First things first, the damaged community relations between authority and the public must be fixed. If the two cannot trust one another, the odds of eliminating police brutality are almost impossible. The little things we do as humans for other humans will always go a long way. Officers taking time out of their day to play basketball with teenagers, cops mowing lawns for people who are physically incapable of doing it themselves, or the police discovering a homeless family in a car and then proceeding to buy the family a room at a motel are acts of compassion that will slowly but surely repair the distrust that exists between police officers and minorities. If the COPS budget were to actually receive funding rather than lose significant amounts of money, new officers would undergo the proper training that is required for a job that is so physically and mentally demanding. Once the new cops have 5-10 years and a record of good behavior under their belt, then consider trimming the COPS budget once again and have the veteran officers train developing officers. The process will take quite some time, but will save large amounts of money in the long-term as a result. Many cops believe that wearing body cameras is an invasion of personal space and privacy. While this is partially true, if authority has nothing to hide, body
However, some criminologist state that these statistics reveal very little about the cause of the increase in violent crime. On the other hand there are some people such as Heather MacDonald author of “Are Cops Racist?”, in the Wall Street Journal who believe that “the most plausible explanation of
After holding the city hall meeting, I feel that the next best step would be implanting strategies that the community asked about, after doing some research on such strategies. I held my own little poll on my Facebook (I will call this the city hall meeting) asking what kind of things my family and friends think the police community should use to ensure the constitutional rights of suspects and the community would still be safe. The most common response was the use of body cameras and dash cameras being on at all times. That there should not be any pauses in the video feed. So one question I asked to them (the community), was if we had the use of body cameras and dash cameras, would the benefits outweigh the
Police abuse remains a significant problem and not enough reform has been made to prevent it from occurring. Around 1000 people were killed by the police in 2015, and over 100 of them were unarmed. The intentional use of excessive force by a person with authority, which oftentimes ends with injuries and sometimes even death, creates a bad perception of police officers and distrust between cops and civilians. To rebuild the relationship between people and police reform needs to take place. Law makers need to refine the unjust criminal justice system, police officers need to obey the fourth amendment, and the city government needs to involve the community in major decisions.
How do we improve this situation and develop a better rapport between law enforcement and the general public?
Recently in the media there has been an uproar about the treatments that citizens receive from the police in addition to how the citizens interact with police. Video footage has shown police brutality that is sometimes questionable, which often dictates on the how the community views them by causing tension. Accusations of Police brutality is nothing new but it isn’t until recently that it is being recorded and it is difficult to correct the actions of someone if there is not enough evidence provided. Recent advancements in technology police
This past May (2015), due to recent tense police-community relations, the Obama administration initiated a government program to evaluate the effectiveness of having the police force wear body cameras. The very public incidents that have occurred ignited accusations of police brutality and as a result, the call for police body cameras is one government action in response to these accusations. The theory being that all people, even those in official capacities, behave differently when they know they are being watched. The importance of deploying police body cameras is significant for society and for the police force as it is viewed as a means towards re-establishing a trusted police-community relationship. My conviction is for the public to regain confidence in our police force that provide for our safety and protection. The undisputed objective is for efficient execution of criminal laws and the administration of criminal justice. This paper will examine initial data reported from studies conducted that support the claims that police body cameras have the potential to reduce the following: public complaints against police, police use of force, and reduction of prosecutions, as physical evidence is lacking to support the crime proposed as committed. If these statistics hold true, it may be possible to re-establish a trust with the police, and the public can look to the police for their safety and protection.
The use of excessive force has been an ongoing problem and still exists to be a major concern for the United States today. This issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible due to the matter; the police officers are losing the people’s trust in their communities which creates a dangerous environment for law enforcement officers to operate
Daniel Cabrera ISS1120 Social Environment Professor Pauline Nogueira October 30, 2015 The Effects of Social Media on Law Enforcement Since the up-climb of social media began in 2003, law enforcement has greatly adapted to the social media network in order to better communicate with the public and to improve their protocol. Much of police work is unappreciated and unknown of. Therefore, some departments have taken it upon themselves to educate the public via social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook. This is done in order to inform the community of what their department does, and to build confidence and trust towards their agency. Around the country, law enforcement agencies see social media as both beneficial and damaging. Thus, with the awareness that social media is here to stay, law enforcement has chosen to adjust to these social changes and to use them in their benefit.
Throughout the American history, law enforcement agencies are required to protect and serve their community. Researchers stated that Sir Robert Peel encouraged police officers to engaged within the community by communicating, providing guidance, and helping them through difficult times (Martin, 2011). The biggest challenge in the criminal justice is the dignity within the police force. Law enforcement officers are the symbol of hope and trust in the community. Law enforcement officers have to gain the trust in the community because residents can help them to solve difficult cases. Police officers are held to a high standard, especially when they use their decision-making tools when encountering a crime scene. Police officers are not aware that
Introduction It has been consistently shown in research that minorities are more likely to be mistreated by the police compared to other people (Dunnaville, 2000). Recent incidents have seen the police use excessive force on people and mistreat minorities. As such, the legitimacy of the police has been put under scrutiny
While going on multiple rides alongside police and my extensive classes in criminal justice I witness the effect citizens have that care for their community. I have seen people approach police cars offering information because they want to have a safe community. Just listening to the words people say to help keep the safety in the community is inspiring. This could all be changed if everyone feels like they can’t trust the police anymore.
Social media is the present and future way of communication. It is everywhere and is used by millions of people on a regular basis. Business’s use it to promote their sales and companies, people use it to connect with each other in various ways with such sites as Facebook, Instagram,
In my opinion, law enforcement agencies face far more challenges when it comes to potential liabilities with respect to their use of social media. Entire investigations can be lost based on information leaked or obtained via social media. Victims or potential suspects’ lives can be ruined as well as officers
Citizens are a great source of information to the police. Often times, officers do not allow citizens to get involved. “Only a few of them are prepared to support citizens who are involved in initiatives like informal social control, neighborhood watches, preventative activities (such as recreational activities for at-risk youths in the neighborhood) or informal mediation” (Terpsta, 2009). If citizens do not feel police officers support them, they will be reluctant to trust them. Police officers should also allow citizens to voice their opinions and decide the best way to promote crime prevention. Unfortunately, officers do not believe this is very beneficial. They believe that citizen meetings are part of their duty, rather than actually wanting to get involved with them (Terpsta, 2009). Promoting citizen involvement and being active in the community, actually wanting to hear what citizens are saying, will greatly increase a citizens trust in the police. A study done in two Texas communities showed that officers who were friendly, polite, and helpful resulted in the public being more satisfied with police (Tyler,