Police Brutality and Excessive Use of Force Essay Example

causes of misconduct in policing describes it as "a simplistic explanation that allows the organization and senior management to attribute corruption to individuals and their behavioral, psychological, and background faults, rather than addressing systemic factors."

The report examines the contributing factors to systemic problems in policing, including conforming to aspects of "police culture" like the Blue Code of Silence and distrust towards outsiders. It emphasizes the impact of command and control structures with a rigid hierarchy, as well as deficiencies in internal accountability mechanisms. To regulate force, many jurisdictions have implemented a use of force continuum that outlines appropriate levels based on behavior. This power is granted by civil government and constrained by statutory and common law. However, it's crucial to recognize that even when force is lawful, it can still be excessive, especially during instances of political repression.

Police brutality, which is the use of violence by the police to achieve political goals, contradicts societal values and cultural norms that advocate against any use of violence unless it is justified. Regrettably, this form of misconduct has become frequent in our everyday lives. The issue at hand pertains to determining the acceptable extent of force and identifying situations where its use can be justified. Present-day law enforcement carries batons and guns as a means to employ force when necessary; nevertheless, accusations of brutality should not automatically imply guilt.

Society expects the police to proactively identify and prevent criminal activity. If necessary, they should apprehend and imprison those responsible. While official rules state that police should only use necessary force to apprehend suspects, there is an unwritten expectation to "teach them a lesson," resulting in

incidents of brutality. Law enforcement agencies nationwide are currently facing criticism for their excessive use of force and issues related to police brutality, which occur during violent encounters. Despite widespread fear of crime, juries often sympathize with the challenging and protective nature of police work, making it difficult to convict an officer.