, 14% agreed to have faced torture from the police in the form of verbal and physical abuse, but only about 32 % of the cases were formally reported (Villalobos 2011).
This trend is a major setback to the fight against this fast-growing vice. Few documents on the cases of harassment caused by police exist. However, a report from the justice department in 2005 revealed that out of the 26,000 cases reported by citizens on the issue, more than 20,000 had merit (Villalobos 2011). This aspect implies that the police continue to assault civilians even in this modern era, which is characterized by various reforms in the police department.
Statistics from the US Justice Department released in 2002 indicated that in the year 2000 alone, more than 422,000 people of 18 years and above faced police torture or threat thereof (Villalobos 2011).
This number is high in such a developed country. Another report tabled by the Amnesty International in 2006, indicated that in prisons too, police brutality was a common scene as the use of un-muzzled dogs in police cells was a norm (Villalobos 2011). The prisoners were tortured in a bid to force then accept charges for crimes that they had not committed.
Investigations
Investigations about police tortures are done under the watch of the internal police. Considering the existence of the Blue code of silence, which prevents an officer from exposing the wrongs done by a fellow officer, it is clear that the independence of the investigating committee will be compromised, thus leading to a decision favoring the accused officers (Westmarland 2005).
Most decisions so far made by the committees are in favor of the accused officers, and thus a majority of them goes unpunished. A study of the Chicago police on cases of police brutality in 2007 showed that out of more than 10000 police harassments cases reported, only 18% resulted in an action (Villalobos 2011). The study also alleges that the accused officers continue to serve even as the investigation continues.
It also reveals that out of the largest police departments, only 17% have a committee of investigation by civilians (Villalobos 2011). These civilian ran committees have earned public confidence and most victims of torture prefer reporting their cases to these committees as opposed to those ran by the police themselves. Judgments delivered by the committee by the civilians were considered unbiased as opposed to those delivered by the police committee.
Causes
Conventionally, excessive use of force by the American police is directed against African Americans and other minority groups. About 80% of all cases involving police using excessive force on the public involve black Americans (Ritchie & Mogul 2007). Racial discrimination is thus correlated with the key causes of this vice. Reportedly, between 1990 and 1994 alone, more than 450 African Americans died after being tortured by the police (Ritchie & Mogul 2007).
A study carried out in the United States in 1999 revealed that police are more likely to arrest Africans as compared to the Americans. Therefore, it is evident that ethnicity is the key cause of brutality in the country (Ritchie & Mogul 2007). However, cases of police brutality arising out of racial discrimination are decreasing following the rise of human rights groups that protect the civilians rights. A good example of such a group is the Amnesty International, which was founded in 1962 with over two million members all over the world.
The enactment of the prohibition Act of 1969, which staged war on drugs, also contributed to the rise of brutality cases as it gave police officers the power to conduct a search on any civilian suspected to be involved in drug trafficking (Westmarland 2005). Police misused this right to harass innocent citizens in the name of conducting searches.
The other cause of police deviance in the United States is lack of clear laws defining the maxims of reasonable force (Westmarland 2005). Police will thus use excessive force even where it is not needed in the name of self-defense. The existence of various doctrines and separation of power are other factors that drive police into this misconduct. For example, there is a provision in the American constitution barring the prosecutor from investigating vigorously misconduct by a police officer (Westmarland 2005).
Others include poor police training, religious differences, and political differences. In addition, the provision of the law that places the burden of proof on the plaintiff serves as a contributing factor as well. It is thus difficult for the affected to win a case against a police officer who in the course of his or her training earns some knowledge on the countrys laws.
Cases to support police brutality against minorities
Various incidents support police brutality against the minorities in the United States. One such incident involved a 23-year-old Africa American, Oscar Grant III, who was reported to having been murdered by a police officer in California in the year 2009 (Gahary 2013). In their defense, the police alleged that the man resisted arrest, which forced them to open fire, thus killing him on the spot. The man is said to be unarmed and even the video tapes recorded by the bystanders revealed this view.
This was not the first time that Garner faced harassment from the police, as in 2008, a police officer had knocked him several times on the head leaving him unconscious. The victim died later in 2009, but the impeached officer entered a non-guilty plea and only condemned for 2 years in jail. This case is just an example of how police officers escape charges leveled against them by the minorities.
The other incident believed to be fueled by racial discrimination involved Abner Louima, an immigrant from Haiti. The man allegedly protested against his arrest but the police abused him in the process on enforcing the arrest. In the station, the man was tortured and the officers took him to the bathroom, unclothed him, inserted blunt objects into his small intestine, and dismantled his dental formula as he tried to scream for help (Gahary 2013).
According to eyewitnesses, the man had no injury when the police arrested him, but after being manhandled by the officers, he had to be admitted in the hospital for surgery (Bennett & Livingston 2003). However, the accusations were shelved and the officers involved were charged with first class assault and sexual abuse and were to serve long jail terms.
The third example involves yet another African American, Patrick Hall. The man served in the US military force until his retirement in 2007. After his retirement, he joined the university to further his studies as he operated a hotel business at the city of Macomb.
In the hotel, he employed more blacks than whites. This move raised eyebrows and the police raided the hotel premises severally claiming that the retired officer conducted some illegal activities. In their searches, police would subject Hall to all forms of torture and intimidation (Gahary 2013).
