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Running head : Police Brutality Essay

Police brutality in the USA from the viewpoint of its magnitude and frequency has reached the point that no one can remain indifferent to this problem. A free, democratic, society needs police force to enforce and maintain law and order. Police in general enforces the law and order in a proper way even sacrificing their own lives. However, it does not allow police to abuse their power of the force. This article reviews police brutality facts, analyzes probable reasons, studies recommended methods to control the use of unreasonable force and proposes probable solution of this problem. Introduction American Constitution protects the people and punishes those who violate others’ constitutional rights. For this purpose, executive branch of the government uses police force. Members of the police force are government officials employed to implement and maintain law and order in the society. Society, on the other hand, gives police authority to uphold and enforce the law. Police are engaged in a dangerous and stressful situation with the involvement of a violent situation that needs to be controlled. Thus, the underlying principle of police job is to resolve conflicts thru the use of force. The law enforcement officials uses the term “use of force” to regulate the action of the police. Conceptually use of police may be described in the form of; presence (use of effect), verbalization (commanding a subject), empty hand controls, intermediate control (non-lethal weapon), and deadly force (use of a firearm to cause permanent injury or death to a subject). Use of force by police is called the police power. The definition of police power is, “The inherent authority of a government to impose restrictions on private rights for the sake of public welfare, order, and security” (Police Power-Definition of Police Power). This power gives a police officer ability to control the people. The dilemma is how much power is the right power and how to control the excessive power. According to Milton Mollen, chairman of the Special Commission to Investigate Corruption within the Police department of the City of New York during 1990 and 1992, (Lofca, 2002)) that police has more power than a judge. A police officer gets a social status protected by the government, a gun, and a right to arrest. However, police is another human being who is not a saint. Misuse and abuse of power generates from human nature and instinct. However, this does not mean that every officer is corrupt and brutal, his or her behavior exceeds the parameters of the proper conduct. This thesis does not represent the entire law enforcement as an organization that abuses power on a daily basis. It focuses on a crime that is called Police Brutality. In enforcing law upon a citizen, a police officer in some style places restrictions on them. In the process of placing restrictions, police may abuse the power. When police abuse his or her power it is called police misconduct, and among all misconducts brutality is the worst. Amnesty International study noted thousands of reports (Mangan) of assault and ill treatment caused to the citizens by the police officers in the USA who used excessive force and violated human rights of their victims. On April 1999, Janet Reno, Attorney General of the United States speaking on police brutality (USA: Race, rights and police brutality, 1999) noted that the issue is national in scope and reaches people all across the country. The Attorney General also mentioned that the citizens believe law enforcement is too aggressive, biased, disrespectful and unfair (USA: Race, rights and police brutality, 1999).


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