Warrior And Warrior Mentality In Law Enforcement

The militarization of the police is becoming more and more prevalent issue in our society. There are positives and negatives to this issue, but in my opinion it is a negative occurrence. Excessive use of force further divides police and community, which eventually may lead to severe consequences that may be irreparable.

Police officers are individuals who enforce the law upon their community to ensure that their citizens remain safe. In the past couple of years, officers of the law have been involved in acts of brutality that seem to go beyond the proper measurements of protection for their citizens. Policemen are supposed to protect their citizens from danger and from harm, not impose a threat on them. The fact that officers have a history of abusing their power indicates that their trust amongst the community has been corrupted. Those who have been affected of police brutality feel as though they have been deceived. They no longer feel that police officers will protect them, but rather abuse them, and that is a problem. We have began to live in a community in which an individual feels frightened when seeing a cop, rather than feeling protected. Some individuals may argue that police brutality is not a problem due to the fact that it is not consistent enough to catch the attention of needing a solution. However, that idea means little when the level of brutality has led to the death of several innocent victims in some cases. We must not wait for there to be a pattern of death at the hands of police officials to consider this a problem. One death indicates that preventive measures must be taken to ensure that these officers are no longer put in the position to abuse their power to begin with.

Rise of the Warrior Cop, by Radley Balko, centers around police in the United States and how it has gone through militarization throughout the years. Militarization is a process in which the police departments take on tactics that are similar to the tactics used by the military. Police forces were initially made to make our environment a safer place to live in. In this book, Balko explains how that has changed. Practices of policing first began when people would get hired, unofficially, to keep slaves under control and catch them if they try to run away. These people were sometimes known as slave catchers. Soon it evolved into formal policing, allowing police to catch criminals and make the neighborhood safe. However, today it is not so much about catching criminals; it involves a lot of violence and Balko questions whether this is even constitutional. In his writing, Balko brings awareness to the horrible tactics police are using in today’s society and how we could fix it.

The media has portrayed Officers in a new light. Rather than protective guardians, they are now unstable, power-fueled workers of the law. It is their choice what they will do with the duty of enforcing the law. Anyone can fall victim to Police Brutality. However, America’s social and economic society is improving at an alarming rate. America is at a time now where peaceful protests and the like are promoted, while aggressive out lashes, unlawful activities, and excessive force is frowned upon. The economy today is a result of the hard work of ancestors who protested and ensured a better future. In the future, it is possible that Officers will no longer be stereotyped as abusive, or unlawful. A united front is required for this future, where there are no more sides, violence, or

Historically there has been conflict between the american police force and members of minority groups. In recent years this conflict has moved into the eye of the public, through the media attention given to events like Ferguson. Outrage and unrest ensued and the backlash from these events were felt all over the US if not internationally. The result of these events lead to politicians and the police pledging reforms to improve the relations between law enforcement and members of minority groups. However many still believe that nothing has changed and that law enforcement is still more likely to use excessive force when dealing with members of those minority groups. Research has started to be conducted on this issue and many try to find solutions. This paper will provide a literary review of the current literature regarding this topic and will further provide some ways in which the relationship between law enforcement and the public can be improved.

The ‘War on cops’ some say that there is a war waging on America's police officers , and others believe otherwise. Thomas Sowell's article “The War On Cops” is on his perspective that there is a war on cops “occurring across the country” and that there are those who generate an acrid atmosphere of “blind hatred”. Clayton Jenkins article “ My Police Academy Teaches the ‘War on Cops’ Myth” , is on Jenkins considers the ‘War on Cops’ to be an inaccurate response to recent police killings , that there is not enough evidence to even support the idea. Upon my assessment of both essays I believe that there isn't a ‘War on cops’- but there is a distrust between people of color and the police, because of the aftermath of the ‘war on drugs’.

Police War Reports by Glen Ford is a brief three page article that asserts “it is not [a] lack of training that breeds killer cops, but the training, itself”. Ford points out recent shootings by police of African American persons, most noticeably James Blake, Tamir Rice, and Michael Brown; as evidence that police behaviour is indicative of a military operation’s. Ford, illustrates this by claiming the police are taught to “bum rush [as a]... tactic...”. He also outlines a belief that the predominantly African American communities should be separated from the rest of society and be left, themselves to decide if they “want the police there at all, or would prefer to organize their own security…”. Ford, going on to claim police suplexing people

In the recent years, police abuse has become clear to the public eye. Citizens in society are now not only trying to shelter and protect themselves from criminals, but now they must make sure they look out for those who are supposed to be the “peace keepers” that protect and serve. In this essay, it will discuss the incidents involving police brutality in society today, and also how the justice system is continuing to take away the given rights to citizens of the United States of America. Citizens must be able to protect themselves from the police officers taking advantage of their powers as a law enforcement agent. With this distinguishable difference in power, the citizens are prominently at a standstill for justice.