This went on for a long period and made the running of the business very difficult. His civil rights were infringed and it became evident that not only the police were against him, but also other authorities since when he tried to file a suit against this humiliation, it was opposed and he was forced to close down his business and leave the city to seek refuge elsewhere.
The 19th century, specifically the period between 1962 and 1964, saw the rise of various organizations that worked as sympathizers of minorities in the US. In addition, some leaders like Martin Luther King came out strongly to condemn police aberrancies with the strongest words possible.
During the same period, the blacks living in the US formed the Black Panther Party to defend their rights. This party became the most vigorous movement and it engaged police in several tussles resulting in the deaths of more than 30 civilians and about 15 police officers in 1963 (Gahary 2013).
Police brutality in other countries
Police brutality is not just an American problem, but it cuts across the world nations. It is even severe in the developing countries where dictatorship form of governance still exists. Police in these countries use force without facing the law as even the leaders support such brutality.
In most developing countries, there exists no separation of power between the judiciary and the executive, thus the executive is in a position to influence the outcome of a suit filed against its law enforcers even where enough evidence is available. This aspect together with other factors drives the police department into exploiting the citizens.
A report released by Amnesty International showed that countries with authoritarian regimes are the most affected by this problem. Their cases are similar to that of the US as colleague officers carry out investigations, and thus there is a tendency of the cases favoring the accused at the expense of the victim of torture (Bennett & Livingston 2003).
For example, in the UK, a police officer reportedly murdered a New Zealand teacher in 2010, but the investigating committee set by the government to probe into the matter favored the law enforcer (Segan 2013).
In their report, they claimed that it was impossible to identify the actual killer as the other police officers refused to give the necessary information that could lead to the identification of the suspect. This incidence is not the only case involving police brutality in the UK. In 2009, the media reported on a man who received beatings from the police.
Allegedly, police officers hit him with a blunt object in the forehead before beating him to death. The officer connected to the demise of the victim was immediately arrested and charged with manslaughter, but was he later released unconditionally despite the evidence of a video clip taken by a bystander (Segan 2013). This aspect poses the question on when this deviation by the police will end.
Police cruelty is also common in Serbia. In this country, most severe cases involving public mistreatments by the police have been recorded as the citizens demonstrated against the leadership of the then President and subsequent governments (Segan 2013). During this period, huge numbers of deaths were reported with many other citizens sustaining serious injuries in the hands of the police. In July 2010, a film taken by journalists showed police publicly assaulting five demonstrators.
The five were arrested, chained, and then taken to the police cells where they were subjected to serious beatings for over an hour. In an interview with the media, the then internal security minister denied these allegations terming them as exaggerations by the media aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the police force (Segan 2013). This realization is a clear indication that police liaise with leaders to deprive citizens of their rights, by giving the law enforcers the right to do anything without being held accountable.
In India, police brutality cases were higher in the 19th century as compared to the contemporary times. In 1930, police ordered a truck driver to run on Babu Genu, an Indian citizen, who worked at a cotton factory (Bennett & Livingston 2003). The reason behind the killing was that the man was a leader of a group of demonstrators opposing the importation of clothes. In 1983, police killed a suspect of drug trafficking in Mumbai in yet another incident of brutality (Bennett & Livingston 2003).
The suspect neither had weapons at the time of the killing nor the drugs he was being accused of peddling. Additionally, the police never gave the suspect a chance to surrender or even defend himself as required by law. They opened fire and sprayed more than 50 bullets to the man, thus killing him on the spot (Bennett & Livingston 2003).
The most recent case involving police brutality in the country occurred in January 2014. A video clip posted on the police website by a strong political party in India concerning the incidence showed police officers harassing a person to the extent of stealing from him (Segan 2013).
Finland is another country with a history of police misconduct. The situation was fueled by the supremacy battle between capitalists and communists that was evident in the 1920s. From time to time, police engaged communists in tussles as communists staged demonstrations opposing the capitalists leadership.
Inadequacy of police officers and lack of equipments are other factors that cause police to use force in their duties. In recent cases, police have been videotaped harassing civilians in the country. In 2006, a police officer was charged in connection with seducing an underage girl and subsequently raping her (Balko 2012).
This incidence is not the only case illustrating police brutality in Finland. In 2007, an immigrant from Iran was arrested and tortured by police in Pasila city. The victim suffered several fractures as police beat him to accept false charges leveled against him. Ironically, the officer responsible for the beating was only sentenced to 80 days of job suspension (Balko 2012).
The same police brutality issues are common in Indonesia. As opposed to other countries, in Indonesia the problem is fueled by religious differences. Muslims living in the country are seen as criminals, and thus are the most targeted by the law enforcers. A suspect from Muslim religion, if arrested, is killed on the spot (Campbell, Chidester, and Bell & Royer 2004).
Police brutalities directed to journalists involved in the coverage of these events have also been reported. In 2012, police beat a journalist for attempting to take a video as they tortured a civilian. In the same year, police officers opened fire on Muslim demonstrators killing five people and injuring several others (Balko 2012). Indonesia lacks an independent body to handle complaints of police misconduct, thus most officers escape without facing the law.
Egypt is another good example of countries that police brutality is common. Allegedly, the number of police officers is inadequate to control the ever-rising population, which is one of the reasons why the police officers have resulted in using force to contain criminal acts.
