...Grounded theory analysis of the data revealed that individuals perceive members of law enforcement in the following ways: (a) contempt for law enforcement, (b) suspicion of law enforcement, (c) law enforcement as agents of brutality, and (d) respect for law enforcement. The "suspicion of law enforcement" theme is words and/or phrases related to thoughts, feelings, or beliefs that members of law enforcement directly or indirectly engage in police brutality and/or condone the brutal actions of other members of law enforcement. The "law enforcement as agents of brutality" theme was related to words and/or phrases related to members of law enforcement directly or indirectly witnessing acts of brutality perpetrated by one or more members of law enforcement against citizens....
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...Members of the police force are government officials who enforce the laws and maintain order. They are engaged in a dangerous and stressful occupation that can involve violent situations that must be controlled. In many of these confrontations with the public it may become necessary for the police to administer force to take control of a situation. Sometimes this force takes the form of hand-to-hand combat with a suspect who resists being arrested. The police do have strict guidelines to follow when using force. Force should be used in only the minimum amount needed to achieve a legitimate purpose. The New York Police Department has these five stages set through which the use of force can progress. 1) verbal persuasion, 2) unarmed physical force, 3) force using non-lethal weapons, 4) force using impact weapons, 5) deadly force (AIUSAPolice Brutality 1999:2). They also have many tools at their disposal when the need for using force arises. These include the police baton, mace, tasers, handcuffs, police dogs, and firearms. An officer of the law can be properly trained to administer the law in an unbiased way that will not violate a citizen’s rights, however, this is not happening across the United States. According to a recent Amnesty International study, there are thousands of reports each year of assault and ill treatment against officers who use excessive force and violate the human rights of their victims (AIUSA Rights 1999:1). Police officers are injuring and even killing...
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...Unethical Police Lauren Siebert CJA/214 April 16, 2013 Richard Banahan Police corruption and misconduct is an issue that is very close to home for me. I am experiencing the outcome as I sit here today. Whether people want to hear it or not, police corruption does exist, it has for a long time and probably will for another long time. During the course of this paper I will talk about police corruption, misconduct, and brutality, present two cases in which these acts took place, describe the details of the case and their outcomes and address my feelings on that outcome. As of right now, I am living one of the worst nightmares that anyone could imagine. My family is personally going through a case of police misconduct and corruption. My brother- in- law was 18 years old when he passed away on November 22, 2011. His mother sold him three fentanyl patches in which he chewed all at once and overdosed. Our family knew right away that she was responsible for his death but know we just had to prove it. We gathered every bit of evidence that we could, text messages between the two of them blatantly discussing the sale and purchase of the drugs, eye witness testimony from his friends that witnessed the sale, a video of him stating that he had bought drugs from his mother and her sister, the wrappers from the patches that have a DEA number on them that can be traced through the pharmacy right back to her, and a death certificate stating cause of death as fentanyl...
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...exposed, self-made woman, I can doubtlessly say I am a feminist in its original definition: a person who believes “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” (Merriam-Webster) When I started blogging about social justice, there were many facets of feminism that were problematic. Firstly, a large population of misandrists, shrouded by their self-declared feminism, created a reputation which alienated potential feminists, marginalizing them, forcing them to redefine their points of view. Moreover, creating a mirage that feminists seemed callous to intersectionality and inclusion. Consequentially, whilst applying a twisted version of the same rationale as misogynists, shaming white cisgender straight men, misandrists actions’ fed fuel to the anti-feminist movement claiming feminists were nursing reverse racism,...
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...Police Misconduct/ Corruption Over that past 50 years the media has done a spectacular job of broadcasting police misconduct and corruption to the public. Unfortunately, in the past 25 years the detection of misconduct and corruption has skyrocketed because of the rapid development of technology; for example dash cams and microphones have been notoriously known for catch police misconduct. Police officers are trained to follow certain ethical protocols, but after they leave the academy some officers diverge from that ethical line. This is for a variety of reasons; some being cynicism, arrogance, financial necessity, and even fear. The term corruption and misconduct has always been part of the police culture since the very beginning; from...
