Police brutality in the United States has escalated in recent times. To develop a peaceful environment amongst human beings, one of the main topics to look at is human rights. While more often than not, police brutality violates the concept of human rights it is still a very important task to discuss the topic and create possible solutions to such a concerning and threatening issues in the United States. In this case, statistics is a very important factor that is required to display how serious of an issue police brutality is, along with examples on how to fix or lower the amount of yearly police brutality cases. Also, since many of these cases occur in African - American or Latino based areas of the United States, it is also important to discuss whether there is an aspect of racism attached to these violent police acts within the country.
Within the concept of peace, human rights is a topic that is discussed very often. To achieve a desired level of peace, humanity needs to exist and all humans should be treated equally. Jim Ife states in the article “Peace and Human Rights” that the aims of peace can be seen best at times of conflict(Ife,2007,162). Police brutality is a concept that is very controversial and constantly discussed and portrayed as negative in the media. In 2014, the U.S department of justice conducted an investigation and concluded that the Albuquerque police department engaged in a pattern of violent force which sometime included deadly
Police brutality is defined as “excessive and/or unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians,” and this has become more prominent within the United States throughout the years (Danilina). There has many cases where police brutality has been seen via news channels, and it has dismantled the unity of trust between the civilians of the United States and the law enforcement who are supposed to protect the everyday people from harm. The issue is if the law enforcement is actually right within their means of protection, or have they gone too far with using excessive force in any situation that may or may not be harmful to them. There is, also, the question of whether racial profiling is the biggest contributor to police brutality.
A great deal of society views law enforcement officers as heroic and honorable individuals, whose main purpose is to protect and serve the community. For many officers, this description is accurate, however for others; violence and brutality against innocent citizens is the key to getting the job done. For years, minorities have fallen victim to police brutality based on racial profiling, stereotypes and other unjustifiable reasons that has cost several innocent lives. The involvement of officers in police brutality against minority social groups causes tainted and negative views on policing and their overall duty to protect, when they are ultimately the aggressors in this case. Police brutality is a violent incident involving an officer and a victim, usually including excessive force, unnecessary violence and sometimes resulting in a senseless fatality. Minority groups such as African Americans and Hispanics have often been the victims of this form of abuse by officers, however little justice has been done in order to protect these individuals from this form of cruelty by the hands of those with the most power.
There is no question that police brutality, when it occurs, is one of the most egregious violations of public trust that a public servant can commit. Police officers, those individuals taxed with protecting the public from danger, should never be in a situation where they pose a threat to the public. Furthermore, there is no question that police brutality occurs. Moreover, generally when there are allegations of police brutality, there has been some type of underlying violent incident. In addition, while issues of brutality may seem clear-cut to a disinterested observer, it is critical to keep in mind that law enforcement officers are not presented with textbook examples of the appropriate or inappropriate use of force, but real-life scenarios involving quick decisions. There are many arrest and non-arrest scenarios where officers need to use force to protect self or others; and the degree of force required may be greater than what a disinterested observer would assume. Another recurrent issue in debates about police brutality is that racial bias appears to be a motive behind police brutality. When one considers that minorities are disproportionately likely to be arrested and convicted of crimes, one would expect to find a disproportionate number of minorities among those alleging police brutality. Therefore, while acknowledging that police brutality, when it occurs, is a serious problem, the reality is that most
Police brutality is a controversial issue that has recently been in the news, but seems to have always been an issue in America. Police brutality refers to the intentional use of verbal or physical attacks directed towards individuals by the police force that result in false arrests, sexual abuse, or death. (Dudley, William 13.) Most of these actions are linked to racial profiling: the targeting of individuals for suspicion of crime based solely on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin. (Dudley, William 13.) Statistics about how often racial profiling and police brutality occurs, movements such as Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter, and police reform efforts are just a few points as to why this topic is so controversial today.
John Lewis once said that “The scars and stains of racism are still deeply embedded in the American society." Racism has become a huge issue in people’s everyday life and not many may notice, but that’s because it’s been around for so long that it’s not new to anyone and it is the normal, when in reality that means it is so bad that not many people notice anymore. [African Americans experience racism in two main places their workplace and their education, and in a certain way, police brutality.]
The United States has a dark history of mistreating and racially profiling black Americans. Over the years, America has developed into one of the world’s most powerful countries; yet police brutality remains a monumental problem. Police brutality has transformed into such a hot topic, and when brought up in conversation, it sparks a debate. Nevertheless, the brutality should be talked about. Although many believe that the media pushes the narrative, that only African Americans are victims, police brutality stems from racial profiling and is an ever growing issue because stories show a painful pattern, lives are negatively affected, and the use of different solutions is utilized to expose the problem.
