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Unnecessary force by police
Police reform
The impact of American racism on
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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
There has been a need to oversee the unethical behaviors and misconduct from officers of the law by the civilian review board. According the Prenzler(2000), in the United Stated, the Knapp Commission in New York is recognized as one of the first inquiries to significantly break the cycle of reform and corruptions (p. 660). The civilian review boards were created as a response to the negative outcry of the citizens within the communities after questionable actions taken by police officers were conducted. According to (Ferdik et al., 2013), the backlash against citizen oversight by police unions, police officials, and the associations, including The International Associations of Chiefs of Police (IACP), continued to limit the viability of citizen review boards (p. 106). As a result, civilian review boards have set limitations and regulations to follow regarding unethical actions by law enforcement officers. Some boards hold investigation power, some hold subpoena powers, and others simply review finding of the internal affairs investigations. Condon(1995) stated, take a look at the people that are running the police departments now, you would notice to the person in charge in the internal affairs bureau came from within the department(Condon, 1995). This may be the answer as to why the civilian review board has been rejected within agencies; some
The historical mistreatment, and oppression of African Americans lives remains an indisputable fact in the history of the United States. The “Black Lives Matter” activist movement focuses on the death of African American lives in the hands of police. The movement raises awareness for police brutality and injustices minorities receive in the United States. The movement calls for an end to Mass Incarceration, Police Brutality, Racial Profiling, and police militarization immediately. To begin my research I looked into the “Black Lives Matter” movement on various news sources. I then conducted research using academic databases, such as Opposing viewpoints in context. Lastly, I collected statistics from various reliable encyclopedias. The sources allowed me to narrow my subject and develop a good response. Minorities are discriminated by law enforcement, and the research will prove this.
On March 3, 1991, Los Angeles police officers attempted to stop a white sedan traveling at a high rate of speed through Lake View Terrace, a residential neighborhood in northern Los Angeles. After a short pursuit, King was ordered out of his vehicle at gunpoint. King refused to comply and became belligerent and uncooperative. The use of open-hand controls, pepper spray and tasers were ineffective, as King continued to assault officers while resisting arrest. More LAPD officers arrived and King was finally subdued with the use of nightsticks. Investigation later revealed King was under the influence of a combination of PCP and cocaine.
In order to diminish police brutality, excessive force, and prejudice behaviors in the police officers, several actions must be set in motion. The police hiring process, training, in-field monitoring, and disciplinary actions must be adjusted to eliminate discriminatory actions against citizens. Likewise, it is a necessity for citizens to be informed of their rights, civil liberties, and how they can resolve corruption within the justice system. These actions seek to shrink the number of minorities who are racial profiled and brutalized by police officers. A more stringent hiring process, it will help curtail unethical and unprofessional police officers. Police training must be altered so that situations are handled safely and impartial. In-field monitoring with eliminate police officers from managing to catch police officers who brutality handle citizens. Disciplinary actions help to prosecute police officers to break the law. Lastly, if citizen are informed of what they should about corrupt police officers and a poor justice systems.
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...
In the play Twelve Angry Men, a boy is on trial for supposedly murdering his father after a night of arguing. Rodney King, twenty-five, was beaten by four caucasian Los Angeles Police Department officers on March 3, 1991 (CNN Wire 1). On this day, King was pulled over for exceeding the speed limit while intoxicated (Kaplan 1). The jury of both of these cases played a major role in the verdict of each case. In the play Twelve Angry Men, the twelve men that make up the jury are faced with a difficult decision to make; deciding whether or not a nineteen year old boy was guilty of murder. Fast forwarding forty-three years later, twelve jurors were given the Rodney King case in which they had to decide the fate of the four Los Angeles officers that brutally beat Rodney King, an African-American citizen. Being a member of the jury on the Rodney King case must have been a difficult task given the evidence surrounding the trial.
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
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
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.
Police misconduct is as rampant as ever in America, and it has become a fixture of the news cycle. Police brutality is the use of any force exceeding that reasonably necessary to accomplish a lawful police purpose. The media is inevitably drawn toward tales of conflict, hence why there are so many crime and police stories on the news. Despite the increasing frequency of misbehaving cops, many Americans still maintain a high respect for the man in uniform. Still, police misconduct is a systemic problem, not just an anecdotal one. Here are some reasons why it is a problem. First, many departments do not provide adequate training in nonviolent solutions. With this, police are unfamiliar with what to
Police reform should start by giving proper training to the new recruits and veterans in the force. During their training, “Law enforcement agencies should adopt and enforce policies prohibiting discrimination based on race, ethnicity immigration status, etc.” (Cops, p.90). It is apparent
When one thinks of police misconduct many not too distant stories might go through our heads. Most adults will remember how they felt when they saw the brutal beating of Rodney King on their local news station; or the outrage they experienced when they heard that the evidence in the OJ Simpson trial had been tampered with. But thanks to new guidelines, procedures and even civilian groups who now “police” the police, instances of police misconduct may soon start seeing a decline.
Civilian review boards have become an essential in many states dealing with an indecent use of police force. A civilian review board consists of people that are appointed to special boards to review the task of the police deciding whether to incriminate them or withdraw any/ all consequences. The first review board was established in 1950 when 18 organizations created the “Permanent Coordination Committee on Police and Minority Groups” to regulate the police brutality amongst Hispanics and African-American (CRCB History). Three years later New York City took action and created what we know as a Civilian Review Board, however it consisted of three deputy police commissioners that investigated resident complaints. In 1965 Mayor John Lindsay
Stated by John Ramsey, “As I was walking through the basement, I opened the door to a room, and knew immediately that I’d found her because there was a white blanket- her eyes were closed, I feared the worse but yet- I’d found her” (Bardesley, and Bellamy). On December 26, 1996, one of the most famous, unsolved murders took place in Boulder, Colorado (Christopher). The murder caused many events including accusations, interrogations, false claims, and examining of evidence. The case also caused the Ramsey family to go through a hard time. The murder of JonBenet Ramsey was very shocking and caused a huge investigation that is yet unsolved.
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