Category: Police

Racial Profiling And The Police

Introduction

Although there is not one blanket definition for racial profiling across police departments, Schaefer (2016) defines it as “any police-initiated action based on race, ethnicity, or national origin rather than the person’s behavior” (p. 55). According to Warren and Tomaskovic-Devey (2009), “the use of racial profiles dates back to the late 1970’s when federal agents created drug courier profiles for the purposes of apprehending drug traffickers in American airports.” The problem with the phenomenon of racial profiling is that stopping someone based solely on their racial or ethnic group violates their 4th Amendment Constitutional Right to equal protection under the law. In addition, before an officer stops someone they must be able to articulate the reason for stopping the person and they must be able to define what the person did to break the law (Barber & Marsh, 2000).

The Stanford University Open Policing Project was established in 2014 by Cheryl Phillip with the goal of helping researchers, journalists, and policymakers investigate and improve police/public interactions. They are a team of researchers and journalists who take statistical analysis and combine it with data journalism. The categories for which data is provided are stop date, time and location, driver’s race, sex and age, whether a search was conducted and contraband was found, if there was a citation or warning issued, if there was a frisk performed or an arrest made, the reason for the stop and if there was a violation.

This paper will present information from various sources explaining how and why racial profiling is wrong and unconstitutional. There will be data presented which shows a disparity in the stops and searches between minorities and Whites, along with information on who is more susceptible to being racially profiled.

Literature Review

According to Barber and Marsh (2000), a justifiable traffic stop is one where a police officer has reasonable suspicion or witnesses an infraction before stopping a car. The Stanford University Open Policing Project published a study showing that across the United States, Black drivers were about 20 percent more likely to be stopped by police than White drivers during the day (Ortiz, 2019). Ortiz (2019) states that a study was then conducted to analyze the rate of Black drivers being pulled over after dark when it is harder to distinguish race from a distance. Research found there was a 5-10 percent drop, which suggests that Black drivers are indeed profiled during the day. This data was collecting from nearly 100 million traffic stops between 2011 and 2017 in California, New York, and Texas, along with 29 municipal police departments (Ruiz-Grossman, 2019). According to Ruiz-Grossman (2019), although there was a higher likelihood of finding drugs, guns, and other contraband during the stops of White drivers (36%), Blacks, who possessed 32 percent, were searched 1.5 to 2 times as often.

Chan (2011) states that there is a vast literature which supports the finding that police officers often times form stereotypical opinions about the criminality of certain ethnic groups (p.76). This practice can lead to certain ethnic groups losing confidence and trust in the police, feelings of harassment, and alienation from the legal system (Chan, 2011). According to the data analyzed by Weitzer (2000), Black residents in Chicago perceived profiling as a result of racism, whereas White residents explained that the treatment was as a result of Blacks having a greater involvement in street crime. Rosenbaum, Schuck, Costello, Hawkins, and Ring (2005) assess that negative attitudes toward police prior to an encounter such as being profiled help in shaping the assessment of the encounter itself.

Although the practice of racial profiling can sometimes be difficult to prove, the use of cell phone cameras and social media have helped in highlighting situations of perceived racial disparities. Warren and Tomaskovic-Devey (2009) found that in North Carolina, there had been a reduction in racial disparity searches due to media coverage along with legislation. However, as Steven (n.d.) points out, often times, the way information is presented by the media and personal videos presents citizens with conflicting images of police and taints the legitimacy of policing, leaving the public wondering if the police are ineffective and incompetent.

Exploration of this subject is important to improve and restore the relationships and reestablish trust between police officers and communities. There are gaps in some of the data explored, which need to be filled, because there are many cities and states that do not offer enough data to the Stanford Open Policing Project to be reported as they do not feel reporting this information is a priority (Ortiz, 2019).

Analysis

One common theme found in every source used was that racial profiling is not only unconstitutional; it is ineffective, wrong, and causes distrust and hostility between the community and the police. Evidence from various articles supports the claim that people of color are stopped at disproportionate rates (20% more) over Whites. Evidence was presented which states that although Whites are found with more illegal guns, drugs, and contraband, they are stopped and searched at a lower rate than Blacks and Latinos. Evidence states that with the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington State, the number of overall stops has reduced, but the search rate for minorities is still two times higher than that of Whites. There was information provided which shows that Whites acknowledge the difference in how Blacks are treated by the police, but they suggest that the reason for Blacks being stopped and searched at higher rates is because Blacks have more involvement in street crime; a claim which is not supported by data. Strong data was found which shows that across the United States, it is acknowledged that racial profiling is a persistent problem. There have been multiple efforts put forth to try to end it, along with stop and frisk, which still remains lawful and widely used in many areas of the United States.

A legislation that has been introduced on four different occasions since 2001 is the End Racial Profiling Act or ERPA. The legislation is intended to prevent law enforcement officials from profiling individuals based on their race, ethnicity, religion, and national origin.

ERPA states the following: ERPA addresses the problem of racial profiling in several ways. First, it would explicitly prohibit racial profiling, which would be enforceable by declaratory and injunctive relief. Second, the Department of Justice would be authorized to provide grants to law enforcement agencies to develop and implement best practices. Third, as a condition of receiving federal funds, law enforcement agencies will have to collect data on all routine and spontaneous investigatory activities that must be submitted to the Department of Justice. Finally, the Attorney General would be required to issue periodic reports to Congress assessing the current state of discriminatory racial profiling (End Racial Profiling Act Introduced in the House and Senate, 2013, para. 3).

Conclusion

In 2016, due to the gun violence in Chicago, Donald Trump encouraged the Chicago Police Department to “stop and frisk” anyone who they perceived as a danger or whoever they thought may have committed a crime. He stated that New York used the tactic in the 1990’s to early 2000’s and it proved effective. However, the practice was ruled unconstitutional in 2013. New York stopped the policy in 2014, and the crime and murder rates in the city dropped. Without the use of stop and frisk, the crime and murder rates in Chicago dropped in 2018 for the second year straight (Rucker, 2018).

Profiling someone based on their race or ethnicity is wrong and the consequences could be dangerous or fatal. There have been instances of police arresting the wrong individuals based solely on their race or ethnicity, and extreme cases such as Walter Scott in South Carolina, Samuel DuBose in Cincinnati, and Philando Castile in Minneapolis who were all Black men who were profiled, shot and killed.

Police are not the only ones who racially profile people of color. There have been situations where people entering their own homes have been arrested, a young Harvard woman fell asleep in the library and the police were called on her, and Trayvon Martin was profiled and killed by someone who assumed he was a danger because of the color of his skin.

The topic of racial profiling may be one which is uncomfortable, and while all police officers do not profile, or are unaware that they are profiling, the key to preventing racial profiling is training and ongoing training. As stated by Ortiz (2019), training is detrimental for officers and supervisors and it is imperative for police departments to recruit against it and to promote against it. According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), there is one good reason not to profile- because it is wrong (Barber & Marsh, 2000).

References

1. Barber, R., & Marsh, D. (2000). Racial profiling. St. Louis, MO: Line of Duty.
2. Chan, J. (2011). Racial Profiling and Police Subculture. Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice/Revue Canadienne de Criminologie et de Justice Penale, 53(1), 75–78. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjccj.53.1.75
3. End Racial Profiling Act Introduced in the House and Senate. (2013, August 1). Retrieved from https://www.thetaskforce.org/end-racial-profiling-act-introduced-in-the-house-and-senate/.
4. Graziano, L., Schuck, A., Martin, C. (2010). Police Misconduct, Media Coverage, and Public Perceptions of Racial Profiling: An Experiment. Justice Quarterly, 27(1), 52–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418820902763046
5. Ortiz, E. (2019, March 17). Inside 100 million police traffic stops: New evidence of racial bias. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/inside-100-million-police-traffic-stops-new-evidence-racial-bias-n980556.
6. Rosenbaum,D.P.,Schuck, A.M. Costello, S. K., Hawkins, D. F., & Ring, M. K. (2005). Attitudes toward the police: The effects of direct and vicarious experience. Police Quarterly, 8(3), 343–365.
7. Rucker, P. (2018, October 9). Trump says Chicago police should use ‘stop and frisk’ tactics to curb shootings. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-says-chicago-police-should-use-stop-and-frisk-tactics-to-curb-shootings/2018/10/08/a4afaaa0-cb0f-11e8-a3e6-44daa3d35ede_story.html.
8. Ruiz-Grossman, S. (2019, March 19). Study Backs What Black Drivers Already Know: There’s Racial Bias In Police Stops. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/white-black-drivers-police-stops-searches-racial-bias_n_5c916558e4b0f7ed945d4ba3.
9. Steven Chermak, S. (n.d.). Media coverage of police misconduct and attitudes toward police. Policing : an International Journal of Police Strategies & Management., 29(2), 261–281. https://doi.org/info:doi/
10. The Stanford Open Policing Project. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://openpolicing.stanford.edu/.
11. Warren, P., Tomaskovic-Devey, D. (2009). Racial profiling and searches: Did the politics of racial profiling change police behavior? Criminology & Public Policy, 8(2), 343–369. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9133.2009.00556.x

