“On my honor, I will never betray my badge1, my integrity, my character, or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. I will always uphold the constitution my community and the agency I serve.” (“IACP. Web. 11 Nov. 2013’).- Oath Of Honor. This is the oath recited by all officers before acting in the line of duty. “To Protect and serve” this is what reads on every individuals badge they wear when they are in the line of duty. Whether they cooperate with their badge or choose to abide by their oath, the choice is theirs. So the question is are police officers really abusing their power and breaking human rights or are the cases only being blown out of proportion.
There are approximately 6,000 cases of police brutality and misconduct recorded. In 2010, 382 of these cases were linked to either direct or indirect fatalities, and approximately $350,000,000 have been spent in related settlements and judgments, in 2010 13% of cases were fatalities, 60% of those were by the cause of firearms, 23% from physical acts of violence and 17% of deaths were caused by electrocution or tazing citizens to death. These were either linked directly in death or the victims later died in result of these acts. Further studies show the top five states with the most police brutality are; Oklahoma, Montana, Vermont, West Virginia, and finally Tennessee. ("Police Brutality Statistics 13 Apr. 2011. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.)
There have been many accounts of police brutality being caught on film and posted online, legally any citizen can record a police officer if they wish however there have been cases in which this enrages the officer to attack the recorder. Many have argued that outside of the law this...
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...ACP. "INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION of CHIEFS of POLICEglobal Leadership in Policing." What Is the Law Enforcement Oath of Honor? N.p., 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
http://www.theiacp.org/PoliceServices/ProfessionalAssistance/Ethics/WhatistheLawEnforcementOathofHonor/tabid/150/Default.aspx
"Police Brutality Statistics | Cop Block." Police Brutality Statistics | Cop Block. Cop Block, 13 Apr. 2011. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.
http://www.copblock.org/2841/
Carlson, Sarah. "Follow Liberation News." Liberation News. Psl Web, 5 Aug. 2011. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
http://www.pslweb.org/liberationnews/news/whats-behind-polic-brutality-epidemic.html
Johnson, Kevin. "Police Brutality Cases on Rise since 9/11 - USATODAY.com." Police Brutality Cases on Rise since 9/11 - USATODAY.com. N.p., 18 Dec. 07. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-12-17-Copmisconduct_N.htm
"Racial Profiling." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 3 Sept. 2012. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
There are quite a few cases involving police brutality going on today. The reason it is such a hot issue is due to the violence against minorities, but especially the African Americans. Police brutality is defined as “the unnecessary force by police officer against citizens, resulting in injury” (Peak, 1947, p. 162). That is the most worldwide view of police brutality because a lot of individuals are either injured or killed while the police are trying to apprehend them. The way this issue can be addressed if we look at, is it excessive force or acceptable force and what can be done to prevent people dying by the hands of the police.
Villa, Judi. "Incidents Put Police Brutality in Spotlight." Rocky Mountain News. N.p., 2 Feb. 2009. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
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.
...vidge, A. (2013). Hundreds rally statewide against police brutality in wake of Lopez death. Available at: http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/hundreds-rally-statewide-against-police-brutality-/nbnmT/
“But they didn't have to beat me this bad. I don't know what I did to be beat up." Rodney King, March 3, 1991. Police Brutality has been a long lasting problem in the United States since at least 1903 when police Captain Williams of the New York Police Department said the phrase, "There is more law at the end of a policeman's nightstick than in a decision of the Supreme Court." In the 1920's the Wichersham Commission had a number of instances of police brutality. Many of these included the use of the "third degree" (beating to obtain a confession). This is a very effective way to get a confession out of somebody. However, beating the accused could easily elicit a confession from a scared and innocent person. Also, this puts the accused person's life in danger. Police officers must make snap life and death decisions daily. Officers' work in an environment where death (theirs, their partners, and an innocent or guilty person) is one decision away. How does that constant fear effect an officer's perception? Unfortunately, many that are attracted to law enforcement are aggressive and prone towards violence as a solution. Police officers have a lot of power. With this power comes responsibility. Police brutality can be defined as the excessive or unreasonable use of force in dealing with citizens, suspects and offenders.
Police corruption, misconduct, and brutality in the United States have been issues since the creation of watch system in the United States (Grant& Terry, 2012). New policy and training is now in place and the corruption, misconduct, and brutality has gone down since the beginning of policing. This is a huge issue that impacts all police organizations in the United States. The extent of police corruption, misconduct, and brutality is hard to track in the United States. A lot of these crimes go unreported, tossed aside, or the officer responsible gets little or no punishment. This is huge issue in the United States criminal justice system.
It is easy for police to get caught up in the idea that it is them against the rest of society (Barkan, 2012). Many citizens in today’s democratic society have a negative or fearful view of our law enforcement. Think back to grade school, who was that one kid in class that everyone was annoyed by or despised? Most people would answer the teacher’s pet or the tattletale. We have grown up from a young age to have a negative view towards those that get us into trouble when we think we can get away with something we know is wrong. In the adult world, the police force can equate to those tattletales.
Background and Audience Relevance: According to the Human Rights Watch 2012 report on Police Brutality and Accountability in the United States; police brutality has become one the most serious human rights violation. As citizens of the United States it is our duty to make sure that those with authority don 't take advantage of their power.
The important thing to do is to understand the circumstances when excessive force can be used and times where the use of force has to be abstained. Police officers follow strict guidelines on how to handle encounters from escalating into something much more serious. The use of excessive force, in this case police brutality, brings liabilities that cannot be taken lightly with the department and the community. Usually, the high crime rates tend to revolve around low-income minority areas and officers tend to assume that minorities living in the areas are guilty. Police brutality that does exist is most likely a result of emotional exhaustion.
Police brutality has been and continues to be a major concern in society. “Police brutality is the
Police Officers Oath of Office and Code of Ethics, A Question of knowledge Richard W. Deshon (2000) retrieved from: www.emich.edu/cerns/downloads/papers/PoliceStaff/
Chaney and Robertson, (2013) stated that “The Department of Justice office of Civil Rights has investigated more than a dozen police departments in major cities across the country on allegations of racial discrimination or police brutality”. Police brutality is defined as the use of excessive physical force or verbal assault and psychological intimidation. White police officers who grew up in the south and were raised to see African Americans in a negative way have a lower opinion of them. However, not all white police officers are from the south, some say that police officers are just abusing their power. When we look at what is going on around the country, it appears racism plays a part in police brutality. Even during this new digital age, there are video cameras in police cars facing the front of the vehicle, but that still does not hinder police using excessive
Police brutality is an act that often goes unnoticed by the vast majority of white Americans. This is the intentional use of “excessive force by an authority figure, which oftentimes ends with bruises, broken bones, bloodshed, and sometimes even death” (Harmon). While law-abiding citizens worry about protecting themselves from criminals, it has now been revealed that they must also keep an eye on those who are supposed to protect and serve. According to the National Police Academy, in the past year, there have been over 7,000 reports of police misconduct; fatalities have been linked to more than 400 of these cases (Gul). Police brutality is often triggered by disrespect towards the police officer.
I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and I accept it as a public trust to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of the police service. I will constantly strive to achieve the objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God to my chosen profession-Law Enforcement.