I have been in interested in the topic of police brutality and the language used to describe the victim, mainly African American men, for as long as I can remember. However, the first tangible memory I have of being curious about this is in high school, when I was able to write a bill about one thing I was passionate about and how I would change the system for an assignment. I wrote about police brutality and how to make the police department more accountable for their actions, create diversity in the police department, place restrictions and allow federal capacity for civil investigations, and to provide sensitivity and ethics training. My research over the year ultimately led me to a conversation with Congressman Cedric Richmond my junior year. I asked him about police brutality and his response compelled me to never stop thinking about police brutality until the system was changed. Richmond told me that as a father of a son, one day that he would have the “talk” with him about how to handle the police and escape unharmed from people that have the ability to end your life without any actual repercussions. As a black woman, I had that same talk from my mother the second that I was old enough to drive. I remember her telling me it is inevitable for me to get pulled over by the police, because being black and driving is enough reasonable suspicion for a police officer. Also, in the conversation, she told my twin sister and I always to reply with “sir” or “ma’am,” not to make
Police work is a dangerous job, and police are more than likely to be put into situations when excessive force is needed. But, sometimes police use excessive force for their own personal reasons, such as, racism. The issue of police officers using excessive force may or may not be of great concern, but it should be looked into by both the police and the public. Because some officers use excessive force in situations when it is not needed, police brutality should be addressed.
Police brutality is one of the most serious and divisive human rights violations in the United States and it occurs in every community. The job of a police officer is to maintain public order, prevent, and detect crime. They are engaged in a dangerous and stressful occupation that can involve violent situations that must be controlled. In many of these confrontations with the public it may become necessary for the police to administer force to take control of a situation. Sometimes this force takes the form of hand to hand combat with a suspect who resists being arrested. Not all police officers in communities are good cops. At least once a year the news is covering a story about a person
In the past, police officers were considered to be peacekeepers. However, this has changed and they are now regarded as law enforcement officers. Most officers do their work diligently but their priority is on making quotas as well as arresting innocent people followed by maintaining peace. Police brutality remains to be the biggest challenge facing police agencies in America. Police work is a dangerous job, and police are more than likely to be put into situations when excessive force is needed. Sometimes police use excessive force for their own personal reasons, such as racism. The issue of police officers using excessive force may or may not be of great concern, but it should be looked into by both the police and the public. Police brutality should be addressed. Despite
Police Brutality against African American people has begun to take a toll on our communities. African American communities cannot even trust the police, because of the way they are being treated unfairly by a police officers of them distract or their state. Which is why the police are being coming more advanced in technology, but still fail to use their powers as an officer correctly. This cause the police officers are using misconduct against African American people when confronted by them. This research leads me to conclude that the police department of many states across the United States becomes more corrupted every day because of the lack of order in our police departments. In this essay, I will argue that the policing between black
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.
Historically, minorities have been victims of police brutality in the United States. Since the middle of the 19th century a dominant white social class maintained racial injustice through a police force willing to use violence against minorities. This violence expressed itself in the years immediately after the civil war through brutality in various forms. America has a lengthy an disgraceful tradition of police brutality to attain a sense of law and order in its society. Police misconduct can be described as any inappropriate behavior on the part of any law enforcement officer that is either illegal or immoral or both. Law enforcement agents are should behave to a standard that is greater than the average civilian. Police brutality comes from
It is crazy how much police brutality goes on in the United States. Some names of popular cases are Philando Castile, Rekia Boyd, and Tamir Rice (Lopez, Johnson 6). Is it a coincidence that all three people that were just listed are African American, or that the majority of police brutality cases involve people who are not white? Racial corruption exists in the judicial system as shown by unlawful shootings, stereotypes, and stand-your-ground laws. Somebody has to stand up and do something; everybody has to stand up and do something. But how can anything be accomplished if citizens are just shut down, laughed at and problems only get recognized for about a week or even a couple months and then forgotten about? This is a clear, known issue throughout
"... the legal test for excessive force... is whether the officer reasonably believed that such force was necessary to accomplish a legitimate police purpose..." (qtd. in U.S. Department of Justice). This is the legal test for excessive force as quoted from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. However, the majority do not accept this test or any others as the legitimate test for excessive force.
When you were a child, you most likely have read the story “The boy who cried wolf”. What this story taught you was that it isn’t a joke to go run and tell people something happened when it didn’t because eventually people will stop listening. So why is it almost every time a police officer takes someone to the ground they cry “police brutality”? Police officers are here to maintain order, protect citizens and safe guard property. They should not have to worry about if a miniscule action they take is a career ending one, but on the opposing side their authority and power should have its limits and limitations. Police Brutality does happen from time to time, but not to the extent
There are distinctive differences between use of force, excessive force, and brutality. What is meant by use of force, is the force that was essential while making that arrest, for example, an arrestee trying to fight back. What is meant by excessive force is the result of a lack of training and a violation of a person’s constitutional rights. Brutality is the physical violence done by a police officer. It is very important to first understand what each of the terms mean in order to better understand police brutality.
Police brutality is one of multiple forms of racial discrimination which involves unjustifiable violence by police officers. This term was first referred to in the works of the American press as early as 1872 in a report of a policeman beating of a civilian. These targeted civilian groups by police officers typically are those from powerless groups like minorities (Latinos and African-Americans), the youth, as well as the poor. There has been a notable lack of commitment in the criminal justice system or towards holding police accountable for their wrongdoings. Police brutality is an ongoing problematic issue in the U.S. today with police officers using excessive force that needs to be addressed immediately before more lives are lost and
I am Ranell Rufferman, a graduate student attending The Catholic University of America working on a Masters in Clinical Social Work. Currently, I am required to complete a final research paper regarding a contemporary social issue (I chose "Police Brutality") in efforts to explain the Kingdon’s agenda-setting model. One of the requirements for the paper is to interview at least one public official, community leader, or “key informant” working with the issue to gain his/her insight into the problem and the factors affecting its presence on the political agenda.
What gives someone the right to put forcefully put there hands on someone without a person’s consent ? What gives someone the right to think they can take advantage of other people , because they think they’re above the law ? Or is it because they think they have the right because they have a badge ? Either way shouldn’t all people be punished the same for doing something wrong ? Or do certain people just get away with crimes because they wear a police uniform.
Those of the minority community have been subjected, for many decades, to violence by those in law enforcement in the United States. This type of violence is a direct depiction of police brutality, which often leads to death. Police brutality has been an issue for many years, and it remains a major concern for those of the minority community.
Allegations of police brutality by the U.S. police departments have been on the rise for the past two decades. The use of excessive force by police officers beyond what is considered necessary is not a new fact to the world. Many of these encounters with civilians have been unjustified because the majority ultimately ends in death. The police involve the use of weapons such as batons, Tasers, pepper spray, or guns. This may also include false arrests, psychological trauma, and verbal abuse. Some individuals will state they are just doing their job, but others argue these cases can be traced back to poor training and policies. Every police officer has the right to protect himself and the community, but they should be able to discern when to use reasonable or excessive force on the civilian depending on the situation at hand.