Racial Profiling In Law Enforcement

For the longest time, law enforcement officials have use profiling as a part of their tactic to apprehending criminals. However, in recent times profiling has become a major concern because law enforcement officials are unable to separate their tactic of criminal profiling from racial profiling. According to Perry (2016), racial profiling is “when the members of a particular or racial or ethnic group become subject to greater criminal justice or institutional surveillance than others” (pg. 420). In addition to this, racial profiling can also be seen as the fact that individuals in certain ethnic groups are more likely to predict culpable behaviours. For example, an officer may see two Black individuals shaking hands in a high drug crime area and assume that a drug transaction is taking place (MacAlister, 2011). As a multicultural nation, Canada protects its core values such as the freedom from discrimination and arbitrary (MacAlister, 2011). Although both the Government and police services have acknowledged that racial profiling is unacceptable and intolerable, it persists to this day. Certain activities conducted by law enforcement officials can make people feel as if they are being racially profiled (Ryberg, 2011). This paper will aim to examine the stereotypes, the interaction the racial profiling has on our legal system, and arguments for and against racial profiling. Comment by Heather Steele: HERE WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD IDEA TO GIVE OUT RACIAL PROFILING EXAPLES?

Myths and Stereotypes (brooms & Perry)

Myths and Stereotypes can have a major impact on all ethnicities. The representation of African-Americas, in the past and in the present, are demonstrated as stereotypes that disproportionally put then at a disadvantage in their lives. This can particularly be seen in the words that are associated with African-Americans. According to Brooms and Perry (2016), the stereotypical words associated with white skin colour be “respectability, civility, and trust” whereas black skin colour is usually associated with “poverty, danger and distrust” (pg. 168). These words not only have a negative impact on their personal life, but also on their work life too. Black men working in professional settings are at a higher risk for racial microaggressions and this is because they are often employed in White institutions or companies where they experience many forms of discrimination (Brooms & Perry, 2016). However, this idea of racial microaggressions in the work place could be attributed to the fact that their life opportunities are significantly narrowed due to their skin colour. Therefore, these young Black males have no choice but to work under the employment of white management.

Another interesting myth is the fact that most crimes in the United States are committed by African-Americans. To coincide with this, there has been myths in the past that pertain to African-Americans preying on White people (Brooms & Perry, 2016). Although there maybe some truth to this myth, it is likely that it is over exaggerated. For example, in 2005, 86% of White Americans who were murdered were actually murdered by other White Americans. Therefore, it was proven through statistics that African Americans were not the ones “preying” on White Americans (Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2005). This is simply a stereotype about African Americans that dates back for many years. This very well could be due to the fact that Black male avatars are generally portrayed as more violent and aggressive than white avatars in video games and mass media (Brooms & Perry, 2016). Furthermore, the continuous representation of Black males portrayed this way further imposes the fear and resentment towards Black males. These negative stereotypes of Black men as dangerous criminals are deeply impeded in the PSYCHE of society. According to Brooms and Perry (2016), it is a contributing factor to the racial disparities of White officers killing young unarmed Black men. Of course, racial profiling is not limited to interactions involving the Black community alone. It applies to any group that is being stereotyped largely based on their race or colour.

Interaction with Law Comment by Heather Steele

Considering the police-citizen race tensions, it is important to note the impact that racial profiling has had on the United States of America. Racial profiling can affect many different ethnic groups. However, one of the most affected group has been African-Americans (“Black Lives Matter Herstory,” n.d). One of the most prime examples of racial profiling can be seen in 2012 when George Zimmerman was acquitted for the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Following this, Trayvon was essentially tried in the court for his own murder (Black Lives Matter Herstory, n.d). Since then, this kind of racial profiling has been responsible for the emergence of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Some victims of racial profiling include: Tamir Rice, Laquan McDonald, and Michael Brown (REF). However, it is important to note that this list is not exhaustive and that there are many more victims of racial profiling in both the United States and Canada. Subsequently, police officers in the United States have still directed lethal force towards young Black men. On February 9, 2019, Willie McCoy was shot 25 times while he was asleep at a drive though because police claim that there was a gun on his lap (NewsOne Staff, 2019) However, since 2012 there has been little to no cases of racial profiling against civilians of other ethnic groups.

Another prime example of racial profiling that is closer to home can be seen in the case of Donald Marshall Jr. In 1983, Marshall was an 18-year-old Aboriginal that was convicted of the murder of Sandy Seale (R v. Marshall, 1983). Although Marshall did not murder Sandy Seale, he still spent 11 years in jail before he was finally exonerated (R v Marshall, 1983). Early on in the investigation, one of the officers ultimately decided that Marshall stabbed the victim despite the lack of evidence supporting his conclusion. According to R v. Marshall (1983), there was a general sense that Indians were not seen as equal as the Whites. There were two witnesses that were intimidated by police and ultimately were coerced into providing alternative versions of events that supported the investigation into Marshall (Butts, 2009). Despite the wrongful conviction, racial profiling played a significant role in the imprisonment of Donald Marshall Jr.

Arguments for Racial Profiling

Despite the literature surrounding racial profiling, there are many arguments that focus on the positive effects of racial profiling. Racial profiling can be seen as beneficial because it allows law enforcement agencies to look for specific criminals based on similar ideologies. Meaning that, if law enforcement agencies know what type of person fits the profile of the criminal, it can help save value resources (Ryberg, 2011). Furthermore, this can lead to the assumptions that law enforcement officials will be able to apprehend more criminals. According to Pudnick (2017), racial profiling is often advocated as a means of maximizing the effectiveness of scarce resources in controlling crime and preventing terrorist attacks. However, it can be hard for police officers to be able to accurately distinguish between races, particularly when different racial groups share similar physical features (Pundik, 2017). For instance, it may be difficult for officers to be able to differentiate Punjabis, who are perceived as having gang and drug trade affiliation in British Columbia, from other South Asians. However, this is not the only argument for racial profiling.

Many advocates of racial profiling contend that it is a necessary tool during an investigation because statistics show that people from certain demographics often are more likely to commit certain crimes associated with that background than those from an unrelated background. In addition to this, many law enforcement agencies adhere to the fact that it would be irresponsible to disregard this insight simply because it may be considered racist (Ryberg, 2011). In a reasonable scenario, law enforcement officials typically use all the information that they have access to in order to deter present and future criminal activity. If some level of racial profiling were to provide crucial intelligence that did indeed deter crime, the conclusion is perhaps that racial profiling should in fact remain a part of law enforcement’s more general professional arsenal.

Arguments against Racial Profiling

Despite the literature surrounding the arguments for racial profiling, the other side of the debate need to be addressed. One of the first arguments in contradiction to racial profiling has to do with the idea that it is indeed racist. According to Pundik (2017) racial profiling “involves taking the suspect’s behaviours to be determined by his race, age, and gender, none of which is within his control” (pg. 178). The act of racial profiling is well-known to law enforcement officials however, the generalizations that coincide with racial profiling has been known to create tension in specific communities. These tensions may further lead the community to feel as if they are constantly under suspicion. When this happens, its probable assume that these individuals are less likely assists law enforcement officials in solving crimes and more likely to engage in suspicious behaviours. According to Tanovich (2002), this is one of the reasons why most law enforcement groups oppose racial profiling. Eventually over time, the practices of racial profiling on minority groups will contribute to the overrepresentation of ethnic groups within the criminal justice system.

Subsequently, racial profiling is also known to violate section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada. Section 15 of the Charter states that all individuals are equal before the law and prohibits discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, and colour, among other grounds (CHARTER REF). Yet, cases pertaining to section 15 of the charter are in fact rare.

