The police force
Abstract
The police force is one of the agents of law enforcement in a country. They work closely with the judicial systems of a country to ensure they bring back order into a country and maintain peace. They do so through the making of arrests and presenting criminals in court for trials. They are then the ones who jail them and ensure the criminals serve their sentences in atoning for their crimes. Like any other profession, the police force also faces challenges in their work. They have problems that affect them directly, changing how they deliver their job and enforce the law. Some of the issues affecting them include poor housing and low remunerations that leave them working in sorry states trying to administer their duties. However, the government addressed their problems, and the complaints died down. Other issues affect the way the police deliver their responsibilities. The problems include the constant use of Force by the Police in doing their job that has greatly influenced the dispensation of their duties. The act has not stopped as it has worsened the cases against racism. The reason is that most of the people affected are blacks. The police department formulated policies that will reduce the claims against the excessive use of force. The strategies include the use-of-force where the police should observe the sanctity of life always, the de-escalation principle, and formulation of codes that determine the reasonability of an officer’s actions.
Keywords: Excessive use of force, police brutality, use-of-force policy, de-escalation principle
Police and Law Enforcement
The police force is an integral department as far as law enforcement of a country’s system of governing is concerned. They are tasked with the work of ensuring that the public follows and obeys the rules and laws that govern the land. They are therefore expected to be keen and always ready to enforce the law whenever duty calls. In the dispensation of their duties, police officers face challenges that affect them and their service delivery. Most of the time, the problems have been addressed and solutions provided. However, there are challenges that not necessarily influence the police force directly but their delivery of service. These challenges make them fail to deliver the best of what is required of them as mandated in their terms of the contract and the law. Consequently, they lose respect and trust of the public whom they are supposed to take care of and protect. From this, the most glaring one is the constant use of force to administer their duties as far as law enforcement is concerned. There are complaints from the public who cry and report of police force using a lot of unnecessary force when they are doing their job (Police Executive Research Forum, 2015). The public claims include the use of force in arresting suspects even when they have surrendered before the police officers. Some police officers go ahead and harm unarmed civilians unprovoked when the law clearly states that a suspect is innocent until proven guilty. The acts instill feelings of hopelessness in the public who cannot trust the police officers again. They are driven to living in fear of their lives, always wondering what might happen next should they be found in such situations. The paragraphs below explain further on the issue of the use of force by the police unit on duty, the effects of their actions, and how to curb the menace.
Excessive use of Force by the Police
Excessive use of force by the police can be defined in several ways and spans a wide range of actions done by the police to the public. For instance, a group of teens driving around in the family vehicle and obeying the law as far as they are concerned is asked by the police who they meet on the way to stop. On alighting the car as per the orders of the police, they are taken roughly, thrown against the metal of the car, and searched. The police then let them go without writing up a search warrant or why they did it. That is the best-case explanation of the excessive use of force. Excessive use of force is defined as the use of force that exceeds the necessary force needed for one to afford compliance and be in control. It may be physical or even verbal or just intimidation.
The police force in the U.S. is allowed to use any force necessary to gain control of any situation that presents itself to them. The idea and logic behind the provision are for them to use the lowest force possible to get control of the situation and compliance. They are all encouraged to follow and adhere to the fundamental force of continuum. The procedure is verbal commands, physical restraint that then moves to less-than-lethal force to the use of deadly force. The training that police officers undergo demands that they should begin with the level of force, which is slightly above the situation they are trying to prevent. For instance, a police officer may come across an intoxicated man walking down the street. The man, at this point, offers no resistance and can easily be told to do whatever the police officer demands following the law. Through the use of the verbal command, the man will obey because he is in the wrong and with no intention and will to resist the authority.
Excessive use of force on African Americans and other Minority
The use of force by police officers was witnessed and continues to be seen in police officers in the United States of America. The police department has been accused of using force when handling African Americans who are suspected of robbery or theft. The suspects are not given opportunities to defend themselves in such instances because of their skin color. The police officers treat them with contempt and hate and see them as non-citizens. The same applies to those who are in the country because of educational purposes. The police handle them as suspects anytime they are seen roaming the streets, and they are fast to use force on them whenever a security issue occurs. The habit goes on despite the constant calls by human rights agencies to stop the racism acts as they lead to no good (Worden, 2015). However, some of the non-black people are also subjected to the same treatment as the black people, where excessive force and brutality is applied when the police officers are effecting an arrest. The cases affecting whites are not as much as compared to claims related to the black people community who are the minority. That explains the global calls and cries of racism in a new dimension.
