...In the modern day media, the debate of police abusing their power comes up quite often. A recent example of that would be the shooting of Michael Brown which occurred in Ferguson, Missouri just 2 months ago. This was an example of a police officer using excessive force. Throughout time the idea of Police using excessive force has been recognized more and more. A pretty interesting statistic I found was from More (1972), which basically says since the early 1970s, police murdered a person a day since the statistics were conducted. According to Hickman and Piquero(2009), the question of trusting police to cooperate with citizens has been recognized since the 1960s when America was split because of race. Of course many of you know the 1960s were a time where blacks were beaten because of the Civil Rights Act. Because of incidents and statistics like these, excessive use of police force should be limited more than it currently is. Excessive of use of police force a lot of times can cause many outrages throughout a society. Things like rallies as well as riots can occur. Take for example the Rodney King case. The whole entire city of Los Angeles literally went into chaos because of the verdict on the trial....
Words: 1838 - Pages: 8
...All police should be required to have tertiary qualifications. Why/ why not? Gaining tertiary qualifications is a large commitment but research has shown that police officers who do have tertiary qualifications, set, and have higher standards. Firstly this essay will argue that police officers with higher education are less likely to use force as a means for compliance. Secondly, police officers with tertiary qualifications display a greater understanding of human behaviour in regards to the community and societal issues. Lastly, this essay will argue that police officers with tertiary qualifications have overall better job performance and attitudes. Therefore this essay will show that police officers should be required to have tertiary qualifications as it allows for a better style of policing. Ensuring police officers have tertiary qualifications will reduce the risk of police officers abusing their authority, therefore societal fear should subside. Research conducted by Paoline III and Terrill (2007) using two data sets (the systematic social observation of police officers and interviews with those officers) shows that having tertiary qualifications will reduce the possibility of police officers using force as a means for compliance. The systematic social observation approach provided data comparing officers with high school education with officers with some form of college/university education and those with a bachelor degree. The results showed that those with a bachelor...
Words: 1109 - Pages: 5
...it’s all the same thing, and it has been around for years. Lately racial discrimination has been greatly decreased, yet not completely eradicated. One would think that the last place there wouldn’t be a single shred of any discrimination in law enforcement, however, there is and the fact that there is racial discrimination makes for some very controversial cases; such as the case of the shooting of Michael Brown, the brutal beating of Rodney King, and the wrongful beating of Abner Louima. All of these incidents happened because of an unfair percentage that police are to show more brutality to a minority group than to whites and there are plenty of facts that support this such as the amount of white officers over colored ones, and the biases and stereotypes that are to blame for “racism” in law enforcement. The case of Michael Brown in Fergusson, Missouri a predominantly black society, with a predominantly white police force, there are multiple stories that both tell stories of what people saw. One account states that the teenager Michael Brown had his hands in the air and was surrendering whilst unarmed; the officer opened fire and killed him. However, what the authorities say is the exact opposite in which Michael Brown actually attempted to attack the officer in his car and tried to take the gun. "Get the f*** on the sidewalk." The young men replied that they were "not but a minute away from our destination, and we would shortly be out of the street," Johnson said. The officer...
Words: 1535 - Pages: 7
...Introduction “Police history” predates the evolution of the “police” as a permanent occupational group within a bureaucratic institution, providing the primary state response to crime and disorder. That was primarily a development of the 19th century and a reaction to the rapid social change of the industrial revolution and rapid urbanization. Prior to 1800, governments maintained order by a variety of means, local and national. One of the key historical debates concerns the effectiveness of these approaches and the degree of continuity between the premodern and modern police models. Around 1800 a small number of distinctively different types of police institution emerged. The French, under Napoleon, instituted the Gendarmerie, a state military police model. It evolved from the “Marechaussee,” which had had a dual military and civil function since the 16th century. The model was exported across Europe by Napoleon. The British developed two models. The first, set up to answer similar challenges to the Gendarmerie in France, was the Royal Irish Constabulary model. It was close to the state military model, but distinctively styled as part of the civil power of the state and subordinated to the Magistracy. The Irish model was subsequently exported to Britain’s colonies and became the basis of forces such as the Indian Police Service. The Metropolitan Police was consciously created as a local force with a uniform that was deliberately different from the military and a mission that...