Furthermore, sections 15 of the Charter ensures equality in the application of the law and the right not to be discriminated against on the basis of race or ethnicity. Any form of unequal treatment would be in violation of this section.

However, section 15 cases with respect to race are rare. In fact, there are only a handful of instances where the Supreme Court of Canada has directly dealt with race under section 15.32 For example, race was a factor in both R v RDS and R v Williams but neither case specifically concerned the issue of police officers engaging in racial profiling.3

The limited use of section 15 in racial profiling cases underscores the difficulties of proving racial discrimination. Specifically, it is the plaintiff who bears the burden of ruling out any competing explanations that are unrelated to race for the detaining officer’s behaviour and it is typically not difficult to generate such explanations as a defence after the fact.35 Also, the decision to act on the basis of race may be an unconscious one, in that a police officer may or may not be aware of his racist attitudes when acting on a hunch.36 Lastly, the evidence upon which racial profiling can be demonstrated is generally circumstantial in nature.37

Although there are many more arguments that oppose the use of racial profiling, the discussed issues are overwhelming, and, unfortunately, are often overlooked in discussions of the validity of the practice.

This paper argues for a more controlled use of racial profiling than some Canadian Courts currently allow. When racial profiling commences, there is the possibility that a person’s Charter rights are impacted negatively due to the assumptions about their appearance. It is important to acknowledge the importance of a system in which Crown can disprove or legitimize the use of racial profiling. However, when police officer do engage in racial profiling tactics, it is important for the Crown to acknowledge the legitimacy of doing so.

We all make mistakes and often jump to conclusions but I’d we control our emotions, our actions , and rationalize each situation thoroughly from the perspective of others, over reaction or escalation of any single situation could be prevented and understood to simply be a necessary function of law enforcement.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the basis of racial profiling can be a highly problematic practice that has more disadvantages than it does benefits. When an individual has been racially profiled it becomes challenging for the community to trust the legitimacy of law enforcement agencies. Although it may be hard to break the chain of racial profiling, police agencies should aim for a moderate method of racial profiling. Meaning that, they should acknowledge the stereotypes of certain ethnic groups however, they should only be able to persecute an individual when they have hard concrete evidence.

Overall, this debate remains important for law enforcement officials to engage in so that they are able to build a relationship with the communities that they serve. When assessing the permissibility of racial profiling, the challenge is to balance the protection of rights against the need to ensure effective policin

References

1. Perry, B. J. (2016). Diversity, crime, and justice in Canada. Brantford, Ontario: W. Ross MacDonald School Resource Services Library.
2. Black Lives Matter Herstory. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2019, from https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/herstory/
3. NewsOne Staff. (2019, February 23). 54 Black Men and Boys Killed By Police. Retrieved March 6, 2019, from https://newsone.com/playlist/black-men-youths-who-were-killed-by-police/
4. Nova Scotia (Attorney General) v. Royal Commission (Marshall Inquiry), 1988 CanLII 7107 (NS CA), , retrieved on 2019-03-06
5. https://novascotia.ca/just/marshall_inquiry/_docs/Royal%20Commission%20on%20the%20Donald%20Marshall%20Jr%20Prosecution_findings.pdf or https://ca.vlex.com/vid/r-v-marshall-681559005
6. Butts, E. (2009, August 6). Donald Marshall Jr. Retrieved March 6, 2019, from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/donald-marshall-jr
7. Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, s 15, Part I of the Constitution Act, 1982, being Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (UK), 1982, c 11.
8. The position papers require students to critically examine the diversity issue and competing sides of the policy debate and to adopt and defend a theoretically and empirically informed position, whether supporting or opposing the policy position.
9. The purpose of the position papers is to explore and, ideally, challenge some of the myths and stereotypes associated with specific identity groups in their interactions with Canadian laws and the legal system. Position papers must be based on scholarly and socio-legal research evidence and argument, including applicable statistics, research studies, scholarly writing and argument, government and non-government reports, and applicable legislation and case law. Thoughtful critical analysis is required.

The Necessity of the Police System Reform

George Floyd and Breonna Taylor are only two of the many names within the number of African Americans that have lost their lives as a result of police brutality. As a consequence, from police officers acting on police brutality, or “…excessive…often illegal use of force…,” the majority of cases reported have resulted in African Americans suffering “from assault and battery to mayhem, torture, and murder” (Moore). To reduce this issue, the policing system, must be reformed by adjusting the way officers are trained in order to decrease the mental and physical effects present in African American communities.

The issue of police violence towards Black Americans originates from faulty police systems, stereotypes, and the tensions that arose as a result of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Devon Carbado, a Professor of Law at UCLA, found that there were higher chances of police violence when officers are “poorly trained, in work cultures that promote violence, and suffer no administrative sanctions for their acts of violence” (Carbado and Rock). He also explained that previous policies, such as the “broken windows” policy, resulted in unjustified patrolling as police were reported to patrol in areas with higher crime rates despite the fact whether or not a crime was reported in the area. As a result of this policy, Black Americans are exposed to greater incidents of police violence because areas with higher crime rates that leave them vulnerable to police suspicion even if they haven’t done anything out of the ordinary. Carbado also reported that that officers are more likely to approach and shoot African Americans due to the fact of associating them to “violence and dangerousness” (Carbado and Rock). This causes an increase in police violence, which creates a greater distrust towards the law enforcement. Statistics from the Pew Research Fact Tank found that in a 2016 only 33% of Black Americans believed that the police department carried out their jobs appropriately (DeSilver et al.). This distrust between the Black community and police enforcement has only risen tensions causing the populations from both sides to fear for their safety. As a result of these tensions as well as the stereotypes and the faulty police system, police violence has continued to prevail in Black communities, which continues to greatly effect African Americans both physically and mentally.

As a result of police violence, the mental health of African Americans is affected and was found to contribute to the aggravation of their mental health. Jacob Bor, an epidemiology professor from the Boston University School of Public Health, conducted a study where he surveyed African Americans from a range of different ages on how affected their mental health was based on witnessing “police killings of unarmed Black Americans” three months prior to the day of the interview. Despite conducting the interview a few months later, he found that participants were still found to be affected as they “experienced on average 4.1 days of poor mental health in the month prior to the interview” (Bor). He also found that the unjustified deaths of unarmed African Americans due to police violence could result in “55 million excess poor mental health days per year among black American adults” (Bor). His findings prove that when African Americans witness police violence, they are most likely to experience higher impacts on their mental health, despite not being the victim of the violence. Due to the severity of his findings, Bor makes the comparison of how police killings affect Black Americans to diabetes and he concludes that since diabetes causes “75 million poor mental health days among black Americans” (Bor). This means that the effects of witnessing police killings are almost as large as the mental health effects from diabetes. His conclusion demonstrates the great impact police violence has on Black Americans by comparing a disease that could potentially lead to death to police violence. Overall, police violence contributes to the poor mental health of African Americans as well as physical effects.

In addition to the mental effects, the current police system has resulted in immense cases of unjustified deaths of Black Americans and should be reformed to decrease this number. African Americans become victims of police violence when the police when an illegal excessive use of force. According to Sarah DeGue from the Division of Violence Prevention, from examining cases from 2009 to 2017 where an excessive use of force used, she found that the majority of victims white, 52%, while Blacks composed of the demographic with the next highest percentage of 32% (DeGue et al.). Despite these findings, DeGue found that even though Whites made up the majority in cases where an excessive use of lethal force was used, the cases that resulted in death were found to involve African Americans with a “fatality rate 2.8 times higher” than that of Whites (DeGue et al). She also added on that majority of the Black victims were less likely to be unarmed. In viewing this statistic, it is interesting to see that even though there were more cases of police using lethal force with Whites, Blacks were more likely to die from the use of lethal force despite not having a weapon. This goes on to further prove that they were perceived as dangerous to the police officer, despite being of no threat to the officer. With the current police system, not only was police violence found to affect the lives of African American adults, but also with the addition of the lives of Black youth.

The system of law enforcement must be reformed in order to decrease the number of Black American youth that are being arrested and the reason that they are being arrested. In the year 2013, it was reported that out of the one million youths that had exposure to the criminal justice system, Black youths were found to have “experienced more than twice the rate of arrest than white youths” (Gase et al). This greatly affects the youth’s life in terms of their relationship with their family, education accomplishments, future job opportunities, increase violence rates, and worsen their mental health (Gase et al). Carbado believes that African Americans youth have higher arrest rates comparing to the other racial demographics due to stereotypes and their exposure that comes into play. Carbado found that police tend to dehumanize Black youth and deem that to be more mature and worthy of being “culpable” comparing to their White counter parts. These points further prove the reason why the policing system must be reformed. In addition, Carbado believes that if the issue of police brutality isn’t addressed than it would cause African Americans youth to be more vulnerable to police violence. As a result, this would continue the high arrest rates of African American youth.