However, this assertion is only an excuse to divert the attention of the international community from demanding an explanation to some of these matters. The most memorable incident involving police misconduct in the country occurred in 2011 when citizens took to the streets pushing for police reforms. The demonstrators engaged police in running battles for over an hour until the officers opened fire killing hundreds of them and injuring many others.
Conclusion
Police brutality is a major problem facing almost every country in the world. Cases involving police misconduct are on the increase despite efforts by various human rights activists to curb the situation. There has been reluctance by some nations in adopting universal human rights standards that will be applicable in all countries worldwide.
For example, the United States and Somalia have downplayed regional and international treaties brought forth in an effort to terminate this problem. Clear laws governing the conduct of police ought to be adopted and applied in each country across the world. In addition, there should be well-defined penalties for officers found guilty of mistreating members of the public.
Bennett, W. & Livingston, S. 2003, Editors Introduction: A semi-independent press: government control and journalistic autonomy in the political construction of news, Political Communication, vol.20 no.4, pp. 359-362.
Campbell, S., Chidester, P., Bell, J. & Royer, J. 2004, Remote control: How mass media delegitimize rioting as social protest, Race, Gender & Class, vol. 11 no. 1, pp.158-176.
Davis, P. 1994, Rodney King and the decriminalization of police brutality in America: direct and judicial access to the grand jury as remedies for victims of police brutality when the prosecutor declines to prosecute, Maryland Law Review, vol.53 no.2, pp. 271 357.
Medina, J. 2012, In years since the riots, a changed complexion in South Central, The New York Times, p. 46.
Ritchie, A. & Mogul, L. 2007, In the shadows of the war on terror: persistent police brutality and abuse of people of color in the United States. Web.
Segan, S. 2013, What is excessive force, ABC News. Web.
Troutt, D. 1999, Screws, Koon, and routine aberrations: The use of fictional narratives in federal police brutality prosecutions, NYU Law Review, vol. 74 no.1, pp. 18 -122.
Villalobos, J. 2011, Promises and human rights: The Obama Administration on immigrant detention policy reform. Race, Gender & Class, vol. 18 no.2, pp.151-170.
Westmarland, L. 2005, Police ethics and integrity: Breaking the blue code of silence, Policing and Society, vol. 15 no.2, pp.145-165.
Instances of police brutality often create a tremendous resonance within the affected community. The events including Breonna Taylor and her death due to excessive force by police officers in Louisville, have generated significant outrage from African-American representatives (Green et al., 2021). Breonnas partner stated that as the police did not identify themselves, he presumed that burglars were attempting to enter the apartment and fired a legally owned firearm in self-defense. While returning fire, the officers shot Breonna eight times, resulting in her death. Given that this events circumstances imply the fault of police representatives, who presumably acted upon racist stereotypes, the African-American community was severely impacted by this incident. Numerous protests and social campaigns were gathered in support of Breonna Taylor and her partner, with activists supporting the eradication of hurtful attitudes evident in multiple police endeavors (Hoofnagle et al., 2020). The created tensions substantially damaged the already declining relationship between police officers and African-Americans, causing further conflicts.
Although deviance might have negative repercussions for a community, originating the decrease of social stability, it can also demonstrate the norms injustice. The strain theory can excellently explain the numerous protests and riots initiated by African-American representatives who lack the cultural means of attaining a proper education, job opportunities, and other necessary objectives (Huck et al., 2017). Moreover, the access to illegitimate opportunity structures and the demand to use these possibilities to accomplish an appropriate level of well-being, as suggested by Cloward and Ohlin, frames African Americans as deviants and criminals (Huck et al., 2017). However, the opportunity to achieve social change and establish a proper level of racial tolerance is often considered a substantial benefit of deviant behavior, as suggested by the rational choice theory. From this perspective, even though the movement towards eliminating racial disparity began as a deviant action, it can further alter society, promoting racial acceptance. The events highlighting racial injustice could positively influence our society, maintaining an appropriate level of awareness regarding the issues encountered by African-Americans and prompting a change in police behaviors.
Police brutality is a problem that can affect the lives of the victims and the people they are connected to. This event has been going on for years, and today, police violence against minorities has become an extremely controversial issue. Many people have different perspectives on the topic. However, something most can agree on is that police violence is a crime that can be prevented or even stopped if more people act. People of different races die every day due to police brutality. The estimated number of killings of young black men means that roughly one in 1,000 black men face fatal police violence at a rate two and a half times greater than that of white men (P.R. Lockhart).
Another study found that almost 25% of African Americans and about 32% of other racial groups were not starting a problem or attacking officers when they were killed, compared to 17% of white people. (Brentin Mock). Some police will turn to violence straight away, but however, it goes beyond just shootings. Police have used other tactics to kill, such as physical force, tasers, and even their own vehicles. In fact, there are three types of police misconduct which include: unjustified street stops of citizens, verbal abuse, and the use of excessive force. (Ronald Weitzer)
Because of this, it has become a leading cause of death of young men in America, and there is a very large number of innocent people who are killed in violent acts. According to data from 2013-2018, they found that “fatal police violence is the sixth-leading cause of death for men ages 25-29 across all racial groups.” (P.R. Lockhart) This proves police brutality due to crimes occurring more often than many would think. Although sometimes, crime doesn’t even have to occur for officers to take action. If a certain color group is the main one doing the crimes in a town, that group is more likely to face the effects of police brutality (Brentin Mock).