Words: 11839 - Pages: 48
...he became to close at that point Mr. Kennedy pulled ne of the officers hoodies over his head and was then taken down by the officers who used force to do so. Kennedy had told investigators that the two officers had not identified themselves. After investigation the SIU cleared the offciers on the charges and stated that the officers did not use excessive force to sedue the individual. Police officers are to protect the communtiy from the criminals that try and cause harm to the people of the community. In this incident the police were in plainclothes and were not recognizable as police officers. To Mr. Kennedy thought that the officers in plainclothes were wolves instead of sheepdogs and that is why he was assaultive with the officers. If the sheep had known they were sheepdogs he would not of acted the way he did. Since the police officers did not leave when Mr. Kennedy had asked them to, he thought they were there to hurt him which resaulted in him being assaultive towards the officers and that reasualted in the officers using force on Mr. Kennedy which caused his injuries. Peels Principlas of Policing are what policeing is based of for officers to follow. In this case the Peel Principal that would apply to this story is the principal on the amount of force an officer can use on any particular occasion for achieving a police objective. In this case the officers...
Words: 642 - Pages: 3
...Jenny Charoenchitmun Explication Essay Final Draft October 23, 2008 The Depravity of British Imperialism In 1886, Burma lost its independence and sovereignty to Great Britain in the “Third Anglo-Burmese” War. At that time, Great Britain had one of its colonies in the sub-continental region of India which was known as “British India.” Eventually, Burma was annexed into British India and was oppressed under British imperialism. Imperialism is “a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force” (Oxford Dictionary). In the essay “Shooting An Elephant” by George Orwell, imperialism is portrayed as a corrupt act in which the British Empire imposes itself on Burma. Orwell use rhetorical techniques to describe how imperialism can create grotesque effects on both the British and Burmese. In Orwell’s essay, characters such as the police officer, the local Burmese people and the elephant display the brutal reality British imperialism. The British police officer serves his country in Burma and is constantly mocked by the local Burmese. But, one day they praise him when he kills the outrageous elephant that is let loose in the neighborhood. George Orwell effectively depicts the theme of imperialistic depravity through the use of symbolism, irony and visual imagery in “Shooting An Elephant.” George Orwell exemplifies the immorality of British imperialism through the use of symbolism. In “Shooting An Elephant,” the elephant becomes wild and...
Words: 885 - Pages: 4
...All police should be required to have tertiary qualifications. Why/Why not? Introduction - Tertiary qualifications in policing ensure that candidates are capable, efficient, strong officers who are ready to serve and protect the community after training has ceased and progressively throughout their time as officers. - This essay will discuss and explain why it is beneficial for officers to have a tertiary qualification on entry into the police force. - The requirement of a tertiary education is linked to police officers performing at a higher level when on duty, it is associated with the use of force and officers attitudes towards the job than that of the counterpart thus, facing less disciplinary action. Ground 1: Police officers with a tertiary education are better performers and have higher standards of professionalism Policing is a difficult and complex job and requires individuals to be able to perform to a high standard and requires necessary skills to effectively complete the job whilst also moving up in ranks within the police force. - A tertiary education is linked to equipping officers with skills that will help them peform in the position. Officers learn the necessary skills that are required and and build upon these skills to ensure once they are sworn in as general duties constables, they are able to perform adequately and to a high degree of standard. - A study by Smith & Aamodt in Virginia, USA, showed that tertiary educated officers did perform...
