Action must be taken against police brutality in America as it is claiming the lives of many innocent victims, dividing the country, and provoking a negative response from society. Not only is it such a huge problem, but it is one that should theoretically be avoidable altogether. Why is it that we saw nearly 1,000 people die from police encounters in 2015 alone in the United States, yet a country like Norway has not seen a death from a police encounter since 2006? Yet, this is not a problem that one man, or some sort of law-making body can really solve, this problem, is one that needs to be addressed by society as a whole. Currently, it seems to garner little attention for reform yet it should be a high priority. People should not have to
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“Over in the U.S., the situation is entirely different and people drawing a comparison perhaps fail to realize that American cops have to deal with a whole different brand of criminal, while a drunken lout is probably the worst kind of offender in Norway” (Ehteram). According to one writer, comparing the United States and Norway would be completely unfair. Norway 's normal biggest threats are people with some aggressive behavior and the sort. Compared to America, this is a huge step down. “The U.S. police, on the other hand, have to deal with murderers, gangsters and drug dealers. Therefore, it is imperative to immediately arrest anyone behaving drunk and aggressive because that person could well be armed. The rise in police brutality across the United States cannot be denied; but its force cannot be compared to a country like Norway. It’s simply unfair. ” (Ehteram). While I very much agree that it would be unfair to compare the two countries in terms of crime, I also believe it is unfair to say that changing the policing system in the United States might not make a change for the better. “Much of the blame should also go to the U.S. ' decentralized law enforcement system, which leaves many state and local police agencies to set their own standards on when officers can fire and why. A recent Amnesty International survey found every single state (and Washington, D.C.) fails to meet international standards for use of lethal force. When U.S. Police kill more people over the course of a single weekend than many countries manage to in more than a decade, it 's high time to examine what those countries are doing right. Lives are on the line” (McKay). As the country sits by and does nothing to change, the situation will only continue to repeat itself. Riots will occur, innocent will die, and
“Over in the U.S., the situation is entirely different and people drawing a comparison perhaps fail to realize that American cops have to deal with a whole different brand of criminal, while a drunken lout is probably the worst kind of offender in Norway” (Ehteram). According to one writer, comparing the United States and Norway would be completely unfair. Norway 's normal biggest threats are people with some aggressive behavior and the sort. Compared to America, this is a huge step down. “The U.S. police, on the other hand, have to deal with murderers, gangsters and drug dealers. Therefore, it is imperative to immediately arrest anyone behaving drunk and aggressive because that person could well be armed. The rise in police brutality across the United States cannot be denied; but its force cannot be compared to a country like Norway. It’s simply unfair. ” (Ehteram). While I very much agree that it would be unfair to compare the two countries in terms of crime, I also believe it is unfair to say that changing the policing system in the United States might not make a change for the better. “Much of the blame should also go to the U.S. ' decentralized law enforcement system, which leaves many state and local police agencies to set their own standards on when officers can fire and why. A recent Amnesty International survey found every single state (and Washington, D.C.) fails to meet international standards for use of lethal force. When U.S. Police kill more people over the course of a single weekend than many countries manage to in more than a decade, it 's high time to examine what those countries are doing right. Lives are on the line” (McKay). As the country sits by and does nothing to change, the situation will only continue to repeat itself. Riots will occur, innocent will die, and