The police shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown was the spark of a very controversial topic of the shooting of unarmed black men. This intriguing and controversial topic was not only headlines in the United States, but it also reached worldwide attention. Since the shooting death of Michael Brown there been several more shootings of unarmed black men all over the United States. This has brought a lot attention on police enforcement all over the United States as well as posed the question of are black men being targeted? As a result of the shooting death of Michael Brown Ferguson, Missouri citizens believe that justice wasn’t served so people began protesting, looting, burning structures and other property, as a result of their disagreement …show more content…
Several police departments across the United States have revised their policies and training on use of force to authorize only the minimum amount of force necessary. Some of the methods that police departments have done to revise their policies and training include social interaction training in the post. The recommendation states POST shall ensure that basic police officer training includes lessons to improve social interaction as well as tactical skills. I agree with this recommendation, because I believe that the way officers communicate with people can determine how things play out. They have also increased the police training hours. The St. Louis area police department shall develop and mandate tactical, wellness, and anti-bias training each year consisting of an additional 24 hours per year for a total of 72 hours in a three year reporting period. Lastly, they have consolidated police training centers. St. Louis city and county shall combine their resources to create a single regional police training center that will offer basic, in-service, and advanced training for all police offers in the city and county, in with Ferguson Commission proposed and approved training …show more content…
I feel that the civilian review of how they feel about law enforcements is an immense step to find out how the people feel about the police and why is there a big mistrust issue between the people and the police. One signature call to action that addresses civilian review creates Civilian Review Boards at the Municipal Level. The Municipalities shall establish independent civilian oversight boards designed to meet the unique needs of each municipality. I think this could be pretty effective in helping close the gap between citizens and law enforcements. The next recommendation basically goes hand and hand with the last one, but now it speak on levels of civilian review it states that counties across the state should establish independent civilian oversight boards designed to manage municipal oversight boards and civilian investigations particularly when local efforts cannot sufficiently address incidents under review. This is pretty good due to the fact it keeps everyone on the same agenda and no one is counted
The struggle of oppression and social injustice in recent news media reports of unarmed black males regularly shot in routine traffic stops,
Racial discrimination in our society has reached its tipping point such that rioting has become a last resort. After the deaths of two young African American males that occurred due to police brutality , the public has been in an uproar, fighting and hoping for change;however the means of fighting aren’t seen as appropriate. The majority of the population argues that the rioting that had occurred in Baltimore and Ferguson, where the shootings happened, were unjustified. The media depicted the rioting to be criminalized and unrelated to the cause. It was portrayed that African Americans took the deaths of Michael Brown and Freddie Gray as an excuse to loot and raid.On contrary to popular belief, the rioting in Baltimore and Ferguson were adequate actions that took place. It wasn’t until the rioting occurred that investigations of these cases followed. Because of the investigation it was found that the problems at hand were more than racial issues highlighted by police brutality, but racial abuse in the system of the cities.
On August 9th, 2014, 18 year old Michael Brown was shot by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, sparking protests, riots, and widespread debate on police use of force. Numerous questions arose as to whether Michael Brown was armed or unarmed, if he had his hands in the air or was attacking Officer Wilson, and whether Officer Wilson was justified in firing his weapon that resulted in the death of Michael Brown (Itkowitz). Twenty-two years have passed since the riots in Los Angeles after the officers involved in the beating of Rodney King were acquitted on charges of excessive force, and it left many to wonder, including myself, as to why this happened again. Why were there so many questions surrounding the incident and how this could
In this week’s supplementary reading, author Lydia Polgreen evaluates the recent string of deaths of unarmed black men, all attributed to police officers. The deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Freddie Gray in Baltimore, and Laquan McDonald in Chicago have pushed the issues of race relations and institutional racism to the forefront of societal issues in America. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that in most of these cases, the officers accused of the unlawful deaths are usually given the benefit of the doubt and found innocent by jurors. This has culminated in the schism in public opinion of the police force. White individuals are more likely to support the officers’ use of deadly force, while black individuals are far more likely to
Many people claim that racism no longer exists; however, the minorities’ struggle with injustice is ubiquitous. Since there is a mass incarceration of African Americans, it is believed that African Americans are the cause of the severe increase of crimes. This belief has been sent out implicitly by the ruling class through the media. The media send out coded messages that are framed in abstract neutral language that play on white resentment that targets minorities. Disproportionate arrest is the result of racial disparities in the criminal justice system rather than disproportion in offenders. The disparities in the sentencing procedure are ascribed to racial discrimination. Because police officers are also biased, people of color are more likely to be investigated than whites. Police officers practice racial profiling to arrest African Americans under situations when they would not arrest white suspects, and they are more likely to stop African Americans and see them as suspicious (Alexander 150-176). In the “Anything Can Happen With Police Around”: Urban Youth Evaluate Strategies of Surveillance in Public Places,” Michelle Fine and her comrades were inspired to conduct a survey over one of the major social issues - how authority figures use a person’s racial identity as a key factor in determining how to enforce laws and how the surveillance is problematic in public space. Fine believes it is critical to draw attention to the reality in why African Americans are being arrested at a much higher rate. This article reflects the ongoing racial issue by focusing on the injustice in treatment by police officers and the youth of color who are victims. This article is successful in being persuasive about the ongoing racial iss...
