Paranoid Style Of Police Essay

Some people argue that police officers in our communities abuse their authority and power over citizens. Nowadays police officers seem to be more aggressive and end up being looked at as criminals. Some cops are even using their power to do bad things, and this has had a major effect on society that is making everyone afraid of cops. But, some people, too, argue the point if a cop did misuse his power was it justified. People in our communities are even beginning to feel as if cops aren't here to protect us anymore. Our laws have allowed criminals that good police officers arrest to slip through the system untouched, and this makes officers feel as if they have to bring matters of justice into their own hands. Police brutality has turned into somewhat of a myth because of our court system not punishing them as according.

The brutality of the police force has been a long worldwide problem, but especially between the years of 2012-2016. Black people are being unjustly beaten and shot in plain sight for doing nothing while being unarmed. Journal of African American Studies “Blacks are viewed as deserving of harsh treatment in the criminal justice system” (482). “Black males with more “Afrocentric” features may receive longer sentences than blacks with less Afrocentric features like lighter skin and straighter hair”(482). Nowadays it is important to know about the police force. It’s important to know our rights as citizens and be careful around cops. Not everybody is good, but not everybody is bad also. In The New York Amsterdam News 21 people were killed by Chicago police in 2008. Entire families were being attacked. They believe it’s because of their skin color and how they are different. The year of racism started off with the world seeing the police murder of Oscar Grant. “The media have pushed people away from hearing the issue of police brutality, and it has fallen off of the radar screen.”(2) “You can’t give in. They will try to make an example out of you, try to break your spirit!”(2) African Americans say do not trust the cops with anything. “They will ruin you.”(2)

Our society shows how racism and police officers are a focal point within our country. In the United States, many police officers demonstrate racist qualities. Research states that many police officers are only patrolling around predominately African American neighborhoods. People agree that police officers are just sitting in areas where African Americans live instead of just sitting anywhere and waiting for any crimes. (Martin, Trayvon. Racial Profiling). Polices are just waiting for African Americans to make a mistake. Most Police Officers haven’t changed their ways on racism. “Diallo was gunned down by NYPD officers while trying to enter his apartment building. The officers had mistaken Diallo for a suspected rapist—who was also black’’ (Martin, Trayvon. Racial Profiling). NYPD killed an innocent man because he was African American and he looked like the guy they were looking for. Therefore, this just proves police officers have not changed their racist

Throughout history, there has been very few careers that require such a high degree of an ethical standard such as the one required for law enforcement. There is, however, a multitude of careers that require the dedication and heart such as required for a police member. Where this dedication and heart differs relies solely on the difference in the job. Officers are required to be aware of their surroundings nearly all the time as if something were to happen they would be required to navigate through the situation successfully. Somebody such as a CEO for a multimillion dollar company would not require this same quality due to the fact it is not part of their job description and the only individual that he/she needs to be worried about is themselves. However, in today’s society, and with media being an ever growing aspect, some police officers have decided on their own personal way to handle justice. So unfortunately, this small percentage of police contract a huge amount of negative eyes to the profession. This small number of individuals bring a negative view to the police department as a whole and for this cause an issue in the public’s eye. Regardless of what many individuals believe, many of the police officers decide on the ethical side of the job and are hardworking professionals who seek out to just serve the public. However, being an African American male myself the main issue I have and want to combat is the punishment officers should face if

policies that are currently in place to reduce tension between police officers and the minority groups that they serveLaw enforcement officers and the community have been disconnected. Violence and brutality of any kind, particularly at the hands of the police who here to protect and serve our communities. When Ferguson, Missouri exploded after the police shot an unarmed black teenager, the tension between the community and its protectors was laid bare. Ferguson is not the first and certainly not the last community forced to bridge that chasm. In South Carolina a policeman shot an unarmed black male who was stopped for a seat belt violation. The cop asked the male for ID, who then reached under his seat to retrieve his wallet, but was shot in the leg by the cop before he could take out his ID. When the body cam video was reviewed it shows that the trigger happy cop probably was in fear of his life, however it is also obvious that the cop shouldn’t have felt threaten as the behavior of the black male involved nothing unusual. Many would say if the driver was white the cop would have not reacted the way he did.

Have you ever asked yourself what it would be like to become a police officer. Becoming a police officer isn’t an easy take because they have to risk their life everyday to protect and serve the community. They have to go through the dangers of arresting criminals when there is a chance that they could die. However, in today’s society only a small amount of the police officers actually serves their community and protect citizens from danger. Right now, most police officers abuse their power to the point where they don’t seem to care for the safety of the community. They would usually arrest innocent people, make accusations, and even use their power as a source to show their dominance. If you think about, whenever you are stuck in traffic

Many people may ask how is a police officer protecting him/herself a problem? What people don’t seem to understand is that most of the time officers aren’t protecting themselves but abusing their power. The real problem is that Police officers are using excessive force when it’s not the appropriate time to use it. According to ThinkProgress in 2016 1,023 people died. Families and friends are being affected. Anyone can be affected by this problem but, usually African American men are the victims of this problem

The year is 2016 and our society seems to slowly be tearing itself apart. We as a society should be able to have trust in our law enforcement officers, trust that they can honorably and effectively perform their duties, without having their personal feeling interfering with the duties they are sworn to uphold. Unfortunately, nothing is ever black and white. Every day an officer puts on a uniform, knowing the possible dangers that await him/her. The decisions that an officer makes often have to be made on the drop of a dime, decisions that civilians may disagree with, but a decision an officer has to make regardless. A majority of the stops, the frisks, the searching have lately ended in a tragedy. Somehow, it ends up racially motivated, causing the divide. On one side we have some law enforcement officers across the country who are sworn to serve and protect, over stepping their boundaries as peace keepers. On the other side, we have some civilians who are defiant to authority, and in the center we have good officers trying to do their job correctly, and civilians being murdered. In most cases it starts with what may seem as a simple stop.

