To be a police officer, you are meant to protect and serve the citizens. However, in modern day America, this may not be the case. An increasing amount of police brutality has been going on in America, including the case with Michael Brown,
a post I wrote about earlier this weekend.
Wikepedia defines police brutality as "the wanton use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer."
Police brutality is no longer a few policemen making making wrong decisions or going crazy, but rather a systemic issue. Police brutality happens for a number of reasons.
First off, Police are expected to use force because their superiors and the citizens expect them to, so gradually and over time they develop a sense of superiority and authority over others. Because of this higher feeling, they typically feel as though they can do anything, including misconduct of violence. Another, more pressing issue is racism. It it no coincidence that
minorities, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Jessica Klyzek, Darrin Manning, Neykeyia Parker, William Pryer, and most recently Daniele Watts are unfairly targeted more than white people, due to systematic and institutionalized racism and the increasing violence towards minorities especially African Americans.
If you don't believe me, listen to these statistics: 89% of the people who died in NYPD custody between the years 1990 and 1994 were African American or Hispanic (
Elisha, Joshua, & Zenobia). In 2012, at least 313 African Americans were killed. Which means that every 28 hours, another African American was killed due to brutality by security officers or police men. (
found here) Not to mention that while African Americans make up 13.1% of our nation's population, nearly 40% are in prison. Still don't believe me? Watch
this video of a man maced and arrested by a security guard merely because he was passing by a white man aggravating a group of pro-Palestine protesters.
So how do we solve this problem? Well ending police brutality isn't as simple as signing a petition or going out on the streets to protest, while that does certainly help shed a light and raise awareness on the current injustices, as well as show your support, ending police brutality means all of us, but specifically police, must put an end to racial profiling and violence. Laws must be put in place to give police the adequate training they need to deal with situations where violence is unneeded, as well as to only use violence as a very last resort. Police officers need mental and psychological training as well as complete a test to make sure they're the right kind of people to maintain and protect justice and the law.
So, take to the streets, vote out politicians who condone police brutality, join organizations and movements in your town, and if you don't have them, start them. Ending police brutality is definitely something that requires many people, no matter how big or small, to support.
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