Putting an End to Police Brutality Essay - 699 Words

The police play a vital role in today’s justice system; they are the heroes that catch armed banked robbers, stop kidnappings, and catch murderers that terrorize communities: or at least that is how they are portrayed. While police activities are much more mundane than the public may think, police are given total authority over the public to keep the streets safe. In Steven Lukes’ article, power, he gives a general definition of power as â€Å"the capacity to bring about outcomes† (Lukes 59), but that in actuality, a single definition for â€Å"power† is very controversial. Lukes gives synonyms such as â€Å"authority, influence, coercion, force, violence, manipulation, and strength† (Lukes 59), but chooses his words carefully to reveal the many†¦show more content†¦Results from this study suggest that when people, such as police officers, are given the authority to use whatever force deemed necessary by an authority such as the police depa rtment, they feel justified using their â€Å"power† however they feel. David Lester conducted a study in which he found police officers attain an â€Å"expectation of harm† through their schooling at police academies (Lester 186). Lester found â€Å"shifts in†¦attitudes during both academy training and the period of working† (Lester 186) to officers being less willing to admit to the existence of police brutality. It seems that the departments do not see the occurrences as brutal, but as self-defense. The most famous case of police brutality occurred on the night of March 3rd, 1991, when Rodney King was pulled over by LAPD officers. A video taken of the encounter shows King being savagely beaten by metal batons long after being subdued. The LAPD responded, saying the department had â€Å"inadequate supervisory and management attention†, noting that â€Å"of approximately 1,800 officers against whom an allegation of excessive force or improper tactics was made from 1986 to 1990, more than 1,400 had only one or two allegations. But 183 officers had four or more allegations. Forty-four had six or more, 16 had eight or more, and one had 16 such allegations† (West Valley College). Clearly, a vast majority of police officers abuse their power. But clearly this is not on an individual level;Show MoreRelatedEssay On Police Brutality1123 Words   |  5 PagesPolice brutality is the lavish physical assault or verbal assault during police procedures which can involve interroga ting or apprehending a suspect. Police brutality originated from the labor worker strikes in the 1800’s through the 1900’s. The violent brutal act of these officers usually formed around the lower socioeconomic class. Since then police brutality has hit an all-time high in the 21st century. In New York alone there has been reportedly over 72 police brutality reports some reportsRead MoreRacism And White Privilege Enforcement Essay1292 Words   |  6 PagesPolice officers, who were once referred to as peace keepers, are now more law enforcement officers. Police agencies around the United States seem to be stuck more on quotas and creating revenue for their county or city. Making many officers strive for many unnecessary arrests. 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