Police brutality has become a growing issue. With shootings of unarmed African Americans as well as protests, police brutality is one of the most talked about issues in the United States. Police brutality is a term used for undue violence by members of the police force, this violence often directed at young African Americans. With growing awareness towards police brutality, there has also been a growth in questions surrounding the issue. Police brutality is the use of excessive force or verbal assault and psychological intimidation by the law enforcement members. Is police brutality really an issue? Are there solutions? The answer to both questions is yes, although some may disagree with the methods. Groups which are treated as insignificant …show more content…
Race plays a major role in the issue of police brutality in today’s society. As stated by a journalist, ‘’the history of African Americans in the United States is segregation and discrimination which continues to shape the modern society’’ (Chama 203). Historically, police have been known to defend and enforce racism and segregation in both the North and the South of the United States. During the Civil Rights Movement protesters were attacked by police with extreme violence such as being beaten with batons and guns, pepper sprayed, and bitten by police dogs. Despite the fact that segregation was banned after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, African American were still mistreated. The journalist Brain Chama, also agrees with this fact. ‘’Even though the Jim Crow laws made segregation legal no longer exist, millions of African Americans continue to be …show more content…
For example it is not rare to find the situation boils down to the word of the police officer against the word of the victim. A study reports ‘’The New York Civil Liberties Union, which authored the report found that since 1996, the police department disciplined police officers in only 24 percent, or 371 of the 1,543 cases of brutality and other misconduct substantiated by the Civilian Complaint Review Board" ("NY" 6). It can be easily assumed how a judge or jury might be biased into believing a police officer's claim of self defense in a questionable killing situation, especially when there's no evidence involved except for statements. "In other cases, either the department did not find the officer guilty, did not punish the officer or has yet to act on the complaint" ("NY"6). If racial prejudice is considered, it can be suspected that many African Americans face potential wrongful conviction and imprisonments, due to the brutality and discrimination of the
What is Police Brutality? Police Brutality is the use of any force exceeding what is necessary to accomplish a lawful police purpose. It's history is undeniably long.(“Police Brutality”) Why do they mostly target blacks? I think they target blacks because they still view us as the minority of the country and they overuse their power.
Police Brutality is defined as being the abuse of power by the unwarrant finliction of excesscive usse of force, by an indivual that is involved in law enforcement, while in the emidst of performing their official duties. The term "excessive use of force" means a force that is well beyond what would be considered as being necessary in order to handle a situation. The term can also be abblied to abuses that havee been perpretrated by corrections professilas in state, federal, millitary and muncipal prisons. The word brutality has several different meanings. However, in the context of police brutality, it means savage or cruelty.
Police Brutality Police brutality has become a too often occurring event in the United States. The rampant act of police brutality, often killing, is a direct violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments. Breaking and all but destroying the relationship between police and the communities they are supposed to protect and serve. Minorities and the poor are often the victims of a modern militarized zero tolerance police force of modern times. More recent times has seen the media as being a main source of the infringement on rights upon these communities terrorized by police tactics.
The history of police brutality goes way back to the slavery era, where law enforcement against African American slaves were known as Fugitive slave catchers. In the United States, during the mid-19th century, fugitive slave catchers were responsible for returning escaped slaves to their owners. The patrols were formed in response to white Southerners ' fears of lawlessness and even insurrection on the part of the slaves, who outnumbered whites by almost two to one in some areas (“US Slaves”). White males were required to be slave patrols. This is evidence in the
During the mid to late 1960’s there were many riots which lead the police to the unjust arrest and shootings of African Americans. Which "result[ed] in hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries, and the destruction of predominantly black neighborhoods" (Police Brutality). Racial tension contributes a sizeable amount to the division amongst minorities and police; "minorities in the United States see things much differently. A large majority, 81 percent, of blacks say police use deadly force too quickly compared with 61 percent of Hispanics and 33 percent of whites" (Law Enforcement and Violence). For the relationship to progress there must be an open dialogue between the “public” or minority's and the police.
Police brutality is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Or in other words police being hateful and racist to African Americans and does not follow the equal rights they are supposed to by law. Police Brutality started very early such as in 1877 and 1894. How I look at the cause of police brutality is poor police training, racist police officers or governments enacting hard on crime policies. The consequence for the police officers who perform police brutality on somebody is not nearly as bad as the person they perform it on.
Police Brutality is a problem in the US because it is used when it does not have to be, Some cases of police using force are not included in records, and when force is used people could be hurt or killed. Many police officers decide that it is best to use force. Even when it is not required. An innocent man asked a police officer to move his vehicle out of his driveway and the officer forced him out of his house.
One big reason that police brutality is a problem that needs to be solved, is that it causes mental health problems in its victims, families, and communities. Many studies have gone
Police brutality is defined as an unrestricted and unnecessary amount of harm inflicted by the police on civilians. It is corruption within law enforcement. When they feel threatened, cops tend to use excessive force. It happens too often in Canada and the United States for many different reasons, but the worst is racial profiling. It is not the responsibility of a police officer to frighten someone without justification.
Should men and women be afraid of those that are suppose to serve and protect us ? What is Police brutality ? Police brutality is the use of excessive force and/or unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians, which means a force well beyond what 's necessary. Police brutality has people of today 's society questioning the general practices of police and how their arresting procedure is done.
Police brutality is described as using excessive and unnecessary force while dealing with people. Using excessive use of force means to practice force well beyond what would be necessary in order to handle a situation (Danilina, S. 2010, June 8). There are various forms of police brutality, it can occur in physicality and can also use the exploitation of power.
Police brutality remains a common yet controversial topic around the world. Police brutality is “the use of excessive and/or unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians” (thelawdictionary.org). It’s a topic that segregates communities and makes each other their enemy. Specifically, a white officer has been the enemy of the black community. Unfortunately, the tension between police and blacks grew over the past few decades.
But this word is something that gets tossed around every time you see a cop make a mistake, but the truth is police brutality is a real thing that people encounter in their daily lives. People need to understand the definition of police brutality. Because police brutality isn't every time a police officer shoots someone or subdues that person, it's when an officer uses any force exceeding that reasonably necessary to accomplish a lawful police purpose. I'm not saying that police brutality doesn't involve shooting someone because it normally does, but the difference is why the officer shot the victim and did he try to avoid shooting that person as much as possible. On the news you usually see a certain race rioting or protesting about police brutality, but the fact is, all races get killed by the police every year and it's usually a small part in the news until say certain race has to make a big deal over something like this.
Every year in the United States, about 1,000 people are killed by the police. Police abuse remains one of the most serious human rights violations in the United States. Over the past decade, police have acted out in ways that have made people wonder "are our officers of the law really doing their job?" Unjustified shootings, severe beatings, fatal choking, and rough treatment have all contributed to the present problem of police brutality in America.
Police Brutality is an ongoing problem and existent concern in the United States and should be resolved immediately. Law enforcement must function as an element that consists of organized and civilized officers. The presence of police brutality is becoming more of an issue as society grows. The problem posed by the illegal exercise of police power is an ongoing reality for individuals of a disfavored race, class, or sexual orientation. Police brutality must be stopped so that police do not forget who they are serving – not themselves, but the public.