Turnitin gave a grade of 4% similarity. | Unethical Behavior of Police Brutality | Ethical Behavior In Criminal Justice | | Yasmen Sarter | 11/18/2012 |
This paper is to the best of my ability. |
From the perspective of law, excessive physical force most clearly constitutes police brutality, a term often applied loosely to various forms of police misconduct (Holmes, 2000). Over the years, police brutality continues to be an issue of concern all across the world and the need for reducing law enforcement from engaging in this unethical behavior is imperative. Although, police organizations throughout the United States have responded by tightening their "physical force", policies and reminding their officers to use
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Professionally, the rookie officer potentially could damage his career before it even began. He could also be bullied or harassed for violating the “code of silence” among officers. Not to mention, an accusation of any wrong doing will forever remain on his record and he could possibly be assigned to desk duties.
All officers involved in the beating and tasing of the suspect abused their power, but even more so the Sergeant whose job is to display exemplary ethical behavior. His job is to teach good ethics by his actions and discourage moral impurity and police misconduct. Police brutality is a reoccurring issue in the United States that we face in society. There is not enough training offered for police officers to gain throughout their career. The implementations of refresher courses are essential in helping to reduce unethical behavior/police misconduct. The training should consist of posing different scenarios involving police misconduct and how they should respond when faced with an ethical dilemma. It is therefore recommended that law enforcement be required to obtain ethical training over the course of their career. More emphasis needs to be placed on the relevance of ethical behavior especially when it involves law enforcement.
Works Cited
Feagin, J., Herman, V., & Batur, P. (2000). White Racism. Los Angeles.
Holmes, M. (2000). Minority threat and police brutality: Determinants of civil rights criminal
In the “Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, and conflict” the author discusses how many uses of force by the police cannot be labeled police brutality or excessive force. This is because in the line of duty police may need to utilize the use of force out of necessity. The author continues by stating that police officers in society today commonly have to use power against its citizens for reasons in everyday police work or in order to maintain control over certain circumstances. However, the Authors Fyfe and Skolnick state: that they believe police brutality is used as a way of police asserting power in unjust ways due to lack of training, negligence or mistake of circumstances within a certain
While the term “police brutality” is usually applied in the context of causing physical harm, it may also involve psychological harm by the use of intimidation tactics beyond the scope of officially sanctioned police procedure. In the past those who engaged in police brutality may have acted with the implicit approval of the local legal system similar to what existed during segregation. However, in the modern era, individuals who engage in cases of police brutality may do so with the approval of their supervisors. They may execute their actions under color of law, and more often than not, engage in a cover-up for their illegal activity.
Police abuse has remained one of the most serious human rights violation in the United States. It is the use of excessive and unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians. The past decade has introduced us to a new wave of police brutality. With technology and media emerging, the people become more aware every day about inhumane behavior against innocent citizens. With the proper research, the opportunity to seek reasoning behind police brutality can lead to a cogent effort to end or significantly decrease misconducts committed by law enforcers.
To conclude, there has been a great deal of advancement in contemporary methods of reducing the rates of police brutality. Police brutality has been at the forefront of public debate for too long. The police are paid to protect and serve the public and should not be terrorizing them. The United States has come a long way from when the police was closed from outside influence and brutalized the public arbitrarily with no explanation. Currently, if an officer is found to have used unjust physical force, the officer is held accountable accordingly by his or her respective police force with the help an independent civilian review board or the pressure of social media. The problem arises when officers fabricate reports and evidence after misbehaving
Police brutality is regarded as the abuse of power through the unnecessary use of excessive power in several aspects of the law enforcements. It occurs when law enforcement officers offer official duties to the public. Police brutality also involves the abuses through the correction of personnel in state, federal, and municipal penal facilities inclusive of military prisons. Meanwhile, it causes physical harm and is believed to create psychological harm by using intimidation tactics past the scope of the formally sanctioned police methods. Throughout the history of the United States police departments, law enforcement officers involved in police brutality have acted with the embedded approval
