How the Conversation About Our Police Force has Changed
The police are responsible for our well-being, our protection, controlling crime, and maintaining public order. These individuals are held to a high standard, however, as Voltaire said best, “With great power comes great responsibility.” The police force is generally well-respected and supported; however, recent police brutality cases have been causing an uproar, and the media heavily influences the image people have of the police. So, have U.S. citizens’ opinions on law enforcement changed over time? While a large population of Americans remain confident in the police and assume a positive image of the police, recent studies have shown a gradual decrease in our citizens’ confidence and …show more content…
Videos of law enforcement using excessive force on people in the past few years, whether it be justified or unjustified, have gone viral, provoking strong opinions from citizens around the nation about our police.
Police brutality cases and our perception towards police brutality as a whole has had a significant impact on the conversation regarding our law enforcement. The conversation has changed over the past few decades, beginning to lean in a more negative direction, as people are becoming increasingly concerned about police brutality now that the media is constantly reporting on it. According to numerous studies, American citizens’ confidence in police has reached an all time low: “Overall, 25% of Americans say they have a great deal of confidence in the police, 27% quite a lot, 30% ‘some,’ 16% ‘very little’ and 2% ‘none.’ The combined 18% who have very little or no confidence in police is the highest Gallup has measured to
The police are responsible for our well-being, our protection, controlling crime, and maintaining public order. These individuals are held to a high standard, however, as Voltaire said best, “With great power comes great responsibility.” The police force is generally well-respected and supported; however, recent police brutality cases have been causing an uproar, and the media heavily influences the image people have of the police. So, have U.S. citizens’ opinions on law enforcement changed over time? While a large population of Americans remain confident in the police and assume a positive image of the police, recent studies have shown a gradual decrease in our citizens’ confidence and …show more content…
Videos of law enforcement using excessive force on people in the past few years, whether it be justified or unjustified, have gone viral, provoking strong opinions from citizens around the nation about our police.
Police brutality cases and our perception towards police brutality as a whole has had a significant impact on the conversation regarding our law enforcement. The conversation has changed over the past few decades, beginning to lean in a more negative direction, as people are becoming increasingly concerned about police brutality now that the media is constantly reporting on it. According to numerous studies, American citizens’ confidence in police has reached an all time low: “Overall, 25% of Americans say they have a great deal of confidence in the police, 27% quite a lot, 30% ‘some,’ 16% ‘very little’ and 2% ‘none.’ The combined 18% who have very little or no confidence in police is the highest Gallup has measured to