Words: 878 - Pages: 4
...Running Head: Midterm Essay 1 Midterm Essay Armando 1 Running Head: Midterm Essay 2 Briefly identify and explain the key differences and similarities regarding the UCR, NIBRS, and NCVS programs. The Uniformed Crime Reporting (UCR) Program displays crime data for the United States, as well as for states, cities, counties and colleges. This allows for a comparison among neighboring jurisdictions and among those with similar populations and other common characteristics. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) collects information on the frequency and of crimes such as rape, sexual assault, aggravated and simple assault, household burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft. Both systems report different types of information and different details. The UCR program displays statistics for law enforcement administration, operation, and management. The UCR program utilizes what is called the hierarchy rule. If more than one crime was committed by the same person and the time separating the crimes was minor, then the crime highest in the hierarchy is the only crime reported. This seems like a very inaccurate method of recording data, one would assume that all records of offenses were taken into consideration for reporting purposes. The NCVS program collects information on crimes by individuals and households while also providing information on victims such as age, sex, race, marital status. The difference in the two programs is that each serves a...
Words: 1246 - Pages: 5
...www.platinumgmat.com | Free GMAT Prep GMAT Practice Questions | GMAT Study Guide | MBA Admissions GMAT AWA Sample Essay Analysis of An Argument "The recent surge in violence in the southern part of the city is a result of a shortage of police officers and an absence of leadership on the part of the city council. In order to rectify the burgeoning growth of crime that threatens the community, the city council must address this issue seriously. Instead of spending time on peripheral issues such as education quality, community vitality, and job opportunity, the city council must realize that the crime issue is serious and double the police force, even if this action requires budget cuts from other city programs." In the argument above, the author concludes that the city council is not doing its job well and needs to focus on expanding significantly the police force in order to combat recent growth in the level of crime. The premise of the argument is that crime is expanding while the city council focuses on ostensibly unrelated matters such as education reform. However, the argument is flawed because it falsely assumes that the city council’s efforts to improve quality of life are entirely unrelated to levels of violence and it assumes that the crime problem can be solved by merely increasing the police force. First, the argument wrongly assumes that issues of educational opportunity, community vitality, and job availability have no bearing on crime. However, the author fails...
Words: 678 - Pages: 3
...www.platinumgmat.com | Free GMAT Prep GMAT Practice Questions | GMAT Study Guide | MBA Admissions GMAT AWA Sample Essay Analysis of An Argument "The recent surge in violence in the southern part of the city is a result of a shortage of police officers and an absence of leadership on the part of the city council. In order to rectify the burgeoning growth of crime that threatens the community, the city council must address this issue seriously. Instead of spending time on peripheral issues such as education quality, community vitality, and job opportunity, the city council must realize that the crime issue is serious and double the police force, even if this action requires budget cuts from other city programs." In the argument above, the author concludes that the city council is not doing its job well and needs to focus on expanding significantly the police force in order to combat recent growth in the level of crime. The premise of the argument is that crime is expanding while the city council focuses on ostensibly unrelated matters such as education reform. However, the argument is flawed because it falsely assumes that the city council’s efforts to improve quality of life are entirely unrelated to levels of violence and it assumes that the crime problem can be solved by merely increasing the police force. First, the argument wrongly assumes that issues of educational opportunity, community vitality, and job availability have no bearing on crime. However, the author fails...
Words: 678 - Pages: 3
...may, to a certain extent, be reliable, the way in which they are obtained is not. Police in different areas may deem certain areas of crime a priority and thus report and record these accordingly. Also, biases within the system itself against those from ethnic minorities may affect the resulting statistics to portray an uneven account of criminal activity. The relationship between crime rates and ethnicity is extremely complex due to other factors such as the difficulty of identifying a person’s ethnic origin and the cultural and social differences between ethnic groups. It has been shown on a variety of occasions that male black youths are disproportionately selected by the police to be ‘stopped and searched’; this then results in higher numbers of black youths being charged with offences as they have been caught doing so. However, the same crimes are probably being committed by other subcultures within society, but as both the media and police do not focus on them, they are not being seen. There are many flaws with official statistics and therefore their reliability. For example, there are sections of crime that are not dealt with by the police; the management as opposed to involving an outside force, for example, may deal with crimes within a company. Also, not all crimes would be recorded or reported by the police, for example it has been shown that police are willing to let middle class youths ‘get away’ with more as they believe that they...