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 recent years police actions, especially police abuse remains one of the most serious and estranged human rights violation in the United States. While citizens worry about protecting themselves from criminals, it has now been shown that they must also keep an eye on those who are supposed to protect us. Thousands of individuals that complained about police abuse are reported each year and local authorities pay out millions of dollars to victims in damages after all the lawsuits. Police have beaten, shot at unresisting suspects; they have misused their batons, and also their electroshock weapons. Over the past decade, police officers have acted out in ways that make people wonder, are these officers of the law really doing their job? Severe beatings, unjustified shootings, and rough treatment have all contributed to the problem of police brutality in America. Police officers continue to abuse their given authority by acting in a brutal manner in order to control a detained suspect. 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 absolutely 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 the situation. Sometimes excessive force takes the form of hand-to-hand combat with a suspect who is resisting arrest. At least once every month or two the news
Over the years, the United States has faced many cases of police brutality. Officers are faced with many threatening situations everyday forcing them to make split-second decisions expecting the worse, but hoping for the best. Therefore, police brutality severely violates human rights in the United States. Police officers have one of the hardest jobs America has to offer. They have to maintain public order, prevent, and identify crime. Throughout history, the police community has been exposed by violence in some way or another. Police officers have been suspects in dangerous shootings, severe beatings, fatal chokings, and unnecessary killings. The history of police brutality is repeated, going through stages of violence, corruption, and
Police brutality has occurred all across the world and is still a major amongst society and police organization. This brutality arranges from assaults, death as a result, of use of force, harassment, Etc. It takes two forms which is physical brutality which includes assaults, and non-physical brutality which includes use of verbal language. Police officers have been granted the privilege of using “non-negotiable force” (Bittner 1970) to control citizens’ behavior and ensure public order. Police use of excessive force is also called police brutality. This term refer to any unnecessary use of force by police. There are many different definitions to what police brutality is considered to be. “Police brutality is the use of excessive and/or unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians” (Danilina, 2014). Police brutality occurs when officers use more force than is necessary when making arrests or controlling people. Police brutality is categorized as an excessive use of force. Danilina from Law Dictionary states that, “Excessive use of force means a force well beyond what would be necessary in order to handle a situation. These claims of police brutality are made when someone is injured or killed during the course of a search or an arrest. Throughout history there has been many incidents where police officers have used unnecessary force to handle a situation. One of history’s most nationally known incidents of police brutality took place March 3, 1991, in Chicago, when
For the past couple years there has been so many incidents involving some sort of police brutality. The mainstream media has shown police misconduct, case after case it has become a routine and making people wonder if our officers of the law really doing their jobs? Unjustified shooting, and fatal choking’s have all contributed to the problem of police brutality in America and also has become very controversial. The police carry an enormous burden each day, which makes their job really hard. Police work is very stressful and involves violent, and split second decision. Nevertheless, cases like the shooting of Samuel DuBose, and Walter Scott and the choking of Eric Garner has raised questions regarding our police system. In many confrontations the police are put in a position in which they have to use force to control the situation, but there are different levels of force and most of the time the situation dictates the level of force that’s necessary. In addition, I will explain different cases of police brutality, the use of excessive force, and the consequences the officers have faced.
The use of excessive force by police officers is a topic that continues to make headlines and a study that needs to be done. Although much research has gone into this topic there still is no consensus on why the use of excessive force occurs. Some studies suggest lack of training and/or problems with organization policy/procedures. Law enforcement officers are authorized to use force when necessary, but when the level of force is excessive, however, the actions of the police come under scrutiny. The resulting effects can include; public outrage, scandal, negative reputation for not only the officer but the law enforcement community, and criminal considerations. Although there’s is no concrete definition of excessive force, police
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.
There is a widespread and persistent problem of police brutality across the United States. Thousands of individual complaints about police abuse are reported each year and local authorities pay out millions of dollars to victims in damages after lawsuits. Police officers have beaten and shot unresisting suspects; they have misused batons, chemical sprays, and electro-shock weapons; they have injured or killed people by placing them in dangerous restraint holds.
The public impression of police use of force, as brutality, in modern day policing continues to be a sensitive issue for law enforcement agencies across the nation. Police agencies across the United States deal with accusations of misuse of force on
To stop police brutality we need to enforce basic laws that will prevent cops and civilians from getting hurt. Police brutality defined by the encyclopedia , “is the use of any force exceeding that reasonably necessary to accomplish a lawful police purpose”. Police brutality has been a problem since the early 1990’s and has been a growing epidemic.