Delegation

Police work is dangerous. Sometimes police are put into situations that excessive force is needed. Due to the fact that some officers use such extreme measures in situations where such force is not warranted, police brutality should be addressed by both the police and the community.

"Police brutality is a term used to describe the excessive use of physical force, assault, verbal attacks, and threats by police officers and other law enforcement officers. The term may also be used to apply to such behavior when used by prison officers. Widespread, systematic police brutality exists in many countries, even those which prosecute it. Brutality is one of several forms of police misconduct which include false arrest, intimidation, racial profiling, political repression, surveillance abuse, sexual abuse, and police corruption." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_brutality#References

Though most may not associate nor agree, race plays a key role in police brutality in the United States.

Police brutality is one of the most serious human rights violations in the United States. It is a problem which is exhibited nationwide while city officials, the Department Of Justice, and the community fail to make a stand and stop what is going on. Historically, acts of violence were the way order was preserved. These acts of violence have been instilled into our society. The societal impact of police brutality is devastating. It creates racial tension that can easily spark into riots while also creating distrust for police officers.

The purpose of the police is to protect, restore and maintain order. Historically, this was done through public beatings and acts of violence. This violence was instilled into

our society dating back to the Colonial era. One example of violence is the way the people dealt with the situation of runaways. An act in 1712 had provisions that regulated the capture and punishment of runaways. Slaves that traveled without permits or runaways received whippings if they resisted the whippings were more severe. As a form of encouragement of the community received rewards for the capture of slaves when returned to the Marshall. Special patrols received forty shillings for the capture of slaves that has been gone for more than six months. Also included in the act of 1712 was penalties is the slave owner did not whip, brand, cut the ear off, or castrate the runaway. The owner would be fined if there was a complaint made or if the slave ran the fifth time the owner would have to forfeit the slave. There were many other offenses that carried harsh punishment like branding, whipping and castrating. Offenses like murder, arson, and burglary. The Colonial era used laws and public displays of violence to maintain order.

Poll trends show that depending upon the race of the victim in the incident of police brutality that race will develop a distrust and lack of support for the police department after the incident. In a study done in Los Angeles, shows the different trends among racial lines. On January 3, 1979, Eulia Love (African American woman) was shot and killed by two LAPD officers. A survey was posted in the Los Angeles Times, in April 1979 and in comparison with a poll done in 1977 there was a decrease in the approval rate of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) from the Latino and African American population.

Another interesting fact found in that particular survey is 81% of whites knew about the incident but only 51% of whites felt it was an act of police brutality compared to 95% of black knowing about the incident and 81% saw the incident as police misconduct. On March 3, 1991 a videotape of the beating of Rodney King by four white officers shows yet another trend. On report, in early March, 94% White, 89% Latino, and 98 % African American seen this incident as an over use of force by the LAPD. This incident show a dramatic decrease in the approval rate of all groups but no group was as dramatic as the rate of African Americans. African Americans approval for the police declined to 26% after the Rodney King beating from a previous approval rate of 64% in 1988.

In the events of replacing Daryl Gates as chief of police with Willie Williams an African American in June 1992 improve the approval rate of the LAPD within the African American community to rate of 64 percent. To show how race of the victim does affect the views of the approval of the police department on April, 1, 1996, two sheriff deputies was caught on videotape beating two Mexican immigrants with their batons. These immigrants had reportedly evaded an Immigration and Naturalization checkpoint and led the officers on a 70 mile per hour chase. When this event was televised the rate in which Whites and African Americans approved of the practice of the LAPD had improved but the Latino community declined drastically.

These three incidents show how based on the race of the victim the population that identifies closely with that individual will have a decrease in their approval of the police department.

Many riots have been sparked from incidents of police misconduct. During the 1960's there was multiple incident that lead to racial tension. In New York (1964), an African American youth was shot and killed by an off duty police officer, Atlanta (1966) a patrolman shot and seriously wounded an African American that was suspected of auto theft, and in Tampa (1967) shot and fatally wounded a suspect of a burglary. After acts of police violence there is mostly a decline in the approval the police and civil unrest. In Urban neighborhoods there is already a certain degree of distrust for law enforcement. Residents of urban neighborhoods feel a sense of hostility toward police and their practices. While on the other hand the police also feel the same animosity toward the resident of the community. The police say they feel disrespect from the residents and have a sense of dislike when they approach them for questioning. These incidents of police brutality add to the racial tensions that already exist within the urban neighborhoods.

"The U.S. Constitution provides protections against human rights violations by police officers, primarily under the Fourth, Eighth, and Fourteenth amendments. The Fourth

Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures; the Eighth Amendment bars cruel and unusual punishments; and the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits any

state from depriving any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law (Shielded from Justice)".

"Under federal law, police officers may be prosecuted criminally under Reconstruction-era (1871) civil rights statutes.

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