Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
James Burns
ELA 12
Meyer Period 2
2/26/17
The actions made by the countrys police force and the events that they have caused are a
major issue in todays modern society. The people of America specifically the targeted groups are
and have been very skeptical of the actions of our police force and it is very controversial. While
researching this topic I have found varying opinions on this topic of the police, know that these
dont apply to all officers but that there are bad bunches throughout. Some things to consider
throughout are What is the government doing about this? and How are families affected by
the police problems? Some of the articles I found show how the police problems have changed
over time while others say what we need to do to prevent these issues. My goal is to bring
together multiple opinions and come to a conclusion of what exactly is happening with our
countys police force and how we can come together to fix it.
First off, police misconduct is a problem in all fifty states of the US. Police misconduct
police officers in the conduct of their duties. Examples of police misconduct include police
brutality, dishonesty, fraud, coercion, torture to force confessions, abuse of authority, and sexual
assault, including the demand for sexual favors in exchange for leniency. Any of these actions
Police brutality today is still very similar today as to how it was in the 90s. In 1999
police shot and killed an African American man by the name of Amadou Diallo because they
Burns 2
mistook his wallet as a gun, which may have actually been and intentional mistake. This is
very similar to some recent events such as the death of Michael Brown when he was shot
multiple times and killed while he was unarmed. Progress hasnt solved many things yet. In the
weeks before Browns death, police killed Eric Garner using an illegal chokehold, after they
stopped him for suspected sale of untaxed cigarettes. That death was ruled a homicide by the
medical examiner.(Changes in Police Brutality). These scenarios are are similar in the fact that
the victims did nothing to harm the police and were killed because of it. The 2001 shooting of
Timothy Thomas by police that triggered riots in Cincinnati, Ohio. Thomas, a 19-year-old with
an infant son, started to run when an officer approached him on the street outside a nightclub.
The officer called in back-up, a chase was on, and shots were fired with almost no information
about Thomas. Cops said they thought Thomas was reaching for a gun but none was ever
found.(Changes in Police Brutality). This similar situation also has a familiar resemblance to the
Ferguson riots happening after the shooting of Brown. As you can see from past events this
problem has been running and recurring through decades of our countrys history.
You may be asking yourself, What can I do to help? Human rights watch gives a great
list of things you can do. Many of the things suggested include contacting your state's
government and people of high positions about how different problems and how to get them to
help. An example is Write to your city government and urge it to require your police department
to create and utilize "early warning" or "at-risk" systems to identify officers who are the subjects
of repeated complaints or civil lawsuits alleging misconduct. A small percentage of officers often
taint an entire police force because police superiors do not act to hold them accountable by
system could make a difference.(Human Research Watch). This can help bring attention to the
Burns 3
government to think about the people's safety and what the people of the city want that they are
not getting. Another helpful suggestion given is Write to your U.S. Representative or Senator,
urging them to condition federal grants to police departments on the department's' creation of
effective accountability systems. On April 15, 1999, Attorney General Janet Reno described the
components of such a system, using the same standard as set out in recent consent decrees
between the Justice Department and two police departments: Complaints procedures must be
accessible; Internal affairs units must conduct thorough and fair investigations; When complaints
are sustained, discipline must be applied swiftly; etc.(Human Rights Watch). If everyone took
the time to contact their cities about this it could make a huge impact on the situation.
Not only does police misconduct lead to mistrust and uneasiness in the community, it also
may lead to things such as lawsuits and reforms. In some municipalities, civil rights lawsuits
pattern of violating the civil rights of citizens through the misconduct of its officers, state and/or
federal courts may issue consent decrees. These decrees give the issuing court or an assigned
judicial officer oversight of the department and power to inquire into its officers conduct, its
policies, and to direct actions to be taken to address the misconduct.(Criminal Defense Lawyer).
I believe the more people take these events of misconduct to court the faster the problem may
fade away. City officials, community group leaders, and police departments may also enter into
Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), in which they agree on steps to prevent and address
police misconduct. Often these MOUs are reached with the assistance of a mediator or other
third party who facilitates the discussions. A common feature of an MOU is a mechanism to
increase officers public accountability by creating a body to which aggrieved citizens can bring
complaints about possible misconduct.(Criminal Defense Lawyer). These MOUs are a good
Burns 4
thing for the community to bring everyone together and address the problems at hand and also to
bring understanding to all those involved. It seems to most the court action would add extra
A man by the name of Frank Serpico who was a victim of police misconduct by being
shot in the face by an officer and surviving agrees that the police force is still out of control.
While referencing Michael Brown, Serpico states Today the combination of an excess of deadly
force and near-total lack of accountability is more dangerous than ever: Most cops today can pull
out their weapons and fire without fear that anything will happen to them, even if they shoot
someone wrongfully. All a police officer has to say is that he believes his life was in danger, and
hes typically absolved. What do you think that does to their psychology as they patrol the streets
this sense of invulnerability? The famous old saying still applies: Power corrupts, and absolute
power corrupts absolutely. (And we still dont know how many of these incidents occur each
year; even though Congress enacted the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act 20
years ago, requiring the Justice Department to produce an annual report on the use of excessive
force by law enforcement officers, the reports were never issued.) According to him the
amount of power an officer possesses can easily go to their head. Serpico also says In some
ways, matters have gotten even worse. The gulf between the police and the communities they
serve has grown wider. Mind you, I dont want to say that police shouldnt protect themselves
and have access to the best equipment. Police officers have the right to defend themselves with
maximum force, in cases where, say, they are taking on a barricaded felon armed with an assault
weapon. But when you are dealing every day with civilians walking the streets, and you bring in
armored vehicles and automatic weapons, its all out of proportion. It makes you feel like youre
dealing with some kind of subversive enemy. The automatic weapons and bulletproof vest may
Burns 5
protect the officer, but they also insulate him from the very society hes sworn to protect. All that
firepower and armor puts an even greater wall between the police and society, and solidifies that
us-versus-them feeling. I agree with this statement in that the community and police force need
to have a tighter connection in order to properly function and create a form of trust.
Burns 6
Works Cited
Michael Brown."
ThinkProgress. ThinkProgress, 08 Aug. 2016. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.
https://thinkprogress.org/what-has-changed-about-police-brutality-in-america-from-
rodney-king-to-michael-brown-e6b29a2feff8#.ljbau7fb4
"Police Brutality in the U.S."
Police Brutality in the U.S. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.