In his article The Top Ten Worst Things About Being a Police Officer, Roufa writes “All too often, cops are portrayed as big, dumb, knuckle draggers or gung-ho head thumpers, but in truth so many are smart, compassionate and caring people who really do want to help others and make a difference in their communities.” Many americans are completely unaware of the everything going on with the police and black people. And when someone finally hears about something or an incident that happened, they will most likely automatically assume that police officers should not be trusted either because they did not receive all the correct information or they have been persuaded by the media. Because of how the media has been portraying police lately, it is not surprising how people are acting towards

Police behavior has been a continuous controversy in the United States. Communities have begun to fear law enforcement and can potentially rebel against police forces because of the way these acts are surfacing the media. Police officers are sought out to be the people in charge of containing chaos in society, but most of the time, now, they are the root of the chaos. For the most part, I believe some police officers know how to properly hold their composure when it comes to dealing with difficult situations. I believe this is solely due to the levels of education and skills new recruitees are obtaining. There are other instances in which I believe that not all officers deserve to be police officers. I have often seen television shows about what police forces consist of, in

In the United States alone, there are more than one million full-time state and local law enforcement employees. That is more than one million heros willing to put their lives on the line for citizens they have never met, yet still in today’s society every one of those police men and women have a stigma that surrounds them and their job. Day after day, we hear about another shooting incident, or something that they have done incorrectly, but do we ever stop and think about how they felt in that moment? While there are bad cops in this world, most of the men and women in the police force are there to do meaningful work. In that moment that can ruin the rest of their lives, their actions, justified or unjustified, are a result of the impending

In this paper I will answer several questions in regards to the following scenario. You are a police psychologist for a major metropolitan area. You are also a member of its hostage negotiation team. You have just been called out to a crisis incident at 3:15 p.m. on a Friday. It is a residential area about three blocks from a middle school and a public library. The information you have at this time is that the subject is a 42-year-old male who is holed up in his house with his wife, son, and family friend. He has murdered his next-door neighbor and is threatening to kill those in the house if he does not get his demands. One of his demands is for immunity from the murder charge if he surrenders without harming any of the people in the

In today’s present atmosphere, a number of the gossip is focused around the discipline and decision making of our police officers and or constables. Many claim for them to not be deemed professional, and ironically, a proportion of the citizens within the United States fear the police not because they are here to enforce, but because they feel that they are here to “initiate” the problems accounted. Essentially and simply put, there are innocent people out there who are afraid of our officers and their power. The definition of a police officer, taken from the Merriam Webster Dictionary, is “to control and keep order in (an area) by the use of police or military forces”; “to control (something) by making sure that rules and regulations are being followed”. This is the idealistic viewpoint that Americans wish to instill on all officers in duty; however, there have been times where an officer uses his or her power wrongfully and unexpectedly.

Now that the United States has created the image that black people are only known to be criminals, this image has also infected the minds of the police department. Black and Latinos are often the targets of police brutality, constantly being stopped, searched, and arrested with no suspicious activity. Then once they are in the system, it seems impossible to get out. The police has now been militarized because they believe these people are so dangerous that departments need to equip their officers with helmets, masks, assault rifles, and in most extreme cases mine resistant vehicles, as if they are truly going off to war. Discrimination created this horrible tension between communities and their police officers, in which minority communities are unable to trust their police officers because all they see are war machines patrolling their streets, and police officers are unable to trust their communities because all they see are criminals trying to harm them.

Strong, courageous, heroic, all words that we hear and use to describe what comes to mind when we think of “Police Officers.” In elementary school, the most common question students would be asked was “what do you want to be when you grow up,” and the most common response would be in return, “a police officer.” Sadly now, most are rethinking this occupational choice. The authority that most cops these days believe they have is over the top; they think that they can take advantage of everything and everybody simply by the power of their badge. Police officers need to have more discipline instead of using their supremacy for brutality; there can be many things done to prevent this prevalent issue of police officers ruthlessness and we need to start taking action now. In our world today, police officers aren’t thought of as “heroes” anymore and that is a problem. Police officers are the people we rely on to keep us safe, enforce the laws of the community, and people we can count on whenever there is an issue; but now fear may become a factor next time we are in danger and pick up the phone to call for help. In tense situations, there are times when police are called on to make quick decisions in difficult circumstances in order to protect their own safety and that of innocent bystanders. However, in any situation where aggressive police behavior raises questions about the appropriateness of the reaction, it is important to investigate the accusations promptly and