Death of Suspects Under Police Custody
Another dimension of the use of excessive force by the police is when they are transporting a suspect, and later on, the suspect dies while in their custody. When a criminal is arrested before being taken to prison, they remain in the police custody until sufficient evidence is collected to arraign them in court. Criminals may also be detained in police custody after the trial when the judge feels that the evidence presented is not enough and thus needs more proof. Some of these criminals have died in the most difficult, unexplainable circumstances, and the police’s watch. The cases continue to pile up where criminals are found to be dead while in police custody. All the instances and evidence have pointed to the mistreatment that these criminals are subjected to by the police. That points out to the excessive use of force by the police even though the criminals are not in a position to resist any directive by the officers.
Indiscriminate Shooting at Crowds on the Streets
Other cases that are closely related to the racism issue and the use of excessive force by the police include instances of street shootings at black people. Some rogue police officers proceed to aim and shoot at people who appear peaceful just because they are near the scene of the crime. Such scenarios should be handled with the professionalism that is demanded and expected of the police service. They are supposed first to inspect the scene of the crime before they start assuming everyone around is a suspect (Hoggett & Stott, 2010). Nevertheless, they automatically assume that the group of people is guilty and should be dealt with roughly. There are also instances where police were used to settle political scores with other people. For example, when police are deployed to curb a demonstrating group of people who are fighting for their rights or for their voices to be heard. Most of the time, people would take to the streets to demonstrate their dislike for a particular elect of a legislative seat, managerial position, some mistreatment at their places of work, or that they are given better working conditions. Police troupes have been seen to use excessive force, which has led to the deaths of many people. The number of death from such instances are always raised a public outcry, although the police appear not to care.
Even with the continued cries and calls for the police to stop their constant use of force towards the civilians, there is very little accountability from the police towards taking action. There seems to be little accountability in the police force. Very few police officers are brought to book after their violation of human rights because of their excessive force. The accountability is even harder as the people who raise such cases are also accused of resisting arrest, assault, and even defamation by the police officers in question. The charges thus become conflicting as most police officers have the backup from the laws of the land that somehow give them the warrant to use the force they used. Police use a lot of force, especially with psychiatric criminals, and they go scotfree. The habit has found its way to the modern world, and the police continue to enjoy immunity from the law against the claims leveled against them on using excessive force.
Effects of Police Brutality
A disgrace to the Human Race and Rights
Consequently, from the excessive use of force by the police on the minority groups in the U.S., like the African Americans, there have been worldwide concerns over the same. World agencies have risen to condemn the actions of the police using excessive force on the minority like that and that they need to change (Ariel, et al., 2016). The acts of the police go against human rights and freedom according to the human rights bodies all over the world. The acts also create tension between people of different races who can no longer continue living harmoniously with each other as they fear for their lives. The minority groups are thus left to being stigmatized and living in constant fear that they might face the wrath of the law enforcers anytime. The students become so affected that their academics may be changed in the process. Some of the students end up going back home without accomplishing their dreams, which was a continuation of higher learning.
A research done by Jones showed that African American boys are aware that law enforcement practices are focused on them. The research also showed that there were frequent body searches where there was heavy policing showing that it was a frequent occurrence for people to die in that neighborhood. The study showed that since African Americans have been subjected and know how the police operate in their localities, they have accustomed themselves to behave as suspects when they go in their late teens. As mentioned above, the searches for the Black American bodies are degrading to the dignity of the blacks as it means that the organization is state properties. It erodes the trust that the public had on the police, and they prefer not to encounter them too.
Affects the Growth Circle and Mental Health of the People affected.
Aggressive policing has also been found to affect the health state of individuals affected. Children were found with signs of fear, victimization, low self-esteem, threat, and low self-efficacy, which cumulatively could lead to anger, depression, and anger tendencies. Men who have experienced police brutality were also found to exude behaviors of violence even at their homes while some found themselves indulging in street violence. The people become hopeless of their beings and decide to risk it all through the indulgence in the violence in the streets. The acts of street violence violate the principles of the communities and put their security in jeopardy. Studies were done to determine the rate of historical development and the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis and discovered that there were many similarities between people who had been in War and those who had experienced police brutality. The research showed that youth from violent neighborhoods suffered PTSD just like war survivors. The study was instrumental in informing of the effects of police brutality on the youth, even though not directly but to their health.
Rebellion and loss of Faith among Electorates
In the case of demonstrations, the affected people lose their faith in their leaders and their systems too. The disillusionment is a result of authorities demonstrating their unwillingness and inability to deal with their problems and providing the solutions. The hate and the mistrust grow eventually, and the police cannot control the crowds anymore. The distrust and the growth of the suspicion make it hard for the authority to implement something, as they will not get the support they need from the masses. It is from the concerns discussed above that the police force decided to formulate policies and measures to curb the menace of excessive use of force. Peaceful mitigation becomes hard as the authority using force demonstrates their inability to display empathy and care for their subjects.