Police brutality has been an apparent mark on the struggles, trials, and tribulations of people of minorities for years, primarily Black people. From the times of slavery to the present unlawful targeting and murders of black citizens with no justification, police brutality has been an enema in Black American culture for hundreds of years. Seen both in James Baldwin’s “Going to Meet the Man” and in the current happenings of the United States. The hashtag “#BlackLivesMatter” has been a focal point in the current struggle for equality of the races. The current outpouring of support for black lives and
The duty of a police officer is to protect the people with the laws and enforce them, not hurt the people. For all the African American women and men that have been killed by a police officer should be brought to justice. However, this is not the solution to the problem of police brutality in America. The solution to police brutality is the proper training and certification of police officers, so they understand how to handle various situations without using lethal weapons. For instance, Moore states that “extensive training for several weeks in patrol and observation, narcotics activities and community relations” (Moore, 2010) will lead to the solution of police brutality. Also, in order to dissolve the police brutality in America, America must recognize race as more than just one complexion and accept that people of color shouldn’t be dehumanized, but equal to their
According to Apel (2014), on August 9,2014, Michael Brown,18, an unarmed black man of Ferguson, Missouri was shot and killed by a white police officer named Darren Wilson. Considering the evidence, a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson. This sparked a nationwide protest. People came from near and far to protest the judge’s decision. It was no peaceful protest, it might have appeared to start out as a nonviolent protest, but like many protests, it quickly turned violent. People wanted justice and the people felt as though the system once again had felled them. Barnett (2014), a reporter says that after the shooting groups such as the “New Black Panthers,” demanded a rebellion against the officer who shot Brown. For a while the head of police was not going to reveal the name of the officer who killed the Brown, but after a series of violent protest, the head of police released the officer’s name. If violence was not used during the protest it would not have received worldwide attention. Furthermore, the public would not have known the officer who killed Brown. Due to the amount of attention the Michael Brown’s case received and because of the amount of passion the protestors had and how they were willing to die to get their point across sparked attention. Requiring many people who were in the political spotlight to
The over-reactions of a peaceful protest in Ferguson, Missouri prompted the Black Lives Matter movement. The movement is a response to the over exertion of power by domestic police towards inoccent black citizens. According to (Jaccard 2014), today’s police respond to domestic violence calls and peaceful protests as if they were fighting in the battlefield. This has caused some controversy in black communities, where they feel that they are being targeted because of their race. The movement shines light on the now aggressive nature of our domestic police and how their behaviors threaten local
Millions of free citizens around the world have reported misconduct by law enforcement officers. In the United States alone, 8,800 officers have been reported as using excessive force when performing their job (Packman). One of the major causes of excessive use of force by the police is anxiety and rage brought on by low compensation. The police is a force that is meant to protect the people against threats, not to be a threat. Police are not compensated enough for the dangerous job they dedicate themselves to perform each day. The Federal Government should provide a safe environment to properly maintain a lawful country. When police do not perform their job correctly, the environment is not safe. Therefore, the Federal Government needs to increase the funding for the police force to ensure a better, more efficient police force and strive to eliminate police misconduct. Police forces in the United States should receive additional federal funding; the additional funds will create a better economy, build a safer environment, and prevent abuse of the system by police.
The turmoil and stability of an area are correlated with the crime incidents that take place. In most cases, the extent of such incidents is largely dependent on upon the law enforcement the police practice in that area. The Ferguson incident in 2014 is the best case to demonstrate how the police practice of law enforcement caused a tragedy, and it led to a heated discussion on whether there were police brutality and racial profiling. On August 9, 2014, an 18-year-old black man named Michael Brown was fatally shot by a 28-year-old white police officer named Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. When issues of crime and race emerge, the society comes into chaos. Points of view on the blame or blamelessness of Darren Wilson were profoundly separated;
By teaching police officers alternatives to shooting to kill, they experience higher risks with their lives. Police Commissioner, Ray Kelly, said, “It would be "very difficult" to train officers to shoot to wound” (Jacobo, 2016). Police officers are viewed as “predators” and “an occupying army” rather than allies (Valey, 2016). This is a perception that needs to change because it counteracts the mission of police officers
Protests around the world have taken place to fight for justice in the black community. The immense number of deaths of unarmed black men and women is a clear sign that they are more likely to be killed by police than white people. Physical violence and excessive use of force by the U.S. police towards African Americans are seen in the news regularly. “People, including police officers, hold strong implicit associations between blacks, and probably Hispanics, and weapons, crime and aggression," said Jack Glaser. Police brutality statistics show that African Americans are three times more likely to be murdered by cops than any other race. Racial disparity in the United States is a coherent reason for the increase of criminal injustice in the United
The movement BlackLivesMatter have outed hundreds unlawful officers and victims that never got the justice needed. The same characteristics (color and style) that emulates strong, noble people can backfire. Black people in this country who actively resist dehumanization makes a call to action and a response to anti-Black racism in our current society. (Cullors, 2015) The growth of the movement has moved country-wide, first starting in the south; the south had always had history of racism and anti-black impulses. This movement is continuing to carry up north and west, and is projected that any officer can be the next one to unlawfully kill another black individual. These immoral police officers are no different from the rest of the police force, their uniforms are no different color or style they do not have different titles, there is no distinction between the these two types of officers. African Americans are persuaded to be more cautious and angry towards police officers; anyone with a cop uniform can be considered a threat to their life. Innocent cops were murdered in retaliation to the unfair judicial systems that are not punishing these cops. Once a police-like uniform is worn it not only once symbolizes honor and power, but t too many communities
(Berlin, Michael M. "Encyclopedia of Community Policing and Problem Solving.") At the same time, aggressive patrol tactics adopted in response to rising crime and civil disobedience increased the likelihood of hostile confrontations between police and citizens and contributed to increasing complaints against the police (Berlin, Michael M. "Encyclopedia of Community Policing and Problem Solving.") The community policing literature strongly suggests that community policing could improve communication and trust between police and citizens, reverse the growing distance and isolation of the police from the public, and reduce citizen complaints of brutality and indifference (Berlin, Michael M. "Encyclopedia of Community Policing and Problem