Police Brutality: The Possible Cause And Impacts

Junyu Sui & Haoyang Dong Ms. Leiva IB English B Year 2 7310-02 26 March 2018 Police Brutality From time to time, there have been numerous reports of abominable assaults and intentional mistreatment of suspects or civilians involving police officers. These reports usually present issues about excessive utilization of force that violates the human and civil rights of the victims. There are numerous cases that suspects are sustaining injuries after encountering the wrath of police brutality just because it can raise the efficiency in interrogation and combating crime. The paper attempts to analyses the possible cause and impacts of police brutality. Also, it highlights the relationship current relationship between civilians and law enforcers, which is directly influenced by perceived effectiveness of the police in maintaining law and order among communities. Police brutality and excessive utilization of force are occupational crimes since they both violate the legal codes of conduct in a legitimate occupation. I have been observing and realized that incidences of police torture and extrajudicial killings have been common in the mainstream media, while others go unnoticed. However, the officers involved are rarely taken accountable for their crimes. There are typically two situations where claims of excessive force involving police officers can arise. In my observation, the first situation is when a defendant in a criminal case alleges that the excessive force rendered the search unreasonable attempting to suppress evidence. The second situation is when a subject presses charges against the police with allegations about the use of excessive force, which subject’s civil rights were violated.   However, sometimes police brutality is indispensable to be existed in our society. According to Maguire, police brutality is often perceived as inappropriate, while others think it is a better way of combating crime (Maguire 150). Today, handling guns has become a normal situation in some neighborhoods, thus becoming hard for police officers to maintain law and order. Therefore, patrolling such areas puts their lives at high risks and under such condition, they corner as the victim of such offenses brutality is obvious. Although nobody wishes to experience such incidences, the police use their forces to scare potential criminals. Consequently, it is believed that if it were not for the perceived brutality of the police forces, crime incidents would be rampant and uncontrollable.   Moreover, the excessive police force is indispensable in inquiring information or confessional statement from suspects though inflicting extreme physical and mental tortures. I have observed that when police are deployed to neutralize political activists, protesters, and other forms of civil unrests, incidences of excessive use of force are frequent. Victims find themselves in the middle of police forces report of caning, punching, electroshocking, water treatment, and verbal abuse among others (Reiss, 12). Usually, those common victims of police brutality are the ones who cannot afford appropriate legal representation such as the poor family and people with mental illnesses because they may complain due to the fear of police harassment and further torture. Thus, police believe that the unlawful arrests and extrajudicial killings can effectively provide deterrence to the civilians and suspects. They regard the excessive use of force to suspects as an easier and quicker methods of solving cease. In this case, use of excessive force becomes a useful tool for extracting information and interrogating suspected law breakers. However, it is the degree and manner in which it is carried out that determines its efficiency while preserving human dignity and human rights of the victims involved. Nevertheless, I believe that the pandemonium and social instability brought by police brutality outweigh the proliferation of efficiency interrogation and annihilation of potential crimes. First of all, police brutality and acts of violence are threats to the safety of the public. Public safety plays an important role in society since a society cannot run efficiently if the safety cannot be supplied by government and those who are supposed to restore law and order. The relationship between members of the public and the police force is critical. However, these relationships are getting weaker, and the consequences are devastating (Cassisi 7). There is nothing good that can occur when the safety of the people is threatened. Both violent and peaceful protests have been witnessed, and things might worsen if nothing is done to restore a healthy relationship between the police force and communities. More riots against authorities are inevitable and have the potential of destroying government systems. The results of such activities might be detrimental and with long-term effects especially when it is about feeling threatened by those who are supposed to be protecting the civilians. Secondly, I believe police brutality creates chaos instead of protecting the people by restoring law and order. People can be more protected if there were more comprehensive data regarding police violence, and it would be easier for various agencies to contribute to the development and implementation of policies and regulations to curb the menace of police-related crimes and possibly strengthen the relationship between the police force and community (Terrill 1027). However, now police are not held accountable for violating the powers and influence they have on members of the society. Their acts of violence are counter-productive and they will not be able to think of that if they are not questioned by their authorities or charged in a court of law. At the same time, the government and the relevant authorities appear to be less concerned about the misuse of power among police officers. Thus, the public feels defenseless in the hands of the police, a phenomenon that widens the gap between the two sides. The mistrust and discomfort created becomes a barrier to any efforts made towards a safer and conducive environment for all. I foresee the long term effects of the mistrust between police officers and civilians, children will be brought up in a manner that they will treat law enforcers as their enemies at any particular moment. This occurs when their parents, who are victims of police brutality, end up in custody or face jail terms. As a result, children are brough...