Ways To Reduce Police Brutality
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8 Pages
How, Why, and How to Reduce it Police brutality is a growing problem in the United States, and it needs to be stopped. According to Chaney and Robertson (2013) “there were 5,986 reports of misconduct, 382 fatalities linked to misconduct (p. 485). Racism is the main reason behind police brutality, and this is causing concerns in many Americans. These concerns are valid because as Pierce (1986) states, many people who were victims of police brutality claimed that there was a racial factor involved (p. 52). Carter and Corra (2016) state that racial resentment determines how people look at the use of force by police (p. 501). The news media is reporting on cases of police brutality without all the facts and many times, they take the incident
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113). Police officers need to know they are safe before they can do their job and keep other people safe. Police brutality in the United States is a serious problem that in many cases is linked to racism; however, there are ways to reduce police brutality in America.
Incidents of police brutality involving racism Three cases of police brutality that involved racism include Rodney King, Eric Garner, and Michael Brown. All three of these cases got covered by the news media at large. Rodney King, African American, was brutally beaten by white police officers in Los Angeles, California in 1991. King survived the beating but was severely hurt and injured. King was not completely innocent, because before the brutality took place, he was involved in a high-speed car chase from the police. The fact that he ran from police does not give them any justification at all for the brutality that ensued. Unfortunately, none of the police officers involved were indicted but were sadly all acquitted. Eric Garner, African-American, was killed by white police …show more content…
Tasers are devices that deliver an electrical shock to a person to incapacitate that person. They are an excellent alternative to using deadly force and even any other types of non-lethal force. Smith (2005) states that “[t]he idea of a Taser is to incapacitate someone as harmlessly as we can” (p. 141). The use of the Taser is not only non-lethal but is “as non-violent as you can be and yet incapacitate someone and bring a violent situation under control” (Smith, 2005, p. 141) In addition to Tasers being the best non-lethal method of subduing a person, but “these devices save lives” (Smith, 2005, p. 142). Smith (2005) mentions cases in which using a Taser saved the suspect’s life, because deadly force was used, but also Tasers save the police officers’ lives because they can incapacitate a person with a Taser (pp. 142-143). The negative aspects of Tasers are that they can be abused, or overused by police officers and that deaths can result from the use or abuse of a Taser (Amnesty International, 2004, pp. 135 & 137). Even with Tasers, which have been around for a long time, there are negative aspects of
113). Police officers need to know they are safe before they can do their job and keep other people safe. Police brutality in the United States is a serious problem that in many cases is linked to racism; however, there are ways to reduce police brutality in America.
Incidents of police brutality involving racism Three cases of police brutality that involved racism include Rodney King, Eric Garner, and Michael Brown. All three of these cases got covered by the news media at large. Rodney King, African American, was brutally beaten by white police officers in Los Angeles, California in 1991. King survived the beating but was severely hurt and injured. King was not completely innocent, because before the brutality took place, he was involved in a high-speed car chase from the police. The fact that he ran from police does not give them any justification at all for the brutality that ensued. Unfortunately, none of the police officers involved were indicted but were sadly all acquitted. Eric Garner, African-American, was killed by white police …show more content…
Tasers are devices that deliver an electrical shock to a person to incapacitate that person. They are an excellent alternative to using deadly force and even any other types of non-lethal force. Smith (2005) states that “[t]he idea of a Taser is to incapacitate someone as harmlessly as we can” (p. 141). The use of the Taser is not only non-lethal but is “as non-violent as you can be and yet incapacitate someone and bring a violent situation under control” (Smith, 2005, p. 141) In addition to Tasers being the best non-lethal method of subduing a person, but “these devices save lives” (Smith, 2005, p. 142). Smith (2005) mentions cases in which using a Taser saved the suspect’s life, because deadly force was used, but also Tasers save the police officers’ lives because they can incapacitate a person with a Taser (pp. 142-143). The negative aspects of Tasers are that they can be abused, or overused by police officers and that deaths can result from the use or abuse of a Taser (Amnesty International, 2004, pp. 135 & 137). Even with Tasers, which have been around for a long time, there are negative aspects of