Police brutality remains a common yet controversial topic around the world. Police brutality is “the use of excessive and/or unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians” (thelawdictionary.org). It’s a topic that segregates communities and makes each other their enemy. Specifically, a white officer has been the enemy of the black community. Unfortunately, the tension between police and blacks grew over the past few decades. As a result, there is a drastic increase of violent outburst between both sides. For the last years, it was reported that 51.5 percent of black were killed by police officers (ibtimes.com). On the other hand, there have been 51,548 assaults against law enforcement and it resulted in 14,453 injuries in 2015 alone (nleomf.org). In the United States, recently, police brutality has been a popular subject all over the news and social media.
Minorities in the community have been subjected to violence by law enforcement in the United States for some time. This violence is called police brutality and it is unacceptable. The job of a police officer is to maintain public order, prevent, and detect crime. They are a part of a dangerous and stressful career that can involve risky situations that must be controlled. Sometimes police are put in situations that excessive force is needed. Some officers use these extreme measures in situations when it is not needed, police brutality should be addressed by testing police for for racial bias, require more training, and use body cameras.
Imagine this scenario: you are complying with the police that are screaming at you, guns pointed at you, screaming “please don 't shoot” and trying your best to do what the police are asking. Daniel Shaver was an unarmed man fatally shot for no good reason. He was complying with the police officers orders and was begging for his life, screaming “please don’t shoot,” before he was fatally shot 5 times. Unfortunately, this is just one example of police brutality, an instance when police use unnecessary force when either they are unarmed or are complying with orders. Today I want to tell you of the injustice of police brutality, the people it affects, and how just asking the right questions could make sure that police are punished for their crimes.
We are all living in a time where technology prevails freely and cameras are found everywhere (Should Police Officers Wear…). These body worn police cameras should be used to reduce the force used by officers in a police-public interaction, decrease the complaints from citizens, and increase accountability (Ariel 730-731). This evidence should show that the benefits of these cameras outweigh the concerns
Police brutality is a complex phenomenon, which has widespread effects on today 's society. In recent years, the police have come under serious scrutiny for police brutality, and this has been underscored by the presence of video camcorders. Accompanying this issue, I will provide several examples and recent cases, as well as the related decision making process. Similar emphasis shall be placed upon the understanding, role, and participation of the individual in public policy making. To begin with, I should like to first offer my understanding of police brutality, and as well, as it is expressed in the literature. In recent years, police brutality has become an issue, and in
This book will be useful in talking about different cases that occurred at the beginning of the decade and how these cases started the awareness of police brutality in the 1990s. Adding some different viewpoints that this book provides will
In this world today, there are many cases of police brutality going on right now. For some cases, police shouldn’t have acted the way that they did. There are multiple reasons for why police brutality occur and must be removed for it to occur less.
Cecily Strong is a comedian of the famous and popular show Saturday Night Live on NBC. She often works with her coworkers to made fun of what happening in the world. As a comedian, many of her jokes fall into the category of dry sarcasm. So, it is important to take that into consideration when watching the speeches she gives. In in April of 2015, she gave a speech at the White House Correspondents Dinner at the Washington Hilton.
“Frequent exposure to media reports of police abuse or corruption is a strong predictor of perceptions of misconduct and supports the belief that is common.” (France-Respers 1). But unfortunately, it also brings me disheartened feelings. Recently, I was on twitter and I stumbled across a video of a young white male who was roughly about twenty to twenty-five years of age who was being handled so aggressively by about six officers while he was NOT resisting. The act itself is disappointing but more importantly I was bothered by the fact that there are many white individuals who fall victim to acts of police brutality but they don’t receive as much attention because they are not minorities (especially as much as african americans and latino’s do). “Deaths of whites at the hands of law enforcement typically receive less attention, even when the case is shrouded in controversy.” (Richardson, 1). This is an issue as a nation, we are fighting for unity among us all so I find it particularly odd that I never hear cases of police brutality against white individuals on the news, but constantly I come across one’s relating to african americans. All cases of police brutality are wrong despite color, race and ethnicity and we all deserve the right to raise awareness of this growing issue! Police
There are numerous issues that deal with the American criminal justice system, but the two I found most prominant that occur on a daily basis is the abuse from police officers and clear racism shown by the American criminal justice system. To begin, racism as we know is a prejudice directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior. In the criminal justice system African Americans are directly targeted and punished in a higher more aggressive way, than say someone who is caucasian and committed the same exact crime. Racism is more often than not, the motive for official misconduct. There are examples of racism from every known region in the United States, spanning across centuries from slavery to
Police brutality occurs against those of all races and genders. A new form of violence between civilians and police
The strengths are that this reference does mention some very useful statistics and also the point of view of a black officer regarding racial profiling and traffic stops. A weakness is that an attorney is quoted, making a general statement that all police are racist, which is not accurate, however, it is prevalent. The main points are that Latinos and blacks are far more prone to injury/death at the hands of police in one particular coroner's office. Black leaders feel police should be able to carry out their jobs without violence. They feel it is not in their job description. It comes right out and states that police do use statistics that say which race is more likely to commit certain crimes, and they will look for those things when conducting traffic stops, which one black officer says he has no problem with. However, there's a point at which it becomes an abuse of power. Gail B Stewart, the author, received her undergraduate degree from Gustavus Adolphus College, and completed her
What began as peaceful demonstrations on Sunday night in Ferguson descended into chaos as volleys of gunshots rang out as police in riot gear tried to disperse protesters blocking traffic and smashing storefront windows along a street that was a flashpoint of riots last year after Brown, 18, was shot dead. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon called Sunday 's violence "a sad turn of events" carried out by a criminal element and appealed for peaceful rallies on Monday (Ingwerson 1985). . But Nixon, who had deployed the National Guard to quell violence last year, did not make any mention of additional security for those rallies. The county 's order allows it to distribute money and material for emergency purposes "and to protect the health and safety
A major part of my paper is the response to police brutality by the American republic. Often, when discussing police brutality there is certain language used that tends to devalue experiences of the victim. In 1992, during the second day of rioting in L.A after the Rodney King trial president George H.W Bush addressed the nation to address the trial and the riots. This could provide a look into coded language that was used to discuss these topics.
Police Brutality is an ongoing problem and existent concern in the United States and should be resolved immediately. Law enforcement must function as an element that consists of organized and civilized officers. The presence of police brutality is becoming more of an issue as society grows. The problem posed by the illegal exercise of police power is an ongoing reality for individuals of a disfavored race, class, or sexual orientation. Police brutality must be stopped so that police do not forget who they are serving – not themselves, but the public. This means that even the criminals, who are a part of the public, have certain rights, particularly, civil rights. Police brutality causes a major concern in today’s society in America and a resolution is imminent. These racial prejudices are rooted in America’s deep psyche to grasp its power, we must move American original sin, slavery, and its corollary the terrible fear transmitted from generation to generation of a revolt.