Certain events from about five years ago have fueled the demand for police reform/accountability, and the situation involving Michael Brown is an example of this. He was an unarmed black teenager who was shot by a police officer in 2014, and his story sparked a controversy about the relationship between police violence and race (Kristin Dukes). Although previous events much like this one have had citizens all throughout the world hoping for change, only four states have laws requiring police to attempt to use other types of force when reasonable before using deadly force. This means that in most states, police can use deadly force on people without it being a big issue. Because of this, many citizens are scared to call the police because of how others are treated.
Neighborhood class is an overlooked factor, and it shapes citizen’s attitudes and experiences. (Ronald Weitzer) It has been proven that the residents of black and white middle-class neighborhoods are less likely to experience police brutality in their neighborhoods than the residents in lower-class neighborhoods. (Ronald Weitzer) Being in neighborhoods that police officers find unsafe poses a constant threat which is a cause. Police killings not only cause concerns about deaths but also has effects spreading throughout the whole community.
It increases depression and other mental health issues, such as anxiety and trauma among teens, and can worsen a child’s attendance at school. Knowing the exact neighborhoods in which these crimes occur helps community leaders know where to look out for other issues that are a result of officer’s use of force. (Diep, Francie) Heroes from stories can also be connected to the violence we see today, and two examples of heroes could be Beouwulf and Macbeth. The use of violence between the two differs. Beowulf was courageous and used violence for heroic and justifiable reasons, while Macbeth used violence for his own selfish/malevolent reasons. In “Beowulf,” the only time the hero uses brutality to solve problems is to get rid of the monsters who are terrorizing a village and to save the people.
Beowulf, Macbeth & Modern Parallels
He journeys far to the village with the intent of helping others and by “purging all evil from this hall.” (Raffel, 2003, pg 7) He states how his hands will fight for him and struggle for life against the monsters and how he will not fear them. (Raffel, 2003, pg 7) After Beowulf accomplished what he had set out to do, he was beloved by all and seen as a glorious champion. He risked his life to save others, which makes his use of violence justifiable.
However, Macbeth differed from Beowulf because his ambition and greed for power caused him to commit very unnecessary, violent crimes. Firstly, he murders the king to obtain his throne. After murdering the king and successfully getting away with it, Macbeth was ready to execute anybody in his way who threatened his power, whether they were innocent or not. For example, because he saw certain people as threats, he hired murderers to kill them. These people included his best friend Banquo, Banquo’s son, and the thane of fife, Macduff. Macbeth also kills Macduff’s family to punish him and discourage Macduff from fighting him.
However, Macbeth shows no remorse for the murders. In Act 3, scene 1 of the play, Macbeth tells the murderers to “always thought that I require a clearness” (Folger, pg 91). This showed that he did not care about the people he killed. He only cared about his image and was determined to make sure his reputation would not get ruined by people finding out about the wrongdoings he committed. This can be connected to police violence today because many police officers will use acts of violence for the same reasons Macbeth and Beowulf did.
Some will do it to be seen as the heroes, while others take matters into their own hands and believe violence is the right way to go about things but end up being seen as killers. Either way, lives can be ended, and everyone is affected by it. The effects of police brutality negatively impact many people’s lives and are a topic that should be spoken about more. So many unfortunate factors are involved in it, such as race, neighborhood class, depression & other health issues, violent tactics, and more. It has become a controversial issue that needs to be stopped before more lives are lost.
References:
Lockhart, P.R. “Police violence against minorities: One in 1,000 black men will die at the hands of police.” Vox, July 15, 2015.
Mock, Brentin. “The Geography of Police Killings.” CityLab, June 29, 2015.
Weitzer, Ronald. “Police use of excessive force in minority communities: A test of the minority threat, place, and community accountability hypotheses.” Social Problems 49, no. 3 (2002): 345-369.
Dukes, Kristin. “From Ferguson to #BlackLivesMatter: Using social media to counter hegemonic narratives of race, place, and justice.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 2, no. 4 (2016): 402-410.
Diep, Francie. “When Police Kill: Understanding the Use of Force by Police Officers.” National Institute of Justice Journal, October 2017.
Good afternoon, listeners! It is Monday, December 10th, and Today, on our podcast, we will discuss police brutality against African Americans, and I will be sharing some information about what this issue is, what makes police brutality an important issue, and its effect on our society. To begin with this topic, police brutality is when police officers put unnecessary excessive force on others. Usually, in this situation, weapons are involved, and in many cases, it unfortunately results in death.
So the obvious question is, when did police brutality against African Americans start? Well, there isn’t really a specific date or year, police brutality has really been happening for as long as people have been prejudiced against black people. Police brutality hit the spotlight when a black 12-year-old was shot and killed by a white police officer. Tamir Rice was seen with a pellet gun. The police officer had mistaken it for a real gun and killed him. The part that got civilians riled up was the fact that it was clear that the gun was fake.
