There are many pros and cons when it comes to the use of police force. The use of force is strictly a part of the job requirement of protecting and serving our community. It is the everyday battles that force police to make decisions that may seem a bit harsh at times. The use of force is only acceptable under certain circumstances and should only be used when absolutely needed. There are cases when civilians are saved by the use of police force, and there are cases when innocent people are hurt or even killed by the use of police force.
One advantage of police using force is the authority of law over any unlawful abiding citizen. The police have the authority to stop a crime before it occurs and that helps prevent crime in the first place.
…show more content…
I think authority and strict police encounters are a great thing that helps offenders realize the consequences of their actions. Sometimes the only way to get an offender under control is to use unarmed physical force or force using non-lethal weapons.
Every day, police officers encounter countless hours of training to defuse situations that can be violent. In Philadelphia, every officer gets 40 hours of this reality training to learn tactics other than lethal force…even when suspects are armed and dangerous (PBS, 2016). The public has a misconception that deadly force is the same thing as excessive force. They can be similar if the police use deadly force to a point where every officer discharges their entire magazine on person when the threat has been eliminated. Officers receive hours of training on how to shoot a gun, but sometime receive little instruction on how to determine when to use the gun. Training starts in the Police Academy, and continues throughout their careers. There are officers who teach and train the departments every month. Military units also go through the same training. Sacramento County Sherriff K9 officer Bob Pomerson said “officers go through training every day. It’s not just
Officers are taught at the police academy to meet deadly force with deadly force. They are trained and given the techniques and skills to make sure they make it home at the end of their shift, and they spend extensive time training in the use of firearms. It's important to realize that, when discussing the use of deadly force by police officers, the expected result of a subject's actions don't have to be death. Instead, deadly force is described as actions that would likely cause death or bodily harm, which could include permanent disfigurement without necessarily causing death.
One common opinion is that officers should not use more force than is necessary or reasonable, and even then, that force should be used only as a last resort. “Police use force to affect civilians’ conduct. On a day-to-day basis, they do so most often by employing the least degree of force available to them, their mere presence. Cops wear uniforms and drive distinctly marked cars so that, without saying a word, they may have an effect on citizens’ behavior” (Fyfe, 38). When an officer’s presence fails to fulfill the desired conduct, the next course of action for said officer would be verbalization.
The way officers use power should be used in certain situations but, all situations don’t need force. Police brutality is cruel; as the police are paid to protect people from danger, not bring on additional harm and stretch. Police should be prepared and trained the right way, so they don't use extra force. Police are put on a grid of power and so we expect. Over
Many police officers get off easily because they call it as self-defense, but it’s not. People being brutally beaten or killed, riots breaking out, mourning of neighborhoods, lawsuits against police departments all can be at stake of police officers using excessive force. This is part of the reason our country has been in an uproar. In the last few years’ police brutality has been at an all-time high. Because of it, movements have been started and protests have broken out.
Most of the police officers misuse their positions in law enforcement, possibly due to “power trip”, and are no help to citizens. The allegations of brutality, in the case of Officer Johannes Mehserle, focused on whether or not the officer was guilty of a wrongful death towards Oscar Grant. According to officer Mehserle, he alleges that he thought the gun was his Taser, but instead was his handgun that shot Grant.
It can be hard to prosecute a cop for these actions due to the constant state of threat a cop’s life is at while doing their job and the unpredictability of their job. An example of an case where the police’s use of force were questioned was the Wardlaw v. Pickett case. In this case a man named, William C. Wardlaw decided to sue the United States Deputy Marshals, William Pickett and Albert Crew. Wardlaw claimed that the two violated his constitutional rights by using excessive force on him and falsing arresting and prosecuting him.
Some people argue that the tactics used by the police
Police brutality has been occurring since the idea of a police officer was first brought up. Officers have found many holes through the law enforcement system. This brings upon many types of misconduct and excessive force. Unfortunately, police officers are not usually held accountable for their brutality. “The Incentive Program, or the method of police chiefs using promises of contraband going to sub-departments that lack the money in the budget, gives officers more incentive to not only plant evidence to make an entire estate contraband, but it also lets them rationalize lining their own pockets” (White).
In my opinion it is, for many reasons, officers cannot predict how a suspect will act in a confrontation leading up to their arrest. The suspect could become violent in a matter of seconds, leaving the officers with a split-second decision to use deadly force. This decision could be life or death for the police officer. Police officers have just as much right to protect their lives as everyone else. I try to perceive myself as a police officer in a situation where I had to choose to use lethal force or face death at the hands of someone I have never wronged, but only have interaction with due to my job.
According to the National Institute of Justice, there are 6.6 complaints per 100 police officers on the excessive force. However, 8 percent of these claims had real concrete evidence to back up their story to take disciplinary action against the police officer ("Police Use Of Force | National Institute Of Justice"). This is the most controversial issue that is happening in America right now. We see a lot of police officers use excessive force on innocent civilians too much. It happens everywhere in the United States, it will show up on the news, local news, newspapers and most importantly in social media.
Police brutality will be an issue until a solution is created. Many individuals are victims of this form of assault on daily basis. The liberties held by law enforcement are challenged each time they perform their duties. Police officers should abide by the same laws that each citizen is expected to abide by. Although police officers are granted with the right to determine laws as constitutional, civilians are sometimes treated in ways that are beyond unlawful.
For decades now, the controversy over deadly force has continued to show up in the news when police officers have acted in a manner that some citizens find just while others deem completely unfair. Many lawsuits stemming from shootings and crimes have found their way to local courts or the Supreme Court to deal with this issue. A portion of the U.S. population finds deadly force unnecessary when non-lethal weapons such as pepper spray or batons just as easily subdue the criminal. In addition, these citizens argue that officers might be liable for cases filed against them if they use excess force on people that seem suspicious but have not actually committed a crime. On the other hand, the opposing argument in favor of deadly force states that
People pick the side that either defends or criticize police officers use of force. However, the people do not realize that this topic is plainly ridiculous and dangerous. This issue will not only hurt both sides, but also harm innocent civilians as well. Police brutality is a big dispute between different communities; however, there are several solutions that can solve this
If the law enforcement were to reduce the amount of force the officers are allowed to use, crime would simply be even more out of control. I say because if the officer can 't get control the suspect will easily take advantage of the officer. The current amount of force an officer can use is efficient, for the this reason the police officers have to right to protect themselves along with the community. The law allows police officers to use deadly force if
Law enforcement agents are should behave to a standard that is greater than the average civilian. Police brutality comes from an abuse of power granted to the police. Police brutality is often drawn on by overreaction in certain situations drawn on by panic. Police using excessive force in the United States is a crucial dilemma and must be stopped.