Law enforcement leaders must be continually vigilant to ensure that the actions of their officers do not violate civil rights and do not compromise public support. The individual officer is granted a tremendous amount of authority and discretion to enforce the law. Their ultimate duty is to protect individual rights from being infringed upon by others in the community. They must never consider themselves above the law while executing their responsibility to enforce the law. This commitment is what distinguishes police in constitutionally based, democratic societies like ours from police in nondemocratic countries, where they are perceived as oppressive agents of a government whose main purpose is to restrict, rather than protect, the rights of civilians (International Association of Chiefs of Police, 2006).

Ware (2014) states a militarized police organization causes chaos by making aggressive attempts to intimidate and draw battle lines. Stating military hardware on neighborhood streets signal an escalation of violence. Peak (2012) believes it cultivates the “us vs them” mentalities and hinders the intellectual and creative thinking process in officers. On the other hand, some people feel as though a militarized law enforcement agency is beneficial. One of the highest concerns the general public has is corruption within law enforcement agencies. Quasi-military authoritarian style allows leaders to maintain control of their staff; enforcing obedience to authority. Policing is a dangerous occupation; one you might find yourself placed in a situation where you may legally have to take the life of another human being. Having a well-disciplined agency can minimize critical, even fatal

Police Agencies in modern society are a part of the American fabric to serve and protect the American public. The United States currently have more than 15,000 police agencies, (Walker & Katz, 2011). Police Departments across the United States face similar critical issues policing. All police officers face dangers in the job of policing the dangers can emanate from internal and external origins. Police officers have continued to evolve to serve communities by finding better less than lethal alternatives to weapons used. In addition, police departments have continued to keep up with

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

Results from this study suggest that when people, such as police officers, are given the authority to use whatever force deemed necessary by an authority such as the police department, they feel justified using their “power” however they feel. David Lester conducted a study in which he found police officers attain an “expectation of harm” through their schooling at police academies (Lester 186). Lester found “shifts in…attitudes during both academy training and the period of working” (Lester 186) to officers being less willing to admit to the existence of police brutality. It seems that the departments do not see the occurrences as brutal, but as self-defense.

The militarization of law enforcement alludes to the utilization of military gear and strategies by law authorization officers. In the past decade, reported incidents of violence between police officials and citizens has become more frequent. Reason being is police officials and their uniform. People feel threatened or uncomfortable when being around police officers with threatening weapons. “These weapons and defensive items being introduced mask the human features of officers, and makes them seem more like objects than actual people. This dehumanizing effect makes them seem more threatening, and creates a greater contrast between the police and the average person. (“The Militarization of the Police and How it's Making Us Less”, 2017)” A research study has also shown that when an individual is exposed to weapons, they are likely to react in a violent and unmannerly fashion. On a typical police officer, their weapons aren’t big, they can put their weapons on the side of their uniform, so, it isn’t very noticeable. However, if an officer is standing with a rifle, that act, is very visible so people may feel threatened. Now, at this rate, where both the police officer as well as the civilian will feel threatened, arguments are more likely to occur and as a result, could lead into a serious issue amongst the two.

A common issue presented in today’s national media is police brutality. Police brutality is the use of unnecessary force on civilians by police. The concept of having police officers is to ensure safety and protection of citizens. Police should only use force necessary to accomplish their lawful purpose. The common occurrence of police brutality has sparked responses nationwide in the form of protests, riots, and movements to end the excessive and sometimes fatal force of police officers. The public rallies are also in response to lack of conviction or repercussions of many of the cops who demonstrate unjust police brutality. These incidents are also commonly associated with racial disparity. The headline news stories of the shooting and killing of unarmed African Americans, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and twelve year old Tamir Rice, all in the same year, prompted citizens nationwide that change in the law enforcement system is necessary. While a majority of police abide to their oaths and stand for justice, a noticeable amount have historically misused their power. If a community cannot trust police officers, it will be detrimental for society as a whole.