Police Use Of Force Essay

873 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Discuss the importance of police discretion in use of force policies

When we think of the use of force by police officers we usually think of officers using their weapons, wrestling someone to the ground, or even beating someone up. Then we start to ask what is the proper use of force is. Police officers undergo a lot of training so they know what they can and cannot do when making an arrest. During this training they learn when it is acceptable to use force and how much force they can use before it becomes illegal.
In most cases the police officers are legally allowed to use of force when necessary. The police officers and the public expect these officers to do what is required within the means of the law due to the nature of their duties. In order to deal with the misconducts of the society in which we live, people who work in the law enforcement agencies may gradually develop the attitude or the sense that they are above society, this is very clear in the traditional reaction-based policing models; in most cases the police hold the belief that they are supposed to be above the law and can sometimes allow themselves to break a few rules.
Often through internal sources the police are often the cause of misconduct as result of the systematic factors that originates from within the police force. These factors are as follows; the officers are pressured to conform to the aspects of the police duties which are designed to sustain a substantial resistance to the criminal subculture while protecting the members within the police force, this goes to the extent of violating the law while at the same time the criminals are viewed in a suspicious perspective and with a lot of distrust. Then there is the command and the control structures that have a very firm hierarchical structure, with law enforce...

... middle of paper ...

...the use of force so that they do not break any laws when force is required. Officers that use excessive force should be punished. Often times when force is used it usually is within the rights of the officer to use the force to bring the criminal behavior to a halt.
The Police have the right to use force in protecting themselves. They do not have the right to retrain a suspect and continue to use force. Good utilization of the interdisciplinary police units, the justice system, and the police officer trainers can work together to deter the police from using excessive force. The justice system needs to actively pursue and punish the offenders within the system. Police must also do their part to change the structure of the police force in order to bring forth the officers who abuse their power and allowing incoming officers to learn the correct use of force.

Show More
Related

  • Police Brutality Essay

    777 Words  | 2 Pages

    Police Brutality                  Police work is dangerous.  Sometimes police put in situations that excessive force is needed.  But, because some officers use these extreme measures in situations when it is not, police brutality should be addressed. The use of excessive force may or may not be large problem, but it should be looked into by both the police and the public.                  For those people who feel racism is not a factor in causing the use of excessive force, here is a startling fact.  In Tampa Bay, Florida, five men died while in the custody of the

    Read More

  • Force Vs Deadly Force Essay

    545 Words  | 2 Pages

    With the articles and past research that I have collected, studies tell us that less than 3 percent of police-citizen contacts involve the threat of physical force by the police. The percentages are higher when the level of force is below lethal force, for instance 20 percent of arrests may involve some type of special or needed force to obtain and control the suspect in able to put him in custody. In the academy, police officers are taught to use equal or greater force to subdue the suspect and do what is necessary to protect the public and also look out for officer safety. Most incidents of force are low level applications such as using the arms, hands, legs, or their bodies to gain control of the suspect. Every police officer is supposed to be trained to a certain standard, and should be able to use the correct amount of force for the situation at hand. Police officers have situational training in the academy on what level of force to use if necessary. All police officers are equipped to handle most if not all situations or levels of force that is need to

    Read More

  • Case Study Police Brutality

    1410 Words  | 3 Pages

    Police brutality is becoming more and more apparent in the news today because it seems to be occurring more than before. In 2012, the NYPD killed 21 people that year which was an increase by 7 from the previous year (W.A.T.E.R, 1). The numbers are rising in the big cities where more crimes are likely to happen. Toronto isn’t as big as New York City, but it comes to show that police officers are killing more individuals each year. In 2009, in the little city of Cabbagetown near Toronto, two Toronto officers severely beat a man who was allegedly drunk in public. The two police officers were later found guilty of assault causing bodily harm, which shocked much of the public because rarely do police officers get charged after incidents like this. This case ended up bringing up the ethical issue of whether police officers use excessive force on people because they are law enforcements. Police officers seem to usually get away with the actions they do, which sometimes result in death, because they are law enforcements and they’re just looking out for their own safety and of others. I believe that police officers do sometimes use excessive force on people and that they get away with the consequences because they have a free pass because of their job title. To defend this judgment, the arguments that I will use are the statements of both police officers, the test results that proved that the police officers attacked a man who didn’t deserve it, and the decision of the SIU.

    Read More

  • Essay On Police Brutality In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1233 Words  | 3 Pages

    Over the years, our nation has witnessed countless cases of police brutality. It has developed into a controversial topic between communities. For instance, deindustrialization is the removal or reduction of manufacturing capability or activity can lead to more crimes when people are laid off. Police officers are faced with many threatening situations day-to-day gripping them to make split second decisions; either to expect the worst or hope for the best. The police are given the authority to take any citizen away for their action that can ruin their lives. With that kind of power comes great responsibility, which is one main concern with the amount of discretion officers have is when to use lethal force. The use of excessive force might or

    Read More

  • Police Brutality Essay

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    When hearing the phrase “police brutality,” many people imagine batons cracking skulls, tasers electrocuting bodies and bullets penetrating innocent teens. While police officers have been known to use violence, police brutality does not occur as often as many believe. In many situations, officers have to act on impulse and curiosity, despite the backlash the media may create.