To address this issue, police trainings should be amended to include more time to address racial bias within the policing system. In implementing this solution, the required trainings of the law enforcement system can place emphasis on addressing racial bias rather than the physical aspects such as the use of firearms and self-defense. By doing so, it would create a more balanced training, as the previous training of police officers was reported to consist of only about 4 hours of training on hate and bias crimes, while 46 to 60 hours addressed firearm training, self-defense, and fitness (Lopez). In addition, in improving their training, the racial bias that was previously presented during shooting simulations would be able to decrease. It was found during shooting simulations racial bias was present when police showed more hostility towards black suspects rather when crime was warranted (Lopez). Furthermore, police trainings should also amend the required amount of force used by reducing the circumstances that could potentially require greater uses of force. From research done by Philip Atiba Goff, a criminal justice and racial bias expert at John Jay College, he found that in having backup officers go after the suspect rather than the initial officer, the use of force was able to be reduced (Lopez). As a result, from his research, he found that there was a twenty three percent decrease in the use of force and an eleven percent decrease in police injuries (Lopez). In implementing these changes to the current system of policing it would lessen the drastic effects that come to be as a result of police brutality and produce more benefits.

In changing police trainings, it would help reduce the tensions between the police and the Black community as well as reduce the number of deaths on both sides. According to Seth W. Stoughton, a professor of law at the University of South Carolina, he found that when the police department in Richmond, California reduced the amount of force that officers used, the amount of police deaths was found to neither decrease or increase (Stoughton). Despite the fact that there was no change in the fatality rate, this is an important fact because if the continuation of this amendment continues to occur it could potentially lead to a decrease in the amount of police deaths.

Despite these solutions, many believe that changing the police system can endanger the lives of police enforcement and could potentially raise crime rates, however in changing the system it would lessen the number of deaths and crime rates. In changing the policy of use-of-force, which requires officers deescalate situations before resorting to force, many police officers fear that eventually they will be killed. Some argue that in attempting to deescalate a situation, it can cause the officers to lose control of the situation and allow openings for the suspect (Kaste). Instead of amending the content of police trainings, others believe that a potential solution to the issue would be to defund the police. Despite this the belief of this solution having more benefits rather than disadvantages, it is believed that if there are budget cuts, it could raise the crime rates. In the year 2017, it was found that in England and Wales when police budgets were cut, it resulted “14% fewer officers and 20% more gun, knife, and serious violent crimes (“Defund the Police – Top 3 Pros and Cons”). Even though both sides of the issue must be considered, in making amendments to the policing system it would be able to resolve the physical, mental conditions, and the rates of arrests and deaths of African Americans.

Ultimately, the policing system should be reformed to decrease the mental health effects as well as the physical effects, such as the deaths and arrests, present in African American communities. In doing so, it would lower the number of names that are announced of the people that deceased as a result from police violence. Overall, to overcome this issue, the best solution would be to adjust police trainings so that they spend more time addressing racial issues.

Works Cited

1. Bor, Jacob, et al. “Police Killings and Their Spillover Effects on the Mental Health of Black Americans: a Population-Based, Quasi-Experimental Study.” The Lancet, vol. 392, no. 10144, 21 June 2018, pp. 302–310., doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(18)31130-9.
2. Carbado, Devon W., and Patrick Rock. “What Exposes African Americans to Police Violence.” Harvardcrcl, harvardcrcl.org/wp- content/uploads/sites/10/2009/06/HLC104_crop.pdf.
3. “Defund the Police – Top 3 Pros and Cons.” ProCon.org, 17 July 2020, www.procon.org/ headlines/defund-the-police-top-3-pros-and-cons/.
4. DeGue, Sarah, et al. “Deaths Due to Use of Lethal Force by Law Enforcement: Findings From the National Violent Death Reporting System, 17 U.S. States, 2009-2012.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6080222/.
5. Gase, L. N., Glenn, B. A., Gomez, L. M., Kuo, T., Inkelas, M., & Ponce, N. A. (2016). Understanding racial and ethnic disparities in arrest: The role of individual, home, school, and community characteristics. Race and Social Problems, 8(4), 296-312. doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxylib.csueastbay.edu/10.1007/s12552-016-9183-8
6. Kaste, Martin. “For Police, A Debate Over Force, Cop Culture And Confrontation.” NPR, NPR, 25 Sept. 2014, www.npr.org/2014/09/25/351373721/police-mental-stamina-metrics-shed-light-on-deadly-force.
7. Lopez, German. “American Policing Is Broken. Here’s How to Fix It.” Vox, Vox, 29 Nov. 2016, www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/29/12989428/police-shooting-race-crime.
8. Moore, Leonard. “Police Brutality in the United States.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 27 July 2020, www.britannica.com/topic/Police-Brutality-in-the-United-States-2064580.

The Effects Of Police Or Racial Profiling On Social Stability In The United States

It is not a secret that if you have never experienced racial profiling before, you won’t even notice that. Or, it may seem to be nothing more than a mere inconvenience for you or your relatives. But I believe that racial profiling is much more than a hassle because it has direct consequences for anyone involved in it. The thing is that if you’ve been through profiling, you will have to pay the price emotionally or in some cases even physically. And what is even worse, you would definitely come back to it throughout your lifetime.

Considering such cases, a lot of research psychologists have examined the effects of racial profiling on broader society and got some threatening facts about it. For instance, if we speak about the US society of the last six months, psychologists have learned that societal effects include confirming feelings of racism, financial costs and fear. Furthermore, I think we should take into account that the impact of profiling has already extended beyond who directly experience it. I believe there is no one left in the US who has no idea about George Floyd. His death has impacted on families, friends, classmates, and neighbors all over the US.

To put is simply, the social and economic cost of racial profiling is widespread. When we describe a stable society with its prosperity, we mean our children and youth. For instance, most of us want our children to have a happy life and to become successful adults. But during the racial profiling on social stability, one of the most significant impacts is its effect on children and youth. They are the most sensitive class and need to be treated equally with respect to become presentable grownups. It should be also noted that public faith in the criminal justice system is a cornerstone of any harmonious society.

Any citizen should feel himself under the protection and willing to obey rules and laws. However, we need to underline that racial profiling seriously erodes public confidence in any justice system and can lead to disorders. People are not blind anymore. More and more people feel distrust, anger, hostility and fear. Many feel they need to be protected from the police. There are more and more cases of mistrust that has become not just specific to one state; it permeates all sectors of society. Finally, many “white” people feel ashamed to be a part of a society with racial profiling inside their democracy.

In conclusion, we all understand that racial profiling violates human dignity that cannot be accepted as a norm in the twenty first century. I strongly believe that the US society will overcome this problem by changing its attitude towards the gaps in the justice system and will build a stronger tolerance institute.

Procedures of Law Enforcement in Cases of Suicide Terrorism: Case of De Menezes And Hussain Osman

This assignment will examine how the police handled the case of Jean Charles De Menezes, highlighting the benefits of their chosen approach and related consequences. The implications of this case and improvements which have developed thereafter will also be discussed.

Police response is the action taken to resolve a case reported to a body of officer(s), responsible for maintaining law enforcement (Police Science, 2020). It is important for the police to respond to any situation effectively, to ensure that they are not in a position where they could potentially be in breach of The Human Rights Act 1998 (Lewis, 2020). If situations are not dealt with effectively, it may have a detrimental, long-lasting impact on those involved (e.g. lack of empirical evidence leading to an unjust conviction). The public may also lose confidence and trust in their ability to handle cases, thus may be less likely to report crimes, impacting the number of investigations carried out by the police (HMICFRS, 2018). Effective handling of terrorism cases is important; these cases tend to be motivated by either a political, religious or cultural cause (Golder and George, 2004). The consequences of terrorism may increase public fear, create job shortages and negatively impact the economy (Harris, 2016). It is therefore important that police response is prompt and effective, to minimize the consequences related to these cases.