Justice Denied and Social Media’s Impact
The jury still chose not to indict or charge the police officer, Timothy Loehman, with murder. It started to almost become an everyday thing where we would here yet another black teen being killed by a white police officer for unnecessary reasons. The victim would be dead, and the police officer would leave off with no consequences to face, then, we wouldn’t hear about the story again. Thanks to the wonderful generation that we live in now, many cases of police brutality have gained a lot of attention thanks to social media. Social media has helped spread and bring awareness of police brutality against african americans. It has helped bring light to the global activist group called black lives matter. This is a group that helps spread awareness of the violent acts and racism against black people. This group was formed shortly after the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Trayvon Martin’s Impact and Broader Perspective
In the summer of 2013, he was fatally shot by George Zimmerman, who claimed that he shot him because of self-defense. A fire began to go off in the citizens of Orlando, Fl, and people began to talk. They were fed up, hurt, and disgusted that this kept becoming a reoccurring act of violence in the black community. Now after dumping all this information on you guys, I know what you all are already thinking, why am I just limiting this topic to only one group of people?
Why am I just defending black people and not all people who go through police brutality? It’s not that african americans are the superior race who need to be looked at the most, it’s that we are more likely to be affected by police brutality than Caucasian people. Maggie Fox from NBC news stated that “African-Americans died at the hands of police at a rate of 7.2 per million, while whites are killed at a rate of 2.9 per million.” Now I’m not good at math, but I can clearly see the difference between those two numbers.
References:
Rice, Tamir, a 12-year-old African American boy, was shot and killed by a white police officer, Timothy Loehmann, in Cleveland, Ohio. Reference: CNN. (2015, June 11). Tamir Rice shooting: No charges for officers. https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/28/us/tamir-rice-shooting/
Formation of the Black Lives Matter movement after the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Reference: Garza, A. (2016). From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation. Haymarket Books.
Shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in 2013. Reference: Smith, M. (2012, July 13). Trayvon Martin, Unarmed Teen, Shot And Killed By Neighborhood Watch Member George Zimmerman In Florida. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trayvon-martin-shooting-george-zimmerman_n_1359663
Statistics regarding police brutality and its impact on different racial groups. Reference: Fox, M. (2015, April 7). The Data Is in: Police Disproportionately Killed Black People in 2015. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/panama-papers/data-police-disproportionately-killed-black-people-2015-n549856
Police brutality has been a major issue in the United States for a while now. We, the people, used to look up to the police because we thought they were going to protect society from criminals. It turns out that the criminals are actually the policeman themselves. The power given to the police has led to an abuse of the people they are meant to protect.
Police brutality has become such a common occurrence that citizens have turned to social media to bring this issue to light. “Private video technology emerged as a valuable tool for exposing police brutality in 1991 when a civilian recorded the beating of African American taxi driver Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers.” ( Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2018) Technology is a huge advantage in this generation because the millennials grew up with technology on their side.
Nowadays, they use technology for everything they do, which is both a good and a bad thing. The reason why it can be a bad thing is because of the lack of face-to-face communication. But I feel like it has many more pros, and one of those is exposing policemen. Any light shined on people being abused by police is a very important thing. Using social media apps to expose their actions, like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, can bring awareness to this issue. “Diamond Reynolds of Falcon Heights, Minnesota, live-streamed the death of her boyfriend, Philando Castile, using Facebook Live. Reynolds and Castile were in a car when a police officer stopped them for a broken taillight. As Castile reached for his wallet to retrieve his identification, the officer shot and killed Castile.
The use of Facebook Live brought the incident to immediate national attention, with 3.2 million views by the following day.” (Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2018) As much as this tragedy sucks, it brought so much light to police brutality, and it helped the people be more aware of the huge issue. Policemen act like just because they have a badge, they can use excessive force on everyone else. “I’ve witnessed how police officers are treated with suspicion, spite, and scorn by some. But I’ve also witnessed crime victims and frightened citizens who were relieved and comforted by an officer’s presence.” ( Davis Paul, P.1, 2018)
Citizens nowadays can be very disrespectful to the police because they know that if they slip, they can risk their careers as cops. Some citizens, on the other hand, are frightened by the police because they don’t want to be killed by the people that were supposed to protect them. There is a “growing anti-cop campaign in the country that unfairly labels all police officers racists, crooks and murderers.” ( Davis Paul, P.2, 2018) The cops have earned labels from many people because they don’t trust them because of their actions. In many police brutality cases, they seem to fit one of those labels. “In my view, there is nothing more dangerous than a cop killer.” ( Davis Paul, P.3, 2018) Cops violate civil rights due to excessive force. They are usually entitled to seek damages for deprivation of their rights using a civil suit.
Addressing Racial Profiling and Accountability
Police are shooting citizens for no reason, and they are getting away from it. This is one of the major issues with police brutality because it’s easily proven. “Antwon Rose Jr., 17, was the 490th person shot and killed by police officers in 2018, according to a database maintained by the Washington Post. So far this year, there have been 27 more killings by police than during the same period last year. At least five other people were shot and killed by police nationwide since Rose was gunned down” ( Philadelphia Inquirer [Philadelphia, PA], 27 June 2018). The amount of citizens that died by the people who were supposed to protect us is insane.
Year by year, the number of deaths is only increasing as police brutality gets out of hand. “Black lives matter” is not a cliché. The truth it expresses is far from a given. Its anti-truth is evidenced in the fraught every day of black lives: Walking while black, driving while black, speaking “as” black, speaking b(l)ack, shopping while black, being at home while black, being black at school, at the pool, in the hands of police, in prison. Just being black.” Martin Luther King Jr was the most visible spokesperson and a leader in the civil rights movement. All he did was speak, and he was killed because he believed.
