POLICE ABUSE AND MISCONDUCT

Police Abuse and Misconduct

Abstract

In this paper, I will be conducting an analysis of recent police abuse and misconduct cases, wherein factors like racial discrimination, bribery and others are vital. I hope to achieve a better understanding of how police misconduct affects communities as a whole, and what can be done to remove these practices from their base. Police misconduct is something that is increasingly covered by the media, thus globally it is something that people are more aware of. I hope to have a better understanding of why it occurs and what can be done to have safer communities with the help of more honest police officers.

Introduction

Police abuse and misconduct is found in our routine lives, if one looks hard enough. It can be defined as the forceful use of excessive force by police officers in the form on physical or verbal attacks, and/or emotional pressure and intimidation in varying forms of psychology. While there is a debate as to whether or not it is required to use force at all in the police force, it is often quite necessary given the nature of the situation the police is forced to face. Police brutality is strictly monitored and is triggered through disrespecting an officer, or violation of laws. Police abuse and corruption is a form of police brutality, and often there are financial benefits or corruption for personal gain involved in these situations. In this paper I will be examining police abuse and misconduct and the appropriate laws and actions taken against it.

Discussion

Police misconduct can be defined as any form of inappropriate behavior or actions performed by trained police personnel. It can lead to several consequences, the most harrowing of which can be that an innocent person is punished for a crime they didn't commit. The miscarriage of justice in police brutality and misconduct is a subject that has been enjoying special attention for the past few years, especially with the advent of the internet. Media and online video sharing websites have been vital in exposing many a situation where police officers have misbehaved and discriminated against citizens while believing themselves to be safe from public view (Desantis, 1994). The most disappointing part of these videos and events taking place is that police officers are trained to protect and serve the citizens of their cities, but they abuse their power while under oath and wearing uniform. The common factor between police brutality, misconduct and corruption remains that they're all gross abuses of authority and state and federal laws that are placed for the citizen's protection. The constitutional rights of individuals are often forgotten whenever rogue police officers decide to misbehave and practice their authority on unsuspecting victims (Lee, 2010).

Currently, the debate is on how race is a major discriminative factor in police misconduct, how officers are likely to remain suspicious of people of certain races and skin colors. While there are many practices and political and federal safeguards kept in place for the protection of the individual ...