On the 22nd July 2005, Jean Charles De Menezes an innocent 27-year-old electrician who was mistaken as a terrorist was shot seven times by armed officers. This situation occurred after officers were searching for offenders who attempted to carry out a bomb attack in London the day before, two weeks after the bombs that took place in London which resulted in 52 people dead. Prior to the killing of De Menezes, the police tracked a gym card that was found in a bag which also had possession of the unsuccessful bomb to an address at Scotia Road, London. This was believed to be linked back to an alleged terrorist named Hussain Osman, who shared the same accommodation as De Menezes (Tuner, 2017).

In this case, a lead officer brought up a strategy and advised that anyone who leaves the address should be stopped by armed officers for an identity check, once they have walked a short distance away from the sight of others (Siddique 2016). However, in this situation due to delays from the firearms team, officers were unable to stop individuals leaving the address. This led onto officers mistakenly targeting De Menezes as they mistakenly identified him as Hussain Osman, this occurred as the surveillance officer who was observing the address believed that De Menezes was Hussain Osman as he was the first male that was described as a potential suicide bomber and looked similar to Osman. Surveillance officers allowed him to get onto a bus travelling towards Stockwell station. This shows that there was an unconscious bias as they let him onto a bus full of innocent people although they believed him to be a suicide bomber (Siddique, 2016).

One report state that there was lack of communication between the surveillance team and the armed officers. This is because the surveillance team entered the same bus as De Menezes, which means that if they believed De Menezes to be a threat, they would not have entered the same bus as him (Kirkup, 2005). In this case the armed police fired at De Menezes, shooting him on his head killing him. This shows that the armed police believed him to be a threat, whereas the surveillance team did not believe him to be a threat. The armed police shot De Menezes because he walked towards them after they warned him that they were the armed police. However, one witness who was on the same train as De Menezes, stated that they did not hear the police shout a warning stating that they are the armed police nor did they witness De Menezes walk towards the police (IPCC, 2007). This shows that officers were not honest when dealing with the situation and shows a lack of professionalism at the time of the case.

A contingency plan is a strategy put in place to tackle potential incidents if or when they do occur in the future. This allows the police to be prepared for these incidents and would allow them to tackle incidents effectively (Runge-Ranzinger S and McCall PJ, et al., 2016). Considering that the case of De Menezes took place after the London bombing and the police targeted a suicide bomber who failed to detonate a bomb, there was no contingency plan put in place. This shows that the police were not prepared for this situation (IPCC, 2007) as the police did not take into consideration that the bomber may be a threat to the public as in this case De Menezes travelled on public transport, so if a contingency plan was put in place officers would have dealt with him once he stepped out of his home which could have resulted in a better outcome.

While investigation was taking place by the surveillance team, they were given photos of the suspect (Hussain Osman), however this photo was unclear, because of this there was uncertainty on how the suspect actually looked like throughout the investigation. While surveillance officers waited for the suspect to leave his address, one surveillance officer known as Frank had the responsibility to video record the suspect as he left the property in order to confirm this is the correct person. As De Menezes walked out of the flat, Frank was urinating as a result he was unable to video him leaving his flat. This led onto officers not being able to make a comparison between the suspect and the person leaving the flat, which led onto them targeting De Menezes assuming he was Hussain Osman (IPCC, 2007). This shows that the response taken by the police was harmful because it was based on assumptions rather than empirical evidence.

A major incident was defined by the cabinet office as any incident which contains a variety of crucial outcomes that necessitates special implementations by one or more emergency services (Blackwell, 2012). A critical incident is a situation which the police respond to, which may have an impact on the confidence of the public, the victim and their families (College of Policing, 2013). The case of De Menezes can be classed as a major incident as well as a critical incident, due to the fact that in this case the police needed to carry out special operations and needed to use a wide range of resources (firearms team and surveillance team), to what they usually use, and this case also impacted the public’s confidence and also had a negative effect on De Menezes family. This means that both aspects of a major incident and a critical incident were implemented in the case of De Menezes.

In the case of De Menezes officers were given training and were briefed based on the fact that the suspect was a suicide bomber. This resulted in firearm officers being in the mind state that they are going to be dealing with a suicide bomber (IPCC, 2007). This means to determine whether the amount of force used was acceptable within a situation should not be determined by considering the results of the situation, but by taking into consideration the facts the officers understood about the situation. In the case of De Menezes, officers were not prosecuted because of their actions and this can be because of the facts they understood about the situation (Clapham, 2017).

Although warnings are not specifically mandatory by law, where possible, officers should distribute a warning to a suspect. A warning can identify a person’s criminal behavior and clarify to them that if they do not stop, the officer will be required to arrest them (College of policing, 2013). In the case of De Menezes, officers did not shout out warnings to the suspect as they believed the suspect to be a suicide bomber armed with a bomb. The officers carried out a crucial shooting in order to take out the suspect to protect the innocent people around.

In the situation of De Menezes, officers were in a difficult situation and had to make a quick response when taking action. Since the appearance of suicide bombing, officers in the UK were training and learning about new incident management procedures. These new training programmes included new techniques, strategies and equipment (Squires, 2015). One key new approach in dealing with suicide terrorism was a method called operation kratos, which allows firearms officers to shoot suspected suicide bombers on the head in order to ensure explosives from the body do not detonate (Squires, 2015). Officers in the case of De Menezes were instructed to carry out this method, which means that although they had little communication between the surveillance team, they had to take into consideration that this was a terrorist, and in that moment in time, shooting him was the most appropriate action to carry out in order to keep the public safe. Also, the armed police are only able to fire at a suspect if they believe him to be a threat to life and shooting the suspect will prevent the action from carrying out (College of policing, 2013).

This means that as operation kratos is precisely targeted against suicide bombers, officers will always assume that they are dealing with a suicide bomber. This means that the threat they are faced with my not always be the level of threat that they believe they are faced with (Casciani, 2007). In the case of De Menezes this tactic of going against a suicide bomber was used against an innocent person, which shows that they carried out an action based on assumptions.

Officers who come across an incident are required to carry out an instant risk assessment of the event. Depending on the circumstances of the situation, the officer may have little or more time than usual to do this. In all situations, officers are able to use the National Decision Model (NDM) in order to come up with a decision. The NDM guides officers with information about the situation, intelligence, the legal powers officers have and the options available to the officer. When responding to a situation, the risk assessment carried out by officers must start by bringing together existing information and information collected by the intelligence team on the way to the scene (College of policing, 2013). Due to the lack of communication between the intelligence team and the firearms team, the risk assessment was not shared effectively between both teams which led to a misunderstanding and the killing of an innocent person was the result of this.

Officers in the UK are faced with constant change and resources are always reducing. They also need to handle a growing number of requests, as well as dealing with difficult and emotionally challenging tasks and in some cases the number of officers have been significantly decreased. Most officers responding to these challenging situations and also dealing with disturbing and shocking scenes may start to experience anxiety and depression. This work-related strain could cause officers to deal with situations inefficiently due to them experiencing anxiety and depression as they may feel powerless when being confronted with a suspect (Home Office, 2017).This is one of the issues in the case of De Menezes as the armed officers shot at him seven times at a close range which shows that officers had a lot of anger and anxiety when dealing with the De Menezes.

In regard to officers experiencing depression and anxiety which is affecting the handling and response to situations. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have set up guidelines for supervisors and organisations such as the police in order to deal with work related strain. The HSE suggest organisations to get supervisors and team leaders to work with colleagues in order to establish the main causes of the difficulties faced and come up with strategies to decrease or solve problems. The HSE also advises supervisors to have a variety of interpersonal skills in order to communicate and build stronger relations with colleagues and staff (College of Policing, 2018).

Some police forces have made some effective changes since the case of De Menezes. One of the approaches introduced by a police force was the method called THRIVE. THRIVE stands for Threat, Harm, Risk, Investigation opportunities, Vulnerability of the casualty and the amount of Engagement needed in order to resolve a situation. THRIVE is used in order to evaluate each individual situation, so that organisations can decide on what actions should be taken in order to deal with a certain situation. This is important as it allows the police to come up with an appropriate response to each individual incident instead of having one approach to fit all circumstances (North Yorkshire Police, 2020).

When police are working to respond and handle situations effectively, they usually see investigations as the most important and efficient method in order to provide the best response and handling of a situation. However, these lead onto more important methods such as working with the community and building relations with the community as a low priority. Improving relations with the public can have a major impact on the way police respond and handle situations as this would build up public confidence and allow the public to share ideas and approaches with the police (Brogden and Nijhar, 2005). If the police communicated with the public in the case of De Menezes, they could have identified the right suspect and ensure the operation was targeted at the correct suspect as they could have spoken to people that know De Menezes and Hussain Osman well.

