Effects of Police Brutality There has always been times where police officers and other authority figures have been accused of abusing their power. In the past three or four years, it seems that it has become more common that police have been at fault for killing or injuring people of various ages when attempting to detain them. Police brutality has a negative affect on all lives directly or indirectly through racial profiling, protests, and media. Being part of a minority group, one is subject to racial profiling which is when someone creates a stereotype of the person because of his or her race, ethnicity, or religion. The “evidence shows that racial minorities are systematically victimized, without cause, in public, when driving, at work, …show more content…
The civilians are worried about what they have done wrong or if they have done anything at all; therefore, they are on edge and could very easily become very defensive toward the officer which would make the officer worry more. When the officer is approaching a vehicle, a single person or a group of people, he or she will be assessing the situation. Is the the person armed, is he or she hiding anything, is anyone hiding in the car or behind an object to where he or she could injure me? are all questions that an officer could be thinking of when entering a situation. Have two people who are on edge, jumpy, and have many thoughts going through their head can result in misjudgment, quick actions, and poor decisions. The amount of incidents “4,778 alleged victims; 258 fatalities” have sparked people’s attention to how common violent meetings with the police are (Lendman 3). With that many victims and fatalities, anyone who is pulled over will be hoping that they do not become part of the statistic. The feeling one will have toward an police officer will be negative and defensive. Being on guard at all times and knowing how police can react, that mindset and and preconception of all police are bad can put a person in a seriously dangerous situation. When the stories go public the people have opinions, and like to express …show more content…
The likelihood of a social media user to not hearing, or reading anything on a trending topic especially one involving police brutality is very uncommon. After the death of Michael Brown on August 9, 2014, “over 3.6 million post appeared on twitter documenting and reflecting on the emerging details of Michael Brown’s death,”(Bonilla and Rosa 1). Anyone who reads of an incident such as this, will not have a good feeling about what is happening no matter who the person is. If 3.6 million people have given their opinion or given information about the incident, it must have some meaning to those 3.6 million people. Out of all of the tweets made with the hashtag “#Ferguson”some would be about the actual event, people’s opinion, or just a general statement with the hashtag added to the end (Bonilla and Rosa 5). With all of the statements made, one would find a few that are not very accurate or appropriate for the situation, but with all of the opinions in 3.6 million tweets, someone in that huge number of people will have an idea that they chose to share and makes an impact on the ones who read it. That opinion can generate many thoughts from the many readers that can be positive or negative. Other very popular hashtags such as; #HandsUpDontShoot, #hoodiesUp,
Racial Profiling The targeting of a certain group of people based on stereotypes of their race is called racial profiling. Many times this method is used by police, and other law enforcement agencies in order to prevent terrorism before it happens. They are influenced by the same things that we are, and they see things the same way we do.
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.
Because the justice system isn’t always in favor of the innocent, people have started to stand up for their rights. Whether it is by protesting or even showing their support on social media, this nation’s youth is standing up to these injustices and demanding their rights back. They are a community standing together against injustice. Social media has paved a way that allows today’s youth to connect and collaborate in order to achieve this. They come together through art, music, literature, protests, etc. to illustrate their support. Social media allows the entire world to see what is really happening. Instead of being fed information by the media, they are able to hear and listen to the people who have been silenced. They are able to share experiences with one another, which results in the community available today
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 don’t provide adequate training in nonviolent solutions. With this, police are unfamiliar with what to do in a non-violent situation, often resorting
Racial profiling or stereotyping could diminish how a certain race is viewed. Racial discrimination can be a result of racial profiling and stereotypes in our present culture. Today, racial discrimination is used to approach citizens assumed to be criminals. This is called racial profiling. Although some argue that racial profiling is a necessary tool for law enforcement to protect our safety, it puts some people at a disadvantage while it privileges others.
Research Paper Rough Draft: Police Brutality 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.
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.
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.
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.
Holmes, Malcolm D. "Minority threat and police brutality: Determinants of civil rights criminal complaints in US municipalities." Criminology 38.2 (2000): 343-368.
Over the course of the past few years, officers have been using extreme actions when it is not needed. Everyone knows that police work can get dangerous at times. But sometimes the police are put in addictions were extreme measures are not useful. Because these actions take place, Police brutality should be addressed. Police brutality continues to be a major concern in society.
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 officers primary responsibility is to protect and serve citizens and communities, not to abuse the laws by hurting innocent people. In most states Stand-Your-Ground laws allows innocent citizens the right to use deadly force to defend and protect themselves. But what if they were protecting themselves from police brutality. Police brutality has been going on for many years; they can cause riots, injuries, and even mistrust for the police.
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. The most noticeable form of brutality is physical, where Chemical gas, batons, tasers, and guns, can be used for physical intimidation or to actually hurt people. Police brutality can also take the form of verbal abuse or psychological intimidation. It seems reasonable to understand that sometimes the police are put into situations where excessive force may be needed. But, because some officers use these extreme actions in situations when it is not, police brutality should be addressed and looked into by both the police and the public. For instance, a police officer who beats a nonviolent protester with a baton would probably be accused of excessive use of force, under the argument that the police officer probably could have dealt with the situation less violently.