White policemen and their racial profile against citizens. “The bagel incident, unfortunately, wasn’t the first time I’ve been racially profiled, the national phenomenon of quick assumptions made based only on race. Sadly, I expect it won’t be the last. And I know that what happened to me goes much deeper than my own discomfort; profiling has been deadly for so many.” ( Williams, Bailey, P.1, 2018). Sometimes people are unlucky when they are confronted by the cops just because their race.
People tend to label white cops to be racist because of their actions. “as a Black person, I’ll be judged by the color of my skin, and my character will continually be questioned if not outright ignored. That is until White people do more to interrupt racism in all the places it is. You don’t have to wait for another viral video or hashtag to take action—death and physical violence should not be the catalyst for acting.” ( Williams, Bailey, P.1, 2018) If you’re any race other than white, there’s a chance you might have difficulty with the police.
If there’s a way of stopping this abuse, it’s through the policemen’s point of view. “Cities around the country have started to adopt cameras for their officers to create a record of police interactions, and the early returns are positive. Having a video record of events not only deters the use of excessive force but also helps dispute or demonstrate claims of police brutality.
And in either case, it improves community confidence in a just result.” ( Schiff, Adam, P.2, 2018) If cops are being monitored by everyone else with a camera, there’s a chance they might not abuse their power. Police brutality is a major issue that we all hope will resolve over time. Just listen to what they command so you don’t put yourself in a risky situation. Always record the conflict for factual evidence. Knowing your rights is a very important trait everyone should learn, and just because someone has a badge and suit doesn’t mean they have rights over you.
On January 1st, 2009, 22-year-old Oscar Grant was in a subway station along with others as a report to the police of a fight was reported. Ten minutes later, Oscar Grant and a few others were handcuffed by Officer Johannes Mehserle and instructed to lie down on the ground. Five minutes later, Oscar is still lying face down, handcuffed. Only seconds later, he was shot dead in the back while being faced down and posing no threat. Oscar Grant was unarmed. Oscar Grant had a family.
The sad truth is that discrimination and hate-based actions still exist in this day and age and continue to be disregarded by the general public. It is a serious societal flaw. Recently, this problem has gained prominence due to the numerous killings of innocent young black people. This has sparked various movements, such as “Black Lives Matter.” However, the most detrimental part of this all is that these cruel actions go unaccounted for and, in most cases, have been excused by unethical laws protecting law enforcement. The position of power in which the police force is allows otherwise reckless actions to be excused by so many, which should not be the case.
The African American community still faces discrimination and abuse despite years of societal reform and fights for equality. Police brutality problem is an ongoing problem and continues to affect a large amount of our population and has failed to disappear. It is because of the failure of the American government to eradicate the inequality of human lives.
Bias and unequal treatment of citizens by those who are supposed to protect us is unacceptable in a country such as ours—a country that wants to set an example for others internationally and claims to be the land of opportunity. According to statistics from the Chicago Tribune, in 2016, four out of five killings by police were against young black males. This incredibly high rate highlights the greater risks that African Americans in our society face regularly.
Philando Castile was a 32-year-old African American who was pulled over while driving in Minnesota with his girlfriend and four-year-old daughter. He was shot multiple times and died in the front seat of his car as his daughter, his most cherished supporter, watched. The incident was filmed by Philandros girlfriend and, after his death, circulated and grew to attract media attention on multiple platforms.
Legal Failures and Racial Bias: Undermining Trust
When it comes to the law for these actions, you would think such a crime would be accounted for and equal treatment and proceedings would be assured. However, in the case of Castile vs. Officer Jeronimo Yanez, Yanez was declared not guilty. This was a moment in time when the people realized the seriousness of this issue in our country, as thousands gathered outside of the Minnesota State Capitol in disgust, protesting.
It is not uncommon for a situation to come down to the word of a police officer against the word of a civilian. It is easy to assume how a jury might be biased into believing a police officer’s claim of ¨ self-defense ¨ in a homicide situation due to the positive connotations typically associated with the men and women that are supposed to fight for the members of the public’s lives. If the possibility of racial prejudice is taken into account, it is also easy to assume that many more black people may face potential wrongful imprisonment.
Another theory of why this brutality exists specifically against African-Americans is America’s history of slavery, racism, and segregation for the large part of its development and existence as a nation. Due to the racial tensions that existed in our country, many police officers adopted the approach of willfully and knowingly discriminating against black people when in pursuit of criminal offenders.
As seen in other cases, individuals are given the advantage of exploiting their socially responsible position as police officers in order to carry out racially motivated hate crimes that can later be easily justified in a court of law. Self-defense has been a popular statement of defense by the police on trial for these past murders, and they are able to use this advantage because there is no opposing evidence able to be presented. Allowing officers to be ruled ¨ non-guilty ¨, especially for acts based on racial prejudice, are not only illegal but shows our country in a hateful and dark light that was supposed to be dimmed long ago.
