Police Violence: Article Analysis

There are many factors that contribute to today’s American policing. Once such factor that contribute tremendously to today’s policing came in 1829 when Sir Robert Peel’s concept of policing came into effect. This would change the way policing would be performed in not only England, but the United States (U.S) and around the world. Another huge factor that impacts policing is the relationship the U.S. Government has with policing. These factors affect every policing organization in the U.S.

Police forces or Law enforcers have been used for centuries all around the world but America took particular interest in the English’s policing system. America’s policing ideas and process began

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

Policing has been a part of America for many decades. In fact, policing was known to exist prior to 1066, the year of the Normandy Invasion of Britain. Throughout the years policing has been a complicated and ongoing progress. The people of England did not have a stabilized policing standard and were often responsible for protecting and serving themselves. As early as the 1600s the Colonial America introduced the English styles of policing; citizens were responsible for monitoring community members’ behavior. Early constables and sheriffs were with the increased rate of crime and developed a ‘sort’ in community policing known as “watch and ward.” Later throughout history in the early 1700s policing became an

Policing in the United States copied closely to that of England’s in which they used volunteers as a “watch”. Boston was the first to adopt this method and in doing so other cities had followed, New York in 1658, and Philadelphia in the 1700’s. These volunteers were usually drinking or sleeping during their shifts so they were not very effective. These Volunteers that were a part of the watch only volunteered so they could attempt to evade military services. They were also made up of constables, which are, a peace officer that has limited police authority and they usually operate in a small town or city.

Police brutality and police militarization have become a hot topic in the United States of America. There are many cases where police officers motives are being questioned, leading the public into an uproar. Just to name a few of these cases, we have Micheal Brown from Fegurson, Missouri, that started it all, which took place on Augest 19th, 2014. We also have Eric Garner from New York, taking place July of 2014. July of 2016, Alton Sterling of Baton Rouge and Walter Scott from South Carolina in April of 2015.

The use of deadly force by police officers is a very important subject in today’s society. Many consider the use of deadly force excessive in most cases. However, there are many aspects to look at when considering this topic, such as: Why was deadly force required? When did the officer feel it necessary to apply deadly force? What will be the implications for the officer after the fact? How does the use of deadly force affect society as a whole?

Since the dawn of human kind, there has been some form of policing; whether that policing is based on taking revenge or the maintenance of public order and upholding the laws of the land. Although 200 years have passed, policing policies fundamentally has not changed. In this essay, I will be writing on early policing before the 19th century, policing in the 19th century, how policing evolved in America, policing now, and then compare the similarities and differences between today’s policing policies and those of the 19th century.

The correlation between the police shooting and the violent crime is alarming. The majority of the American police officers is characterized by the extreme deadly usage of force. It has been reported that the number of police shootings has increased from 465 to 491 over the last six months of the year 2015. On the other hand, the police officers have also been on the receiving end. They have also been shot and sometimes killed while on duty. Over the same period, the country has also witnessed a number of officers prosecuted for shooting. However, it has been noted that the majority of the police shootings are associated with the racial disparities. This is because most of the police shooting within the last 18 months involve a white police officer and a black victim. A study conducted by the UC Davis in the year 2015 revealed that unarmed blacks are more likely to be shot by the police as opposed to the unarmed white counterparts (Kindy et al., 2016). In this paper, the shooting of the black man by the name Alton Sterling will be covered with the help of the ethical systems dilemmas to determine any potential dilemma components in the case.

On August 9, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri, an 18 year old boy named Michael Brown was fatally shot by police officer, Darren Wilson. The circumstances of the shooting resulted in protests and a vigorous debate between the relationship between law enforcement and civilians. Many people have been demanding body cameras for police in hopes of minimizing the number of incidences of police brutality around the U.S. The footage may support or implicate officers, like Wilson, whose actions are in question. In addition, people behave better when they know they are under surveillance and there are various officers who already use them for documentation purposes. Questions of costs arise when considering the option of body cameras but it is a small hurdle to jump that will result in many benefits.

The origins of policing in America can be traced back to its colonial years of the early 1600s. Unlike the formal police forces we have today, policing took different forms during its early years. In the Northern states, policing consisted of volunteers that warned their communities of any upcoming threat or danger. Although this mode of policing was not effective in controlling crime, it continued until the 1830s, at which the city of Boston was the first to establish a police force. By the 1880s, all major cities, such as Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia, had established municipal police forces. More interesting and controversial, the development of policing in the Southern states was shaped by slavery and the control of minorities.

The general argument made in the article is that over the years there have been so many accounts of police brutality against students that haven’t been acknowledged. More specifically it argues that police officers that don’t know how to handle large crowds or protests in a nonviolent way then they should have to go back to school to learn better ways. It states "Tear-gassing students while they sought refuge in their rooms was an act of terror by the police. Someone has to explain and justify why they needed to chase the students from the hostels. Chase them to where?" In this passage it is suggesting that police brutality needs to be ended and those officers who have commited these acts should be held accountable. In conclusion, its belief

Martin Luther King Jr., an American Baptist minister, African-American civil rights activist, and non-violent protest leader, once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (Ali-Dinar 1963 p.1). Such an iconic and fearless leader recognized the unjust behavior within society as a result of racially motivated police brutality and societal discrimination. Though his efforts were not in vain, today’s media representation of law enforcement impacts the societal cultivation of police officers in a negative way. Media outlets, in the forms of television, radio, or social websites, create a cynical view of police officers, which influences societal beliefs and creates negative connotations.

As we are now living in a century where everything is more organized, when a crime is committed, the first thing that comes to our minds is police officers. Due to the fact that we are surrounded by thousands of police departments, we no longer give them the right attention they deserve; rather we take them for granted. Well before it was nothing compare to now, it took many years for England to develop a security system, which later on America copied some of the fundamental techniques. England helped America guide the policing system to be more effective. Such as something so basic as the title Sheriffs come from the word shire reeves, which is from England (The History of Policing, 2014, p.3).

Describe the colonial period’s three legacies to contemporary policing. Then list and discuss two powerful trends in England and America that brought about changes in