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...Police Brutality BCOM/275 20 April 2015 Police Brutality The issue with police officers being extreme when dealing with alleged offender, has been widely discussed as of late. With the training the officers receive, they are expected to be prepared to handle situations with precaution, and to be aware of the safety of themselves, the public, and the offender when attempting potential arrests. Somehow, there has been an obvious breakdown in some our police departments around the nation, and with all the media outlets, it’s been widely publicized and scrutinized by the citizens of these communities. The trust and confidence has been lost somewhat in the “Boys in blue”, leaving us to wondering, are the right men and woman selected for the job, or has the stresses of the job gone unattended? Excessive force The use of excessive force has been a very controversial discussion for some time now. When is the authorization of excessive force authorized? Is it a necessary form of policing when dealing with offenders? Police officers are authorized to use force in the commission of an arrest, serving a warrant, or detaining a prisoner. In the Rodney King case 1991 in Los Angeles California, he was pulled over after a high speed chase. Pulled from his care by officers, and brutally beaten by several officers. Understanding the...
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...The People vs The Police: Building the Trust In Franklin Foer’s “How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization,” Foer describes a division between pro-soccer Americans and anti-soccer Americans. In Kwame Anthony Appiah’s “Moral Disagreement,” Appiah examines the ways that different cultural groups perceive themselves as opposed to others. In today’s society, these different cultural groups we all belong to, tend to see themselves in terms of an “us versus them” mentality. Overcoming or at least understanding the differences we share with opposing cultural groups is crucial for the sake of peaceful human interaction and existence. Since the beginning of history, the public's attitude towards police has been mostly negative. Due to failed community policing attempts, the misuse of police authority, and the media negatively influencing both cultural groups painting a lousy picture on both spectrums, this has been a constant battle worldwide. Through effective neighborhood policing and learning to trust the police, America could be a sharpened more secure place to live. First, because of failed community policing attempts in America, there has been a constant battle for the people and the police to view each other as equals and overcome the differences we share. Community policing is the newest terminology for law enforcement. It is a federally funded initiative built on the premise that everyone should be working together to reduce the fear of crime. The major...
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...Law enforcement in the nation is a state’s responsibility. Police are on the front line of society’s efforts to resolve conflict. That’s why police brutality is such a betrayal of our peer’s sense of safety from its state law enforcement systems. Police brutality is when the police uses excessive force, usually physical, but also forms of verbal attacks and intimidation, against any person. Police brutality is nothing new to the American people. No matter what state you’re in, what race you are, or your gender, everyone has seen or experienced some type of police brutality. Attitudes towards the police is not the sole function of race or class; they are also affected by the resident’s perceptions of the community’s social capital. Over the...
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...The strengths of the broken window theory encourage a greater understanding of the problems the surrounding communities face and the officers that encounter the people on daily bases. City leaders can be held accountable for the lack of means to combat crime; the communities are more transparent and make police more visible and proactive. Using this theory also allows city leaders to identify areas for improvement offer effective strategies to collect and share data from criminal activity and allocates and distributes manning needing to fight crime. It can also be used to develop community policing programs that police and citizens participate as part of an overall effort to solve the problems facing the area. Crime cannot be controlled by the police alone!...
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...has gotten out of hand, especially in the hands of the officers behind the badge. There have been lots cases where police officers misuse their power and authority, some more extreme than others. The power given to police officers, correctional officers, and even people in authoritative positions, gives them the impression that they can do what they please because they are above the law. This happens way too often and can cause a lot of issues within the justice system. A psychology professor from Yale University, Stanley Milgram conducted a study that demonstrated the power that is given to a person and how they decide to use it (Gross, 22). The study that was conducted by Milgram involved participants placed randomly in two groups of “teachers” and “learners”. Participants were told the experiment was studying memory, but the study was actually proving that violent behavior is an ordinary occurrence in human behavior. Participants in the “teacher” group were given the power of sending an electric shock to the “learners” who were answering questions to do with memory (Gross, 22). This study was falsely given because there was actually no electric shock sent to the “learners”. The experimenters would play a recording of shouts simulating pain of receiving shocks due to answering memory questions wrong. One example in the experiment that proved the theory of having violent behavior was when a “learner” explained that they had a heart problem and they did not want to proceed...