Words: 1432 - Pages: 6
...Law and Order: SVU and Hawaii 5-0. These shows reveal the aspects of detectives’ everyday lives inside the job. They have a high tolerance for violence and depict an unrealistic representation of certain occupations. Methodology: Reading two essays, researching television media and genres, observing two shows and participating in a Roundtable Discussion on American Media Images (RDAMI) were the steps I took in putting together my ideas on television media. “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie and “Where Have All the Parents Gone” by Barbara Dafoe Whitehead were the two essays I read for this paper. They develop ideas on what has an impact on American people and culture. I observed two episodes of two different television shows. Law and Order: SVU was one of the shows. Law and Order: SVU is a show about sexually based crimes, SVU meaning “Special Victims Unit”. “Friending Emily” and “Manhattan Vigil” were the two episodes with the main characters being senior detectives Olivia Benson and Odafin “Fin” Tutuola, detectives Nick Amara and Amanda Rollins, Sergeant John Munch and Captain Donald Cragen. Hawaii 5-0 was the other show I observed. Hawaii doesn't have its own state police force but the Governor has set up a special task force, which becomes known as "Five-0", to investigate serious crimes on the islands. “Popilikia”, which stands for misfortune in Hawaiian and...
Words: 2073 - Pages: 9
...fragmentation of policing'. Discuss what this statement means and examine the implications of 'fragmentation' for the future of policing. This essay looks into Button's(2004) suggestion that there has been a 'growing pluralisation or fragmentation of policing'.The essay will also look into depth the meaning of the statement and explore the implications of 'fragmentation' in the future of policing.Firstly there has to be a clear definition of policing..According to Button(2002:6) policing is 'essentially a function of society that contributes to a particular social order that is carried out by a variety of different bodies and agents'.This definition covers a wide...
Words: 1079 - Pages: 5
...The article is a statistical report on how crime rate decreases in certain major cities of the United States. This is an unbiased secondary report by an anonymous author, but it uses evidence to support its claim. This report has allowed me to understand how cities address the fluctuating crime rates in the last three decades. This source supported my research proposal by proving that crime rate is an issue that the community can decrease, if they are united. The article states how crime rate has decreased over the last two decades, which can be contributed to police officers. However, with the crime rate decreasing, the police aren't needed as they were in the past. This is due to the decrease in crime. In contrast to present times, in some cities, police activity has increased crime rates. This article is an unbiased secondary source that uses reputable sources to enforce his claim. This article is a turning point in my research because it brings up the question: Does police presence increase or decrease crime rate in Hialeah?...
Words: 508 - Pages: 3
...Reflection My experiences writing this Research-Based Action Essay where quiet useful in helping me to further understand how specific groups of people play different roles on how law enforcement is viewed, but also the corruption that is under looked in specific police departments. Addressing how police brutality has not only been a issue of the past, but is currently an issue of today. Discussing how police brutality has always exist and yet the officers who commit police brutality receive little to no criminal punishment. Situations as this go unresolved appropriately by law enforcement when police are seen to preserve the peace and only act on situations where probable cause is determined by fact. In my paper I provided information on cases where police used excessive force unlawfully such as the death of Eric Garner by Police Commissioner William from a coking or Dillon Taylor who was shot by a police officer in front of a 7-Eleven when trying to walk away from an officer. The purpose of this discussion was to inform that everyone can be a victim of police brutality. My audience, which is the Internal Affairs Unit are responsible for investigating and report such incidents to find that those guilty are prosecuted for their crimes. This course of action may result in the restoration of stability and professionalism within the police department. In my paper, I introduced current issues were police have used deadly force on unarmed suspects which court decisions resulted in no...
Words: 661 - Pages: 3