Police are now sharing relevant data with a wide range of organisations such as government departments, devolved parliaments and local authorities. By sharing information about individuals who can possibly cause a threat will allow the police to improve their capability to evaluate the risk the individual can cause. Also, as a wider range of organisations are involved, the police are able to use a broad range of strategies, such as protecting those in threat of radicalisation or disengage those who have assisted or took part in terrorist linked activities with others (HM Government, 2018).If the police shared information with other organisations such as the local authority they would have acknowledged that there are other individuals who share the same building as the suspected terrorist and would have been more cautious when carrying out the operation.

The police use a method called covert policing which is when the person or people that are being investigated by the police investigation are not aware that they are being investigated. Covert investigation techniques involve using undercover police officers and citizens sharing information relevant for the investigation. With the police using citizens to share information, they are able to get correct and more precise information about the suspect. The police also gather information through the suspects mobile phone and watching emails etc (Sharpe, 2002). This would have allowed the police to understand exactly where the suspect Hussain Osman was at the time of the operation in order to target the correct suspect and not shoot an innocent person.

Overall, the way in which the police responded and handled the situation of Jean Charles De Menezes was not of good standard. Seeing as prior to the case of De Menezes there was a number of terrorist incidents and failed attempts to detonate bombs, the planning was not good and more should have been done in order to ensure officers were well prepared. There was poor communication between all members and there was no clear picture of who the suspect was which resulted in the police mistakenly killing an innocent person. However, the firearms team did go to the scene with the information that they were going to face a suicide bomber which means that firearms team dealt with the situation the way they were trained to. Since the case of De Menezes there has been some changes put in place and the police have developed strategies in order to ensure that they target the correct suspect. Working with the public will allow the police to ensure they get correct information and ensure they target the correct suspect.

Reference:

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Essay about Use of Force

Use of force is a dilemma not only the United States has been fighting but it’s being fought all over the world. It’s something that is very hard to put down on paper and say this is what you need to do in every situation because you can’t because every situation is just a little bit different. All police officers that have a badge and a gun have the authority to use whatever force is necessary to uphold the law, but sometimes that same use of force the officer used to keep them safe is unjustified. I would definitely put this ethical issue at the top of the list for cops because they have to face it each and every day and it’s inevitable in police work, and put their lives on the line every single day when somebody doesn’t comply with what they say or the law. In every case that I have read about or spoken with somebody in law enforcement, the officer has to make a split-second decision on what to do and choose which level of force to use whether that be his gun or pepper spray, and one slip up or misjudgment can cost you your badge, prison time, and most importantly it could cost you your life! Police work as everybody knows is extremely dangerous but nobody deserves to lose their life. According to FBI line of-duty deaths the Law enforcement officers killed and assaulted report shows that in 2018, a total of 106 officers were killed. (Fbi.gov, 2018) Before somebody becomes a police officer they have to go through intense training and everything they learn is to keep themselves or other officers out of deadly situations. I feel as if everyone should know that if you resist an officer they will use whatever tactic or force they deem necessary to relieve the threat, and that’s what they are trained to do. Another one would be if you bring a threat upon an officer they will use whatever force they deem necessary to eliminate that particular threat even if that means pulling their firearm or hand-to-hand combat. And I think the news or social media are very quick to jump to the conclusion that the police shot an innocent citizen. But what social media doesn’t understand is that they have to make split-second decisions and so many factors come into play like if it’s in a dark hallway are reaching for something and you have to decide what to do in a blink of an eye.

I was very privileged to have got on with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for my internship I learned so much and they showed me more than I could remember. But I was lucky enough to go through their milo simulator and they ran me through simulation for about 5 hours, I went through everything from using pepper spray all the way u to shooting the threat, and the decisions you have to make are so fast and if you don’t act you will get killed. The Trooper that taught me everything said they have politicians come in that go through the same simulation s and he said every time one comes in they come out with a better understanding of what the officer goes through. Before my time with OHP got cut short by the coronavirus they played some videos intense videos that they show to their cadets when they go through the academy. In those videos, a police officer was akin to a felony stop out on a back road in a small county the guy steps out with a rifle of some sort and the officer ordered him to drop it very aggressively but that officer the month before got in trouble with his use of force and didn’t want to get into trouble again so he didn’t pull the trigger like he should of when he turned that gun toward him and he ended up getting killed by this old war vet with military training with the ability to shoot and move while doing it and that’s how he killed him. All because he was caught up in if I shoot this man is it ethical and do I want to go to jail? Makes your stomach roll when you hear his screams while getting shot. What I’m trying to say is this dilemma is something that will most likely not get fixed in a long time or ever for that fact.

Use of force over the years has gotten better especially from the 80s and 90s but there’s just no winning on the subject until the opposing side sees what the officer has to go through and the decisions they have to make.

After reading the Use of Force Policy, Guidelines and Procedures Handbook I had to ask myself a few questions, And we will start off with the guidelines for use of force useful. The guidelines for the use of force are very useful while reading the handbook over the use of force it covered just about everything you could think of and explained it very well and it also includes the law part of it as well so you know what you have to have to apply that use of force which is very helpful.

The second question I wanted to answer would is should the guidelines on the use of force be revised. No, they cover every aspect and every scenario you could think of for example did you know that there are six different types of subject resistance and for every different one you have a different way of handling it from the subject being compliant all the way up to assaultive resistance. I don’t think that the rules for use of force need to be revised at this time but possibly in the near future.

The third and the biggest question is, is it followed? Well if you look to social media for this answer one would come to the conclusion that police are racist and a whole bunch of nonsense. The guidelines state that The reasonableness inquiry or an application of force3 is an objective one: the question is whether the officer’s/agent’s actions are objectively reasonable in light of the totality of facts and circumstances confronting him or her, without regard to underlying intent or motivation. This basically means did the officer or agent use, use of force correctly, or was he or she motivated by something else? I think the use of force is followed by all law enforcement to the best of their ability in that split-second decision that they’re faced to make whether stop that force with whatever they deem necessary at that time. When one officer or agent makes a wrong decision that they thought was a good one at the time puts a bad name on every agency across the country.

Another point I want to make is that has so much debate and we kind of touched on it during class and in my internship, we talked about it as well. In the video you had us watch where there was a guy on PCP who wasn’t following orders the cop had drug recognition training and realized what he was on, she ended up giving him direct orders to stop and show her his hands he did no comply what so ever, to cut the story short he reaches for the door handle of the car and she pulled the trigger but she also had another cop right next to her with no deadly for which was a taser, so you are probably saying well why didn’t they agree on to just let him taser him and that’s the end of the story, That’s where it gets tricky and I know in class I had a different opinion on this than you. She got something called auditory exclusion where you don’t hear anything that going on around you and she also got tunnel vision most likely, now I am not saying just because you get these things doesn’t make it right for you to choose the wrong use of force in whatever situation you are in. But, where I stand on this point is that if he got into that car there are a few things that could of happen, he could have grabbed a weapon, or he could get into the car and that alone is considered a deadly weapon, especially under the circumstances of him being on drugs. And she ended up not going to jail so technically she didn’t do anything wrong, but, if you look at the ethical side of her choice of use of force there are people that would say that what she did was not ethical at all and there is the side that’s going to say it was and each side has thigs to back it up on. Which makes did he or she use the right use of force there are always going to be two sides to each story or case. Which makes this ethical dilemma on the use of force so hard to understand.

Lastly, I’m going to state my opinion on the use of force. Firstly, I’m going to go over something that some people might find very controversial. Sometimes it might depend on the officer’s mood that day. If the officer might be having some wife problems or family trouble or they might be about money because well being a police officer will not get you rich. All of these things could be brought to the job and possibly taken out on somebody that is resisting arrest and they could take a little bit of anger by putting them to the ground a little harder than they normally would, or giving a ticket for going a couple over. But in my opinion that’s the farthest I think it would go in a cop’s mind I never in a million years thought that troubles at home would make or result in an officer pulling his firearm and discharging it for not the right reason. When I say for the right reason I mean the officer was in immediately or someone else was and that’s why he or she discharged their firearm.

