Writing Assignment 2- Thomas Howard
One of the most pressing issues in the criminal justice system today is Police Brutality.
Police Brutality has been a hot topic in the media and journalism in the recent years. Police brutality is nothing new, it's been an issue since the early period of policing. In America, African Americans have been subject to police brutality for decades. During the Segregation Period, African American's suffered under the criminal justice system with police brutality and racism. African Americans were treated unfairly and were not guaranteed the same rights as their counterparts, especially when it came to criminal justice. Many African Americans were accused of crimes they did not commit, solely because of the color of their skin. Jim Crow did not allow African Americans to have justice, and police departments were not racially diverse at the time. The Civil Rights Movement began to change the mindset of America, and the criminal justice system changed too.
The incident of Rodney King caught the public's attention and reminded them of the issue of police brutality. I believe that police brutality is not always racially motivated, but because of the long history between police and African Americans, many assume that it is the sole reason behind the brutality. The Los Angeles police Chief at the time of Rodney King's case gives a different alternative saying, that it is due to the kind of stress and the difficulties of the profession, that cause police officers to use excessive force (Worsnop, 1991). Police officers have been getting away with brutality for decades, by saying that the suspect was resisting arrest, and without eyewitness testimony or physical evidence, the police word triumphs the victim. (Worsnop, 1991). This was the case during Jim Crow when African American males would be falsely accused of rape and other various crimes. Since, they were African American their say, had no value, it was them against the entire justice system, which was working against them.
With technology such as body cams and audio, the likely hood of abusing the system goes down and allows to catch brutality in action. Although, some argue that body cams, prohibit officers from adequately doing their job. Overall body cams have shown to be a positive asset, allowing departments to visually track their officer's behavior and a tool to hold officers accountable. Police Officers are one of the top most stressful jobs, having to deal with challenging populations and negativity, daily. The relationship between African Americans and police did not start very well. The years of this negative relationship with the police, African Americans do not trust the police. African Americans feel inferior to the police, which causes tension in African American communities. The long past of racism that African Americans had to endure for so long, even now they still face it.
Police brutality affects the whole city, but the African Americans, suffer the repercussions the most. Police brutality cases leave a strain on the community, causing some to lash out. Social media allowed victims' families to raise awareness of the brutality and the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement. It is difficult for police to build trust with communities affected by police misconduct. The brutality cases have caused a negative stigma among police departments, and the media loves to publish stories on this issue. Which causes more public distrust and uproar.
Brutality can be cut down by creating cultural awareness classes, body cams, and accountability of the officers. Officers should be held accountable and be required additional training regarding excessive force. Officers should have enough evidence for their actions and must prove that they were not using excessive force. Another way to reduce brutality would be to connect with neighborhoods more and rebuild a more positive relationship with the African American community.
Reference
Worsnop, R. (1991, September 06). CQ Researcher. Police Brutality. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1991090600