Do you truly think that the ability to take another life is something not bred from hate and power? Humans who hold power in our society should not be exploiting and murdering their brothers and sisters. Every American should be concerned about the evident oppression, regardless of their own background. Currently, there are inadequate report statistics of police brutality incidents. This is because there is no requirement that states that any of the law enforcement agencies must report them or become public knowledge. Consequently, all the data that is presented is based on the ones reported voluntarily, which cannot even account for a fraction of the cases of police brutality that have occurred across our nation.
From Tragedy to Empowerment: Demanding Change
The innocent victims of these crimes were robbed of life, their dreams stolen away, and their families ripped apart like losing a game of Tug of War. From the words of Malcolm X to the actions of Rosa Parks during the period of harsh racism years ago, you can see how one person is able to battle such an issue and stand up against problems in our society when an issue is presented. We need to make changes to ensure people are no longer being discriminated against and dying at the hands of the police.
With this change, people and civilians can feel more connected and not afraid to be around people in the police force. If it is not changed or modified, discrimination will be continued, and more innocent people will be killed. Our communities and people must be aware of this perpetration from positions of power, and a change needs to be made. Oscar deserved to live. Philando was innocent. Oppression exists. Change is necessary.
References:
Chicago Tribune. (2016). Homicides by Police. Retrieved from https://www.chicagotribune.com/data/ct-shooting-victims-map-charts-htmlstory.html
The New York Times. (2017). Officer Who Killed Philando Castile Said He Reacted to Gun, Not Race.
3.History.com Editors. (2009). Segregation. History.
Abernathy, S. M., & Banks, K. H. (2018). Policing Race and Place in Indian Country. Annual Review of Criminology, 1(1), 131-150.
Krieger, L. H. (2013). The content of our categories: A cognitive bias approach to discrimination and equal employment opportunity. Harvard Law Review, 128(5), 1344-1479.
Brown, J. (2019). No justice, no peace: Race and police brutality in the United States. Social Justice, 46(2), 22-40.
Alexander, M. (2012). The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. The New Press.
Tarrow, S. (2011). Power in movement: Social movements and contentious politics. Cambridge University Press.
Campaign Zero. (n.d.). Solutions: Reporting.
Greene, H. T. (2018). People Are Hurting: African Americans’ Traumatic Experiences with Police Brutality and Racial Profiling. Journal of Black Studies, 49(3), 239-257.
Perceptions and Prejudice: The Officer’s Perspective
Walking around the neighborhood, my eye caught the inside of a 7-11 store in Sanford, Florida. I saw a boy, a black boy. I walked closer to see his baggy sweatpants and a grey hoodie. He walked out, seemingly high and suspicious. I dialed the 911 number to report the suspicion I observed, and then they advised me not to follow him, but I disregarded what they said. Something was up with this guy, so I went up to him to show him who took precedence here.
There was yelling and attacking, and no other way to control the situation than shoot. That is the mind of a stereotypical and prejudiced police officer. Innocent Trayvon Martin, seventeen years old, died that night as he was heading back to the house of his father’s fiancee after buying a quick snack of Skittles and soda. George Zimmerman, the officer, accused Martin of attacking him when not one fingerprint was found on Zimmerman’s body (Botelho).
This type of prejudice is one that lies within the American Identity, making it at the root of police brutality. It lies so deep that the occurrence of the issue has been prevalent for centuries upon centuries. After exploring the continuous complications with police brutality in America and how it violates our right to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’ I started to wonder what goes on in the mind of a police officer that leads them to strip the lives away of these innocent civilians.
After reading All American Boys, a novel by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds, my interest in the perspective of police officers sparked. Throughout the book, there were multiple different points of view on the story of sixteen-year-old Rashad Butler. It was very interesting to see how certain characters could think it was plausible that something so unjust could be rationalized. After noticing the shifts in perspectives with the victim versus the officer, I started to pay closer attention to them within the book.
Paul Galluzzo, the police officer who shot Rashad, had the mindset of teaching Rashad the lesson he deserved, “Fuckin’ thugs can’t just do what you’re told. Need to learn how to respect authority. And I’m gonna teach you” (Kiely 23). This declaration of power he placed over Rashad showed how cops not only feel superior but act violently upon their feeling of superiority, specifically against minorities. Galluzzo called Rashad names and threw him around as if he meant nothing.
Unveiling Implicit Bias: The Battle Within
However, Rashad is a civilian of the United States who deserves the rights of life, liberty, and happiness that our country is supposed to be upholding for all Americans, regardless of their skin color. Later on in the story, my interest in this topic deepened when I got to read about the perspective of Paul Galluzzo after the beating took place. Trying to justify his actions, Paul stated to Quinn, a boy who witnessed the beating, “Well, I’m telling you this. There was a woman in the store.
The kid took her down because she caught him stealing. I went in to protect her, and then he went after me, okay? What was I supposed to do? It’s my job, Quinn. I was protecting the lady. I was just doing my job” (Kiely 209). Even after this officer had time to take into account his actions, he still had the same point of view of targeting African Americans. He almost killed Rashad without understanding both points of view, and he justified that by saying he was “doing his job.” This book stood as a turning point in my thoughts about police brutality, as it taught me the different perspective police officers have.
After learning about this different perspective, I had a desire to learn more about the point of view, not only in All American Boys but in other real-life situations. Dushaw Hockett, a Ted Talk speaker, once stated, “If we want to move to a radically different place, a radically better place, on issues of race and difference in this country, we have to pay attention to something called implicit bias” (Hockett). After watching this Ted Talk, I became interested in how implicit bias may impair a police officer’s judgment toward African Americans.
