Police Brutality Reform

Police Brutality and the Responsibility of Reform

“They’re here to assassinate us . . . They’re here to kill us . . . Murderers” (Pitts 1). Strutting with their illuminating, shining gold badges, the foreigners assume the unchartered territory with cold, dehumanizing stares. Under the guise as promoters of welfare, security, and safety, the force that is supposedly sent to enforce peace in the region lay their hands on their death scythes, ready to usher the souls of the oppressed into the afterlife (“Huey Newton: Interview…” 1). Searching for a victim, the force rested its gaze upon a beige car. After the intruders stop the car, the victim cries, “I’m not doing anything!” Disregarding the man’s cries, the force departs, leaving the victim

With 136 recorded unarmed deaths from 2015 to 2016, there is a need for reform within policing procedures (“Number of People…” 1). Further, Castille’s death gives rise in efforts to stop police brutality, such as the notable Black Lives Matter Movement. Sensing a biased attitude, minority groups perceive policing figures as untrustworthy and unreliable, demonstrating a decline in police accountability. However, police accountability in Castille’s case is disputable because traffic stops are known as the most dangerous part in policing, and the shooting may have been carried out for self-protection rather than personal satisfaction (“Police Brutality: Do…” 8). When discussing possibilities of reform based on the circumstance of the brutal act, there is an evolving debate of whether community involvement is effective in fulfilling a role towards regaining democratic order and public security, or if the police force should continue to take law enforcement matters into their own hands (Friedmann

In addition to these notes, Hryniewicz has produced policy recommendations in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Violence & Victims, Society & Mental Health, Health Sociology Review, Contemporary Justice Review, and many more (“Danielle Hryniewicz” 1). On the other side of the debate, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, David A. Klinger, supports reform through the police force in his article, "Police Training As An Instrument Of Accountability," issued by the St. Louis University Public Law Review in 2012. Along with his specialization in policing, terrorism, and the use of deadly force, Klinger possesses the experience of a patrol officer for the Los Angeles and Redmond Police Departments ("David A. Klinger, Professor" 1). With Hyrniewicz’s perspective of police brutality as a social issue which can be prevented through civilian oversight, and Klinger’s belief that it is a psychological issue resolved by refining police training, the two authors also disagree on who should be responsible for the reform that reclaims police accountability and