Remedies to Curb Police Brutality
Observing the Sanctity of Life at all Times
Firstly, police forces decided to implement use-of-force policies by observing the sanctity that comes with life. Police forces adopted the mantra that “the department respects the value of every human life and the application of deadly force is a measure to be employed in the extreme of circumstances”(Smith, et al., p. 2, 2009). The policy demands that they always observe and should preserve the life of the fellow people around them no matter the circumstance that the situation presents itself. The police should ensure they follow the principle, which will prevent the use of near-lethal and lethal force on suspects. Through using this approach, the police force will be able to minimize its use of force to its citizens and be able to preserve the sanctity of life. The police should thus maintain their calm and perform their arrests or actions in the required manner, which is free from force that might cause harm to the suspects. A suspect should be treated as innocent unless proven guilty by the law.
The De-Escalation Principle
Police departments should also employ the de-escalation principle. The de-escalation principle is where the police officers control an otherwise high-tension situation into a regular issue, which can be resolved more quickly. Situations that need and warrant the use of the de-escalation principle and behavior involves when dealing with the mentally challenged people or those with related conditions that cause them not to think straight. They instead think erratically, dangerously, or unpredictably. Police should approach them with a plan on how to lower the tenseness of the situation first before they can engage. The inability to physically challenged people may make them slow to respond or do the exact opposite of what they are directed to do. It is the duty of the officer to discern the situation and bring order through establishing command and know how to do it. The above mentioned may lack the ability to perceive and react to the orders given by the police officer. Some even become violent in their actions, and that is why the police need to know how to calm the situation down. It is thus important that the officers learn this important technique and invoke them whenever the situation arises (Walker, et al., 2006). The principle also emphasizes the use of the least amount of force to resolve conflict and affect law enforcement action.
Determination of the Reasonability of the Police Officer’s Actions
There are other policies that have been implemented by the court which determine the reasonability of the officer at the scene. The department of police has hence provided ways to determine if the officer at sight reacted and used a lot of force in the situation. They evaluate the rigorousness of the case, if the suspect presented a threat to the security of the officer and others and whether they were resisting active arrest or tried to evade the capture by running away. There is also a question of the acts by asking whether the police had to use absolute force in the encounter or could have employed other means to effect the arrest (Terrill & Reisig, 2003). The departments also have affected the evaluation of the actions of the officer from the first encounter with the suspect to the point where the deadly force was applied. The reasonability and the rationality of the police officer’s acts during the encounter will determine whether they are justified to use the amount of force they used. The above are measures to ensure that the officer used deadly force when it was reasonable enough and that they did not act prematurely.
The use of excessive force by the police is a challenge that they face in dispensing their duties. Police use excessive force on the black community whenever they are found in crime scenes or appear to be suspects. They also use a lot of force when dealing with demonstrations ending up killing some people in the process. Some of the international students have also been affected. Police brutality has also increased bad blood and hate among the different races because of their acts, which enhance racism. The police administration, therefore, decided to formulate policies that will reduce police brutality. The policies include the use-of-force where the police should observe the sanctity of life always, the de-escalation principle, and the establishment codes and rules to determine the reasonability of the police actions at the scene.
Conclusion
In summary, the police force needs to work on the problems affecting them as a department and ensure they deliver the best as mandated by the different arms of government. From the paragraphs in the paper Police and Law Enforcement, it is clear that many people have faced the wrath of police brutality for long. Some of the people who have been constant victims include African Americans, both of who were born in the country and those who acquired citizenship. They are meted with the cruelty of the police officers when they are found on the wrong side of the law. Some of them end up losing their lives in the process as the police do not grant them an opportunity to a fair trial. The actions have been witnessed in the street shootings of black people whose main crime was coming across the law enforcers in the night. Police also use their cruelty on demonstrators whose only aim is to propagate voices so that they can be heard. To that effect, the police department needs to formulate policies that will minimize the use of force to innocent and unsuspecting citizens or rather suspects. Some of the policies include the observation of the sanctity of life and the importance of protecting it always. The other ones include the de-escalating principle where law enforcers learn the art of calming a rather high tension situation into a simpler one, which can be solved more quickly. The principle is to be used on people with mental problems as they may find it hard to perceive what the police officers are saying. If the police force is able to implement the policies named above, then the issue of police brutality and use of excessive force will die out completely.
References
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