I found that even by the Preamble of The Declaration of Independence, “All men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”(Preamble), implicit bias cannot be escaped as it is instilled in people’s minds. Even though every United States citizen is guaranteed these unalienable rights, these violations still occur. In many cases, people do not realize they have such an implicit bias, leading them to question their identity.
In an NPR podcast, Mahzarin Banaji, the implicit bias theory creator, talked about the study she participated in and the moment she realized our decisions are driven by forces we’re not even aware of. An experiment was done in the late 1990s where she was advised to use one key on the keyboard to associate dark-skinned faces – faces of African Americans – with negative words and another key for light-skinned faces with positive words. She stated that this was very easy; however, the test switched, so she had to associate dark-skinned faces with positive words and light-skinned faces with negative words.
She then exclaimed, “My fingers appeared to be frozen on the keyboard. I literally could not find the right – the right key. That experience is a humbling one. It is even a humiliating one because you come face to face with the fact that you are not the person you thought you were” (Banaji). This study further explained to me how implicit bias is inculcated into people’s bodies. Moreover, prejudgment is an issue that is hard to cease. After realizing this, I then started to question how does this prejudgement affect the mind and mentality of an African American on a daily basis?
Impact on Mental Health: Racial Targeting’s Toll
Throughout this research process, I have not only learned that the mindset of a police officer affects them physically and mentally too. When compared, the scare most American teens have about shootings happening in their schools is similar yet extremely different to the scare many African Americans have about being racially targeted in a harmful manner. This racial target affects the mentality of these humans daily because they are judged by each and every move they make.
Studies are finding that the high rate of unarmed African Americans being killed at the hands of police has caused more incidents of stress, depression, and other mental health issues among this minority. According to Psychiatric News, a report was released after an officer shot and killed Antwon Rose, an unarmed black teen who was fleeing a traffic stop near Pittsburgh. This report was about the mental health of the African American community in response to this tragedy.
Jacob Bor, Sc.D., of Boston University School of Public Health and colleagues wrote after the report, “Specifically, our estimates imply that police killings of unarmed black Americans could contribute 1.7 additional poor mental health days per person per year, or 55 million excess poor mental health days per year among black American adults [in the United States],” (Morgan). This decrease in mental health is due to the violation of the very right all Americans are supposed to obtain – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The mindset that people have over African Americans is already affecting the lives of many who are killed, but it now also affects the whole community’s mentality due to the deprivation of their own rights. The African American community makes up about 13% of the United States population (United). This means that more than 1 in 10 people in our country feel threatened, vulnerable, and lack self-worth every single day. This idea was further explained when talking about one of the books my classmates read, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
A main point in the book group discussion was how exposed Star Carter, the main character, was to this injustice as a kid. The second chapter started with, “When I was twelve, my parents had two talks with me. The other talk was about what to do if a cop stopped me. Momma fussed and told Daddy I was too young for that. He argued that I wasn’t too young to get arrested or shot” (Thomas). The mentality Star was exposed to just as a kid led her to thoughts of worthlessness her whole life. This example of Star’s life has an exact correlation to the lives of every African American living in the United States. The fearful life of doubt and diffidence is all due to the stigma forced against them, leading me to question if there is a way to terminate the stereotypical mindset altogether.
Seeking Change: Overcoming Implicit Bias
Going into the research process, I wondered about the mindset of a police officer, leading me to question how it affects blacks mentally. After learning and processing the information obtained, I wanted to see a change in this injustice. Even though we are aware of the tragedies that occur daily, there is a cycle: we observe, we mourn, and then we move on. If our society keeps moving on each and every time a police brutality case is dismissed, it will be difficult to live up to our found principles – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans.
Nevertheless, terminating the issue of the stereotypical mindset is complicated as implicit bias takes control of our brains without warning. Ted Talk speaker Dushaw Hockett, however, thinks there is hope for the future in regards to controlling our implicit bias, “It’s preventive in a sense that there are strategies coming out of the science committee that suggest with internal motivation and habitual practice, we can do things to reduce our vulnerability to act on our biases” (Hockett). These new ideas play the role of a sense of hope our country is in need of. A sense of hope to the mentally drained 13 percent of our population.
References:
Botelho, G. (2013, July 14). Trayvon Martin Shooting Fast Facts. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/us/trayvon-martin-shooting-fast-facts/index.html
Kiely, B., & Reynolds, J. (2015). All American Boys. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books.
Hockett, D. (Speaker). (Date unknown). Dushaw Hockett: A future beyond bias. [Ted Talk]. https://www.ted.com/talks/dushaw_hockett_a_future_beyond_bias
The Declaration of Independence. (1776). Preamble.
Banaji, M. (Speaker). (Date unknown). How our minds are biased, and what we can do about it. [Podcast episode]. NPR. https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/490021838/how-our-minds-are-biased-and-what-we-can-do-about-it
Morgan, W. (2018, May 2). Police Killings of Unarmed Black Americans Impact Mental Health of Black Community. Psychiatric News. https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2018.5b1
Thomas, A. (2017). The Hate U Give. Balzer + Bray.
United States Census Bureau. (2021). QuickFacts: United States. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219