Secondly, I’m going to talk about my opinion on how social media perceives the use of force from their perspective and the police officers’ side and what I think about it. Social media and the news loves to blow stories out of the water when they think the police use of force was too harsh r they killed someone because of their actions. For example, when a young kid or teenager gets shot by the police and they don’t listen to commands and they start reaching for stuff in their ants or jackets and its dark and you pull a phone out at three AM in the police officer mind the thinks he just pulled a gun and they end up getting shot. Then social media steps in and the headline say police shoot an unarmed teenager, but in my opinion, you have to put yourself into the officer’s shoes because like what we talked about in class their initial action will always be faster than our reaction, And that can cause the officer to lose his or her life but, it doesn’t give them the right to shoot at every little thing they find scary.

Use of force in my opinion is very simple the police officer or any form of law enforcement gives you a command to do something you literally just need to listen and comply, people who fight police over stupid things are always the ones that get arrested or they end up getting put on the ground or they have to use another form of force like a taser or lethal force. As long as you’re not doing anything wrong or have any warrants I promise the police won’t make something up to arrest you on and no unnecessary use of force will be used but they don’t understand the logic behind it they just want to argue everything the police does.

The use of force has been around for a really long time ever since police departments started and the use of force policies have been evolving ever since. Where I think it will go in the future will depend on where you live and I think that because some states like ours have different laws than say New York because we can open and conceal carry as long you are over the age of 21 and have no felonies. Meaning in Oklahoma the police officer might have to skip the other non-lethal uses of force and draw his weapon because you don’t bring a knife to a gunfight. In New York, if you don’t have a license it’s a misdemeanor and if you carry one without a license it’s a felony. So most people in New York unless they’re a criminal are not going to have a gun on them so the officer can take action the way he feels necessary, that’s most likely not going to lead to lethal force.

Analytical Essay on Police Professionalism

The first characteristic of police professionalism is specialized knowledge. This is one of the basics that the police are equipped with. In this context, the police ought to have full knowledge of their activities, how they are supposed to carry out their jobs as well as fundamental skills in the areas or disciplines of their policing (Williams, 1985). These skills include full information and knowledge of the neighborhood that they are assigned to provide watch. The whole of these skills can also be explained with the notion that the police should be informed and competent.

The second characteristic of police professionalism is the ability to have and offer good judgment whenever they are faced with a situation of this sort. The police ought to be professional in their line of duty by making the right decisions about a situation and the decision should be deeply relational with the guidelines stated in the code of conduct of the police taught during their training (Williams, 1985). For instance, police officers should have good judgment in dangerous situations where they are supposed to know when to shoot an individual and when not to shoot.

The third professional characteristic of the police is integrity. Integrity in policing is all about ensuring that the individuals who work for the police departments correctly uphold the values of their service, always work on doing the morally right thing in all situations,s and have full confidence in their affairs with the public (Martin, 2011). In this context, the police also ought to avoid lust in their activities and be kind and polite. For instance, the police should act professionally by distancing themselves from acts of corruption such as taking bribes from criminal offenders and suspects.

The above-discussed characteristics of police are closely related to ethics because the notion of police professionalism is vastly facilitated and affected by their ability to act in an upright manner and according to the morals and ethics of the land. For instance, the concept of police integrity is deeply an ethical issue because that is not something that an individual requires formal skills (Martin, 2011). Further, the issue of good judgment and making the right decisions in situations is completely an ethical issue because the decision that one will make depends on the nature of the individual and how ethical they are.

Morality and integrity cannot be instilled in police officers in formal environments and training camps (Williams, 1985) as these are things that have to come from inside. Every society or community has its own defined ethics and these are things that help to shape the lives of a police officer. In that light, police officers ought to conduct themselves properly with good morals and integrity as this is what will allow them to successfully maintain law and order, treat everyone equally, and make society better (McCartney & Parent, 2015) in general.

References

1. Martin, R. (January 01, 2011). Police corruption: An analytical look into police ethics. FBI Law
2. Enforcement Bulletin. Retrieved from http://apus.intelluslearning.com/v3/course-widget/26/#/document/31765583/1/d03204f2253e50a2f2f6170a04d0d319/4b60e138ddf8176b81dcb582ac41af51/browse_published_content/393/1951/3093/2/lesson/lesson?hideClose=true&tagId=26187&external_course_id=393313&external_course_name=CMRJ100%20D003%20Spr%2019
3. McCartney, S., & Parent, R. (2015)> Ethics in law enforcement. Retrieved from http://solr.bccampus.ca:8001/bcc/file/03897e9e-cb62-40ed-aecc-feef5caae9d2/1/Ethics-in-Law-Enforcement-1486419193.pdf
4. Williams, B. (1985). Ethics and the limits of philosophy. Retrieved from https://butterflyweeds.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/bernard_williams_ethics_and_the_limits_of_philosbookos-org.pdf

Police Brutality Research Paper

Why is police brutality a human rights issue? The term “police brutality” is referred to as human rights violations by police. For example, beatings, racial abuse, torture, unlawful killings, or indiscriminate use of riot control agents at protests. So many people reject the fact that police are not allowed to do what they want just because of the power they hold. Can you believe being stopped by the police on an everyday basis just because of the color of your skin? This is a growing problem that can happen to anyone at any time due to racism and ignorance that still exists today. People get judged more on how they look than their personalities and how they really are. Racial profiling can affect anyone, mainly the black community. One thing that bugs me so much is people use racial profiling as an excuse or “extra precaution” to keep people safe. It is only okay if the police know exactly what they look like or if the person is reported by another by their physical appearance.

Real racial profiling is when a law enforcement official suspects someone they’ve never seen before of a crime just because they look. Not only is this morally wrong and illegal, but the police might actually be letting real criminals get away while they might be taking to arrest or track an innocent person just because of their race. Another common claim that people have is that racial profiling is ok in airports because it stops the chance of terrorists. This claim simply doesn’t make any sense because you can’t just tell if someone is a terrorist for their physical appearance. Checking someone that looks middle eastern is not a valid or effective way of keeping terrorists off the plane, because, there are so many countries in the Middle East with all types of people. You can’t assume something of a whole race of people just because one group took part in a terrorist attack 13 years ago. One common misconception about racial profiling is that it only happens to one race of people, African American. Racial profiling can happen to anyone and has become more and more popular in airports that excessively check people that look of Arab or Muslim descent. In the article “Racial Profiling”, the writer explains, “After the event of 911, Arabs and Muslim descent became the main targets of racial profiling. They have reported being kicked off planes and questioned at airports just because of their ethnicity or religion.”

Many tragic incidents have happened in the past few years consisting of racial profiling and the excessive force of police brutality. For example, George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Dante Parker, and the list goes on. They were all killed at the hands of police because of racial profiling, all of them were unarmed. There is a huge difference in the world today with the system. They treat people of color differently than they do white people, it is so sad, but it is the sad reality we live in.

A few examples of the tragedies that have happened in the past few years are George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Elijah McClain. George Floyd was an African American man that was killed in the corner, handcuffed, and pinned to the ground. He was suffocated to death by Derrick Chauvin, he knelt on his neck while he pinned him to the ground and it resulted in his death. George got justice and Derrick was charged on all counts, the other officers on the scene were all fired for not doing anything. It is so sad because things like this happen every day, and only a few get justice. We are so thankful for the person who caught it on camera or else it could’ve been a whole different story. Breonna Taylor. Breonna was a black medical worker who was shot and killed in Louisville by police officers who raided her apartment. The officers pleaded not guilty and no charges were announced for the ones that fired shots, and no one was charged for causing Breonna’s death. They were terminated and aren’t officers anymore, but there is no justice for Breonna. Elijah McClain. He was a 23-year-old black male that worked as a massage therapist. He died after a violent police encounter, the three police said that he looked like the person that was wearing the ski mask and looked “sketchy”. They pinned him to the ground and sedated him, and a few days later in the hospital, Elijah was declared brain dead. He was then taken off life support on August 30. What do all of these cases have in common? They are all black. They all were unarmed. They did not show any type of restraint or resistment. They all were racially profiled and their lives were taken from them because of it. There are so many victims out there that something like these cases happened to them, too. Say their names.