Police brutality is a controversial issue that has recently been in the news, but seems to have always been an issue in America. Police brutality refers to the intentional use of verbal or physical attacks directed towards individuals by the police force that result in false arrests, sexual abuse, or death. (Dudley, William 13.) Most of these actions are linked to racial profiling: the targeting of individuals for suspicion of crime based solely on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin. (Dudley, William 13.) Statistics about how often racial profiling and police brutality occurs, movements such as Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter, and police reform efforts are just a few points as to why this topic is so controversial today.
Over the years United States has witnessed a substantial increase in police brutality, it is one of the most common and serious violation of the human rights and it happens more often than we care to know in our communities, ranging from verbal to physical abuse in which usually an innocent person results injured as police officers lay their called justice upon the alleged criminals.
In the past and recently, people within America have been directly or indirectly affected by police brutality. However, this societal issue has also been evident in other democratic societies around the globe and not just within the United States. This is one of the thousands of reasons why the police violence has raised massive concern for people and advocates from various areas. Some have proposed efforts to justify police integrity and rightfulness while others in opposition perceive racial profiling, corruption and excessive. Additionally, police brutality has even raised serious concerns for human rights advocates. Overall, the societal issue of police brutality has gathered much attention and countless individuals are demanding a solution to end the depravity.
Police brutality continues to be one of the most serious and contentious violations of human rights in the United States. The unreasonable amount of force used by police officers prevails because of a lack of accountability. This makes it feasible for officers who do violate human rights to get off clean and recommit the violation. A sad fact is that police and/or public officials deny time after time any claims of human rights violations, claiming it was an abnormality, when they should be taking action and holding officers responsible for their actions. (Williams 1998, 45)
Police brutality is the use of excessive force when dealing with civilians. Police abuse is one of the most serious human rights violations in the United States. It has been around for decades, which leads us to the thought “Are they keeping us safe from danger or are they the danger?” There are many cases of police using excessive force. Unjustified shootings, severe beatings, tasings, and rough treatment have all contributed to the problem of police brutality in America. According to “MINTpress News”, seven hundred and seventy-six people were killed by the police in 2015. One hundred and sixty-one of the people were unarmed at the time of their death. The leading causes of police brutality are minorities being unfairly targeted, excessive force, police being increasingly militarized, and many departments not providing adequate training in nonviolent solutions.
The United States is facing a continuous wide spread of police brutality from the past to today. TV Networks, newspapers/magazines, bloggers and forums are getting involved into the discussion about police brutality. After a father bought a toy gun for his son for his birthday, his son went outside to play and a police officer saw him with the gun not knowing it was a toy and shot him several times. This incident occurred in Sonoma County in October 2013. Something close to that happened in November 2014 where a Cleveland police officer killed a 12-year-old boy carrying a toy gun. On April 12, 2015 Freddie Gray was arrested by Baltimore City police and while being transported he allegedly fell in a coma, with injuries to his spinal cord. Use of excessive force by police is common in black communities. Officers aren’t trained effectively and they act out of fear. On uslegal.com Police brutality is described as a civil rights violation that happens when a police officer acts with excessive force by using an amount of force with regards to a civilian that is not necessary. Excessive force by law enforcement officers is a violation of a person 's rights.
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
Police abuse remains as one of the most deliberate human rights violations in the United States. For over a decade police have acted in ways that makes us question their professionalism. Makes the wonder if law enforcement are taking advantage of their criminal justice “powers” October 22 is “National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and Criminalization of an Entire Generation”. (Aol News). On October 22 many people across the country wear black to fight back against police brutality. Bad police have to be stopped so they don’t forget who they are serving – not themselves but the public. Police Brutality has caused a major concern in the United States.
A common issue presented in today’s national media is police brutality. Police brutality is the use of unnecessary force on civilians by police. The concept of having police officers is to ensure safety and protection of citizens. Police should only use force necessary to accomplish their lawful purpose. The common occurrence of police brutality has sparked responses nationwide in the form of protests, riots, and movements to end the excessive and sometimes fatal force of police officers. The public rallies are also in response to lack of conviction or repercussions of many of the cops who demonstrate unjust police brutality. These incidents are also commonly associated with racial disparity. The headline news stories of the shooting and killing of unarmed African Americans, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and twelve year old Tamir Rice, all in the same year, prompted citizens nationwide that change in the law enforcement system is necessary. While a majority of police abide to their oaths and stand for justice, a noticeable amount have historically misused their power. If a community cannot trust police officers, it will be detrimental for society as a whole.