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...SOC 370 December 4th, 2014 Sociology of Race Relations With Police Officers The United States prides itself on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As a country, all men are created equal and have the same opportunities. However, to this day, that is not the case. For decades and arguably centuries, African Americans and other minorities have continued to fight this ongoing battle against racism and prejudice. This struggle is also very prevalent in police and judicial affairs. With the recent racial tension going on in the United States, it is important to understand why African Americans are still feeling this way in order to find ways in which to eliminate police brutality. Using Weber’s theory of authority, one can apply his ideology to the recent events in race relations and police officers in order to understand the ongoing tension and divulging into the reasoning behind people’s reactions to these events, emphasizing the issue is centralized around power and authority. There are everyday events that occur that highlight the ongoing racial tension between African Americans and police officers, showing that discrimination and racism is not dead here in the United States. For example, take the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Missouri. There is major controversy in the telling of the Michael Brown shooting. Michael Brown was shot and killed on August 9th by Officer Darren Wilson (Clarke). Brown was unarmed when the incident happened and the witnesses’...
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...Write a 200- to 300-word response in which you describe choice theories and how they relate to crime. Describe the common models for society to determine which acts are considered criminal. Explain how choice theories of crime affect society. Colorado and Washington State to add marijuana use to 2012 ballot. Health Inspector, Set of 8 Goals. The police represent the largest and most visible segment of the criminal justice system. As organized agents of law enforcement and peacekeeping, police officers are charged with the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of criminal offenders, the defense of constitutional guarantees, the resolution of community conflicts, the protection of society, and the promotion and preservation of civil order. They have often been referred to as a “thin blue line” between order and anarchy in modern society. Police brutality exerts a heavy toll on society, as each year officers and citizens alike are injured or killed during violent confrontations. Such incidents can invite expensive lawsuits against agencies and generate feelings of mistrust among the public, often costing law enforcement the cooperation of those they are under oath to protect and serve. Although the Supreme Court and the Kerner Commission brought police violence to public attention during the 1960s, the subject had long been the focus of rigorous study. As western America became more populated and more lawless, the sheriff evolved into an active agent of...
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...One psychoanalytic theory that I believe would impact and benefit Lester would be the Cognitive Behavioral Theory. The reason being is helping Lester learn to manage many of the symptoms related to his perhaps PTSD, would greatly assist in his coping mechanisms and hopefully help to decrease the hypervigilance, mistrust, and agitation. I also believe if Lester became more aware of his feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, he may be able to reflect and realize what may be triggers and set goals to combat the emotions felt when dealing with police. As an African American man, being discriminated and targeted has major effects on encounters with police. The Cognitive Behavioral Theory can hopefully allow Lester to better understand how his symptoms...
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...Title Effects of Inadequate Police Training Robert F. Kersey Liberty University Abstract Effects of Inadequate Police Training Citizens expect police officers to be ready to handle calls for service on their first tour of duty and the lack of training is no excuse. Law enforcement officers face delicate situations on a daily basis. These situations require immediate and appropriate responses from those who are sworn to protect and serve the communities in which they live. The men and women put their lives in jeopardy on a daily basis and sometimes have to make critical decisions in matters of seconds. Some of these decisions are the right ones, while other decisions are obviously the wrong ones. Many well publicized incidents of police brutality in the media over the past few years have left citizens wondering if this behavior is a typical behavior of all law enforcement officers. In carrying out there duties police exercise a great amount of discretion. The misuse of discretion has now led to society questioning police tactics and policies. The purpose of this paper is to articulate how important training is and the effects inadequate training can have on officers, their departments, and the municipalities where those officers are employed. Matthew W. McNamara (2006) discusses training in regards to liability saying that, “nothing is as important as making sure law enforcement officers receive proper training.” Training...
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...against homosexuality are considered to be homophobic, their choice to do so is no less nor greater than the decision someone makes to like their own. Discrimination and marginalization of gay people is present in almost every society, despite the global stride for equality. People who despise or abominate homosexuals built their rebellion upon teachings from the bible. However, if every sin mirrors the same weight, why isn't there laws that stands against adultery? This shows how humanity's perception of life is warped and twisted to satisfy what we think is acceptable. Prohibiting gay marriage is grounds of discrimination, evidently preventing someone from being happy and satisfied should not be within human protocol. It is no longer a theory rather its reality and also adoption rates will genuinely sky rocket due to their inability to reproduce. Scrutinizing someone's lifestyle from a prospective that it should imitate yours, is contradicting humanity's theme, equality. Despite one's skin color, race or gender, they should have equal rights and be entitled to privileges that everyone considered acceptable is. Likewise with homosexuals, their sexual orientation should be a norm among this predominantly borderline society. Within the LGBT community (Lesbians Gays Bisexual Transvestites) they all share this one mutual thought; their choice to be gay should be recognized as a right. Homosexuality isn't protected by any Federal Civil Rights Law in 4 out of 5 countries globally...
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