The risk of being killed by the police force for those of color is extremely high in some cases. It is the sad reality of life, but it is happening right now. The statistics are insane. How many people have died at the hands of the police? It is hard to get reliable figures on killings by the police because so many governments don’t collect or publish this data. The Small Arms Survey says that in each year between 2007 and 2012, an estimated 19,000 people were killed during ‘legal interventions’. (encounters with police) Most of the available data refers to specific countries or time periods, and are often estimated by NGOs for human rights groups. For example, in 2019 police in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, killed 1,810 people- an average of 5 per day. Kenyan, police killed 122 people. Between 2015 and 2018, over 500 people were fatally shot by the police in Jamaica, and over 300 were shot and injured. Around 1,000 people are killed by police every year in America. In countries with high rates of police killings, there is often a combination of factors including inadequate laws, racial or other forms of discrimination, insecurity or conflict, and entrenched impunity.

There is so much wrong in the police system in the world today. I know there are people that want to defund the police, but I don’t think that would help at all. I believe that we need to make a whole change to the system. Not all cops are bad, but the system is so prejudiced that there needs to be a change. We need to make better laws and/or stick to the current laws for justice to take place with police brutality. They are still doing psychological research right now to take action to improve the police system. We need to make a change, and it needs to happen now.

Police must be the last resort to be used only when necessary to protect the public from harm. Until then, municipalities will need to prepare for the impact of increased police accountability and transparency. To see real change in our society, policymakers must remove the barriers and find necessary programming. We need to be smart and follow the science.

So many people are affected by police brutality each day and the numbers keep going up. Racial profiling is a real thing and we need to make a change about that and make the cops have serious consequences when wrongfully accusing someone because of the color of their skin. Remember their names. The list goes on and on for the lives lost in the hands of police officers that are of color and unarmed.

Police Brutality Symbol: Research Essay

Demonstrators Worldwide Yelled Out Against Police Brutality In The United States. The Global Society Reacts to George Floyd’s Death, on Systemic Racism, Police Brutality, and Protests in the United States. What transpired in the final moments of Floyd’s life? On May 25. the murdering of Floyd, cascading far beyond the borders of the United States. The subsequent waves of demonstrations both at home and abroad have again brought a laser-like focus to longstanding queries involving systemic racial discrimination, the unequal administration of justice in the United States, and the use of executive authority in times of national crisis, the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

It all began with a Smartphone Video Footage of a young female teenager recording the excruciating final minutes of Floyd. On May 25. that a police officer had his unrelenting knee on Floyd’s neck for 7 minutes, and 46 seconds as he cried out for air, not the 8:46 that has become a symbol of police brutality the one-minute error would not influence the criminal case against the four officers. When Daids learned about the tragedy of Floyd’s wrongful death on May 25.

It literally sucked the life out of him. When Daids learn that he was unable to catch his breath for 8 minutes and 46 seconds before his life faded away. Daids wondered if George panicked, or simply fell into receding waves of darkness into the divine light. As Daids cogitated, Floyd, when you uttered out (Mama) repeatedly, was that summoning of your invocation on your final breath?

Until now Daids deeply mourn for Floyd a fellow brother who, like him, also desires oxygen to live, and is now vanished into darkness into the divine radiance. Our breath is a gift it is our creator gifting life to us. We cannot dispose of it; deny it to anyone even for a moment and not for 7 minutes, 46 seconds as Floyd cried out for oxygen, not the 8:46 that has become a symbol of police brutality! Just as Nazarene uttered Seven Last Words when suspended from the cross, George Floyd also had his Last Words while suffocating under Derek Chauvin’s knee. Please, don’t murder me … I feel like I’m going to die … Everything aches ..Mama.

How respectful he was to the police officer Derek Chauvin, George. How courteous! Pleading and begging for his life, Please … I cannot breathe, he remained a gentle giant. Sometimes in prayer, we too realize that we desire something so desperately, akin to our need for air so that we could breathe.

Police Brutality: Persuasive Speech

July 17th, 2014, Eric Garner, a 43-year-old man, died in Staten Island after being put in a chokehold by a police officer after resisting arrest for selling untaxed cigarettes. He was later refused medical assistance after losing consciousness.

I was recently watching the documentary Bowling for Columbine, and I couldn’t help but notice the amount of brutality caused by police towards people of color and other religious and homophobic stereotypes. But it wasn’t just the brutality that the police enforced, it was the lack of faith and lack of trust towards these officers which in a world like today is curtailed to a safe and happy life.

Good morning Department of Justice and Attorney-General. I am Curtis Bock and I am here to advise you of the horrors of police brutality. With the number of issues on earth at the moment, do we really want to be feeling doubtful about our defense force?

If there’s one thing that has shocked me from reading these reports, it is how frequently this issue can occur. Moreover, how often do they result from prejudice based on the individual’s race, sex, religion, or sexual orientation? The instances of, elements of, and absence of punishments for officers are what predominantly cause the community to feel unsafe. thought of race, sex, religion, sexual inclination

I thought this was 2019, I thought this was a new era, I thought this was a day and age where I could just walk out my door and be whoever I wanted to be in a safe and loving community. Guess I thought wrong. There are many reasons surrounding brutality in the numerous communities in the nation. A main point comes from the thought of race, sex, religion, and sexual inclination. Dispute often exists between police and the citizenry. Some police officers may view the population (or a particular subset thereof) as generally deserving punishment. Portions of the population may perceive the police to be oppressors. In addition, there is a perception that victims of police brutality often belong to relatively powerless groups, such as racial or cultural minorities, the disabled, and the poor. If these cases continue it will only start to look more and more grim for the image of the police force subsequently, affecting them in the long run with the lack of trust towards them. Additionally, with the ever-increasing population of the religious, LGBT, and communities it can only mean that the number of brutal attacks on our different minorities can only increase, furthering the amount of uncertainty towards our nation’s defense force.

The instances of, elements of, police brutality and how it’s giving all police officers good and bad a bad name “Robert Davis, a retired school teacher, was beaten and arrested by four police in New Orleans. He was 64 at the time of the assault and was accused of public drunkenness. One officer was fired over the incident, one was suspended, and another was acquitted of all charges. Davis said he was teetotal and had not had a drink for at least 25 years. How do the police not rest until a criminal is brought to justice, but can’t seem to bring justice on one of their own who has done more wrong than many regular criminals? Many people wonder why the image of the police is recognized as a bad sign by the vast majority of the world. Well, this is it, the fact that people are put into higher authorial roles than others and carry harmful substances and objects to help keep “the peace” seems like a good way to severely abuse this power and take horrible punishments onto people who may not look or sound like the average “person ”. It also begs the question what is normal anymore? It certainly isn’t the stereotype it was years ago and these corrupt officers are a big example of it. This can only add to the fear and insecurities this world has with our police and justice departments. How many more innocent people have to die before the word “normal” means every human being? absence of punishments for police brutality and how it’s upsetting our community.

Police are very rarely prosecuted for shootings — and not just because the law allows them wide latitude to use force on the job. Sometimes the investigations fall onto the same police department the officer is from, which creates major conflicts of interest. Other times the only available evidence comes from eyewitnesses, who may not be as trustworthy in the public eye as a police officer. In fact, The National Police Misconduct Reporting Project analyzed 3,238 criminal cases against police officers from April 2009 through December 2010. They found that only 33 percent were convicted, and 36 percent of officers who were convicted ended up serving prison sentences. Both of those are about half the rate at which members of the public are convicted or incarcerated. This is giving people of the public the wrong picture of police officers as people who are immune to the law no matter how horrific their crimes may be. The reason for the lack of punishment comes from the government wanting to cover up the bad reports in order to keep order within the community. It’s not working, it’s only causing more disturbance in our nation, and it’s only getting worse.

Conclusion

Nonetheless, with the number of cases of police brutality there really is, there are likewise some great, kind, law-abiding policemen out there carrying out their responsibility to help protect this nation, however, they haven’t appeared on Fox News, they are out there and attempting to make a difference.

As I found out about police brutality and the horror and dread it gives, I similarly too found out about myself. I discovered that I need to help end it, but I can’t do it alone, so I trust that all of you feel the same.

Overall, this is a problem that needs to be addressed. The most important thing you need to consider is, In the event that you need to help, there are numerous ways, mostly on the off chance that you or somebody you see around you is being harassed by police, at that point, you can record it with your phone, but there’s a chance they may break it and you’ll be left with no proof of the experience. However, there is an app called Safe Space that is specially created for police encounters, and if the official makes you quit recording their experience, it’ll automatically send it to the justice department. I have the application myself and I’d strongly suggest you have it too. Take a listen, the people want justice. Give the people what they want.