The Pros And Cons Of The Los Angeles Police

Excessive force being used by officers has been an ongoing issue since law enforcement was created. During the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, it has been made aware that minorities were a target for the law enforcement of that time. The 1967 murder cases of “Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner against the sheriffs of Neshoba and Lauderdale County” at that time was huge seeing as everyone involved in the case got off without any charges (Wynter). After years have gone by and the 41st anniversary of their deaths has happened, someone was convicted. All this time, no one would speak up against the police of these counties in fear of being brutally murdered just like the three men that was in their care. The injustice of it did not make sense

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.

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.

Although I should know by now, I cannot help but think that there has been an overwhelming amount of police brutality in recent years. Police brutality can be defined as, when a police officer uses more force than necessary. This issue has spread throughout the United States of America, and is putting the lives of our citizens in great danger. Police brutality is not only physical, but it can also be verbal attacks; and, in most cases, it is caused by false arrest and racial profiling due to police corruption. Police brutality has been and continues to be a major concern in society and it is used very loosely to any and all forms of police misconduct. Whereas, in reality, excessive force of police misconduct is what defines police brutality. The jobs of a police officer are too calmly resolve public disturbance and disputes. Police officers are supposed to protect citizens; instead they are hurting and using excessive force. It is not right and it is unjust for a police officer to hurt a citizen due to an assumption without any actual proof of criminal activity.

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

Force that police tend to use on subjects that pose a threat has become an escalating issue in society today as we know it. Sometimes the public gets the notion that the police abuse their authority and use dangerous

Beginning in late summer, this country became bombarded with stories in the news about police officers involved in some types of controversy. The controversy that started it all was an incident that happened in Ferguson, Missouri. Since August, there has been much discussion and public debate over whether a police officer’s use of deadly force against an unarmed teenager was justified. On August 9, 2014 a young man named Michael Brown was shot and killed by Officer Darren Wilson after he was stopped for walking in the middle of the street. Was the shooting of an unarmed teenager in Missouri an example of police using excessive force? Who decides what force is recommended or when it becomes excessive? To determine both these questions, we first must define what constitutes specific circumstances as excessive force. Officer Darren Wilson was not guilty of using excessive or lethal force if he felt his safety or the safety of others were in danger or if Michael Brown had surrendered peacefully and without resisting arrest.

Too many lives are being taken because some officers dramatize the extremity of their situations and immediately result to excessive force in order to maintain their hierarchy. The insecurities, fears, and personal justifications of an officer should never condone the murders of several unarmed individuals. If excessive force laws became more rigid, Trayvon Martin’s mother would’ve been able to see him graduate high school, and Eric Garner would have been able to make it home in time to have dinner with his family. Our country must stop rationalizing murder and put an end to police brutality by starting with the laws that conserve the use of excessive

Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, & Conflict defines police brutality as the use of excessive or unnecessary force by police against the public. Excessive force is explained to be any behavior or force beyond what is reasonably necessary in order to control a situation. It is a common misnomer that people believe some police use excessive force more often than not. What’s more concerning is most of the time people believe that this excessive force is usually focused upon the African American men, women, and children. This misnomer is typically found to be found in city settings where the population consists of mostly African Americans. The population make up causes the common belief to seem more true than it may otherwise appear.

There were boycotts of the malls in Baton Rouge, people were marching even holding up traffic. This didn’t only occur in Baton Rouge, but across the U.S. people were standing up for this injustice. Alton Sterling was selling cd in front of a convenience store when two officers approached him, the situation escalated Mr. Sterling was shot several times resulting in his death. Baton Rouge police did not provide much information about what escalated the incident between the officers and Sterling or what prompted an officer to fire his weapon. A witness, however, described police as “aggressive” and said Sterling was armed but was not holding his gun or touching his pockets during the incident. The level of force an officer uses varies based on the situation. Because of this variation, guidelines for the use of force are based on many factors, including the officer’s level of training or experience.

Police shouldn’t be able to get away with police brutality because innocent civilians are getting shot and dying from police brutality. Some people might even say that police brutality is more likely to happen against African-Americans. Dilascio also states, “When an alleged incident of police brutality comes to light, it generally falls into one of two categories...the incident is isolated, and stems from a single decision that is later called into question (such as when an officer shoots a suspect that is later discovered to be unarmed)”(Dilascio). This quote states that when a officer shoot an innocent man or woman that is later recognized to be unarmed is called to question and is later handled in court. Also when the incident is handled in court sometimes the incident isn’t handled correctly. According to the black lives matter movement, “The Black Lives Matter movement seeks to highlight police brutality against African Americans and argues that police are more likely to use excessive and even lethal force when confronting black suspects”(Police). This quote is self explanatory, but it explains how police officers are

The above reasons police have also been known to use excessive force is because they think that they are above the law. Due to the power vested in the police to deal with all types of crimes and to carry weapons, they soon develop the notion that they are above the law and end up misusing their powers instead of protecting the public.

First and foremost I’d like to say that I am against police using their force so willingly. In the New York Times article “Police Shouldn’t Ask If a Shooting Is Justified, But If It’s Avoidable” by the University of South Carolina School of Law professor Seth Stoughton. Stoughton points out that he suggests that there is a difference in attitudes between civilians and law enforcement when it comes to the use of force. He goes onto say that law enforcement looks at it from the standpoint of is the force justifiable while civilians look at it as is the force avoidable. In the Supreme Court case of 1989 Graham v. Connor, the supreme court said that the police could use force as long as it is objectively reasonable. Why does force only have to be reasonable to be used, shouldn’t force be used only out of necessity? In another article in the Los Angeles Times by Kate Mather an interview was conducted with Mac Shorty, chairman of the Watts Neighborhood Council. In the interview Shorty says, the people in his neighborhood lost their trust in the Los Angeles Police Department after their recent shootings, saying he even questions calling the police. He goes on to say, that the police can’t be the guardians of the community with all the distrust, whenever the people of the community start to trust the police they shoot someone else.

The media coverage of excessive force has caused outrage among citizens across the nation. The cases in Ferguson and New York have stirred up major debates about excessive police force and the meaning of justice for all within our judicial system. Protests and riots have ensued in cities across the nation and the cases are affecting us all, whether it is protesters blocking major highways during rush hour, or citizens burning down local businesses out of anger and frustration. The issue of excessive force needs to be addressed and the main question people want answered is, what causes police to use excessive force? Research has been conducted on variables such as the race of police

Police-related excessive force violations resulting in death continues to haunt black and low-income communities nationwide. So what exactly is excessive use of force? And what is the definition of excessive force? The National Institute of Justice stated that there is no single, universally agreed-upon definition of the use of force. ABC News reported that there’s no concrete definition of excessive force and that excessive force is a slippery metaphor” experts say it’s any force beyond what’s necessary to arrest a suspect and keep police and bystanders safe. USA Today reported that nearly two times a week in the United States, a white police officer killed a black person during a seven year period ending in 2012 according to the FBI’s