    Read More

  • Police Brutality Hypocrisy

    1515 Words  | 4 Pages

    Over the years, this country has witnessed many cases of police brutality. It has become a controversial topic among communities that have seen police brutality take place in front of their homes. Officers are faced with many threatening situations everyday forcing them to make split second decisions and to expect the worst and hope for the best. Police officers are given the power to take any citizens rights away and even their lives. With that kind of power comes responsibility, that’s one major concern with the amount of discretion officers have is when to use force or when to use lethal force. The use of excessive force may or not be a large predicament but should be viewed by both the police and the community.

    Read More

  • Police Brutality is a Criminal Act

    1671 Words  | 4 Pages

    In most if not all the cases the victim of the excessive force is charged with resisting arrest and or assaulting a police officer, When in fact they are the ones who have been assaulted and victimized themselves. They are now fighting two uphill battles that are very difficult to win in any situation. A lot of the time the victim is from a poor or low income area and may have already been perceived to be a criminal by the police. The police have a great deal of power and they sometimes manipulate situation to make it look like or to hide what may have happen in an arrest situation. My father would tell me stories about the police and the things some officer would do to get away with abusing their power. The police need to be monitored and public needs to be more educated about what Law enforcements job is and how to best help them do it.

    Read More

  • Use Of Force Essay

    1524 Words  | 4 Pages

    “The police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence,” Robert Peel. The use of force for police officers is something I find to be justified and right, because it can possible help save the officers life and any witnesses lives.

    Read More

  • Excessive Use Of Police Brutality

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Just how much force is appropriate under various circumstances can be debatable. When an officer uses excessive force, he or she violates the law. Most brutality is directed against minority groups or otherwise powerless populations. Officers who engage in brutality rationalize their use of extralegal force, they claim they are punishing those groups that threaten to disrupt the social order. The importance of understanding racism in the context of police brutality cannot be underestimated. Many police officials automatically regard racial minority group members as potentially dangerous regardless of their particular activities, gestures, or attire. This perception of racial minority citizens as “trouble” sometimes translates into racially discriminatory police behavior. Most police officers expect citizens to always surrender to police authority. When citizens challenge it instead, some officers view such behavior as the unofficial crime of disobeying a police officer and use physical force to gain compliance.  So what can be done to help prevent police brutality around our

    Read More

  • Police Brutality Case Study

    1858 Words  | 4 Pages

    In today’s society, police officers are very cautious on how much force they can use on a suspect due to the police brutality going on right now. Police brutality is defined as the use of force exceeding what is necessary, many people argue that there should be new policies to determine how much force a police officer can use and also have laws that will convict officers who have killed people by using too much force, so that there is less incidents in the future.

    Read More

  • Preventing Police Brutality in Canada

    2183 Words  | 5 Pages

    Firstly, even after government advancement, the integration of a democratic society, and a greatly improved justice system, individuals still feel threatened by police officers. When police training was created, and guidelines/ penalties were and laid out, they were expected to have a large impact on minimizing incidences of excessive police force. Yet, this is not the case. It is often said that prevention is better than cure, this statement can be applied to police brutality by preventing it befor...

    Read More

  • Police Brutality - Racism, Racial Profiling, Prejudice

    1514 Words  | 4 Pages

    The use of excessive force may or may not be a large predicament, but should be viewed by both the police and the community. Police brutality is hypocrisy as the police are meant to protect society from harm, not cause further damage and stress. Police should be trained properly so they do not resort to violence and abuse of power. Many cases of police brutality are not sanctioned and are undertaken by a group of police as a form of "mob mentality". Police are placed on a pedestal of authority and respect by the rest of society.

    Read More

  • The Fine Line between Noble Cause Corruption and Traditional Corruption

    1039 Words  | 3 Pages

    For numerous years, corruption within the police department has been a national problem. The corruption is not only limited to America, it reaches parts of Asia and Europe. Police officers are investigated regarding this issue, with good judgement. Corruption and misconduct in the police department are evident in various embodiment.

    Read More

  • Police Officer And The Police Department

    1218 Words  | 3 Pages

    Recently in the United States there has been in increase in deaths that have come from police officers using deadly force. The use of force is inevitable as a police officer, many times their own lives or the life’s civilians are at risk when it comes to determine what type of force a officer should use. There are many incidents where police officer have to react in a matter of seconds and has to choose between his own life or that of the individual causing the disturbance. When a Police Officer uses deadly force has caused outraged with the public, stirring up protests and creating a scandal for the police officer and the Police Department. Many do not know when it is right for an officer to use deadly force and what constitutes it, or what happens when the officer does not use the appropriate amount of force that is required to control the situation. There has been many changes in Police Departments around the country to try to reduce the use of deadly force in response to the issues that have occurred because of it.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Police Brutality

    1563 Words  | 4 Pages

    This paper compares and contrasts popular opinions and professional assessment of police brutality and acceptable use of force. This is not only a sensitive subject, but one that proves hard to identify. The main takeaway is that each encounter is different. Within each situation, the details and contributing factors are also different. Police have to serve the public and are entrusted with an inherent amount of power. The line when that use of power becomes abuse of power is not always so easily defined. There are occasions where the evidence shows a clear abuse of power by the police. There are instances where the public opinion views a situation as excessive, however, the police are following acceptable practices and procedures.

    Read More

More about Police Use Of Force Essay

Open Document