Why Do Police Officers Use Excessive Force

In the year 2015, 1,086 people have died in police related shootings in the U.S according to Vice News (2015). More and more minority deaths are occurring each year at the hands of law enforcement. Although the police swore to protect and serve, their disproportionate shootings of minorities indicate otherwise; which is why police officers need more cultural training, non-lethal force for apprehension training, and should be subject to harsher punishments for the officers with a history of excessive force. Over the past decade, there have been many cases dealing with the police using excessive force. Excessive force is the violation of a person’s constitutional rights (US Legal, 2016). Although there is not a precise definition, it occurs

Around the country, there are said to be numerous amount of law enforcement officers that are bias and discriminatory towards citizens. In many communities there is a lack of trust between people, specifically minorities and the police, due to racial profiling as seen in Missouri. In Ferguson, Missouri, as of 2010, almost 70% of the city’s population is black and yet whites make up 94 percent of the police department (Politifact, 2014). An officer who has not been exposed to a community with a different culture may not be able to work proficiently because they are unaware of the cultural norms. Cultural training is a way for police to grasp a better understanding of how to deal with people from different cultures; “… law enforcement officials need understanding, respect, and a willingness to communicate with all segments of the population (ADL 2016).” Cultural training can assist in the improvement of police departments all over the nation. According to Kwintessential, there are benefits of cultural training such as building trust within communities, understanding different cultures, as well as preventing stereotyping and discrimination, (Kwintessential 2014). The expansion of cultural awareness leads to better communication through the acceptance of the values and beliefs of others. (Kwintessential