Paper Example on Police Brutality in USA: The Case of George Floyd and Beyond

Introduction

There have been rising police brutality cases in the United States of America, with the latest case being the murder of George Floyd. It has led to the development of reliable and vigilant court systems to address this current matter of the rising incidences of police brutality and racial bias; one is left wondering how safe society is when those responsible for maintaining order become implicated in violent acts. Prejudicial attitudes that led to past violence are present in the current policing system; hence there is a need for reforms.

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Policies and Concept Ways of Stopping Police Brutality

Reconfiguration of Grand Juries

Although there is no intrinsic relationship between the panel and the police department, the entrenchment of the current system is broad enough to assert that the judicial system is an extension of police beliefs. Consequently, prosecutors and attorneys work in harmony to enforce their cases, hence it would benefit the society by having an active jury that will not only wait for testimonies but also promote investigation, especially in homicide cases (Charles et al., 2015). Society permits extrajudicial killings from police officers; furthermore, police officers benefit from the doubt due to the nature of their jobs (Worden, 2015). The result of such bias is the reluctance of the grand juries to indict cops arraigned in court for killings, a fit that not only encourages the continuation of the killing act but guarantees safety to those responsible.

Surveillance

Surveillance is one way of collecting intelligence on would-be criminal acts. Monitoring black neighborhoods is an ongoing event with records of police not only beating up attesting individuals, but they also go further than stealing from the suspects coupled with smashing up homes. All the above acts occur after serving warrants while also using surveillance results to turn families or lovers against each other. Ongoing debates assert the need for the public to start monitoring police actions, too, using tools like dashboard cameras. Although most police systems declare the financial constraint in the installation of dashboard cameras, some scholars speculate that the model is a way for the police to protect themselves. By also surveilling the police, common ground will exist upon which brutality cases will have accompanying evidence to corroborate the current issue.

Sensitivity Training

Across different police departments, sensitivity training is a priority, especially after the Ferguson killing of George Floyd (O'Connell et al., 2020). However, findings show that not all sensitivity training are equal; because some training outcomes leave gaps and chances for manipulation and error in judgments. According to different sociological thinking, masculinity threat occurs when men feel threatened concerning their manhood, an explanation aimed at helping understand the motive behind the killings aside from racial bias (Charles et al., 2015). Consequently, most police officers are reluctant to enforce sensitivity training programs in the belief that the programs demean their personalities.

Community oversight

Democracy calls for public servants being accountable for their actions. This fit works best in the presence of outside independent forces, which is the way behind politicians facing an electorate or congress investigation into the executive branch. However, concerning the police department, the oversight becomes inefficient. While the above arguments present surveillance and sensitivity training as core aspects of mitigating police brutality, the public does need empowerment to implement and champion for changes in the police department.

Opinion and Recommendation on the Matter

While department accountability encompasses all the above propositions, it further includes instilling cultural change in the police system. Most data concerning police shooting is absent; hence the call is for police system to be upfront concerning the data they hold. Through the exact determination of the figures, it becomes possible to put measures in place to stop police brutality. Therefore, instead of asserting the norm of confidentiality, it is possible to make changes without ruining the police system. No department wishes to deal with police brutality; hence the call is for concerned departments to put measures in place that prevent such embarrassing activities.

Conclusion

The police force is in the immediate environment with the citizens; hence they are responsible for making arrests. However, by practicing brutality and racial bias in carrying out their duties, society deems them more of a threat than safety promoters. Needfully, the recommendations focus on both the police force and civilians. Most civilians already have a mentality of how brutal police can be; thus, the call is to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

References

Worden, R. E. (2015). The causes of police brutality: Theory and evidence on police use of force (Vol. 2, pp. 149-204). Routledge, New York, NY, ed.

Charles, D., Himmelstein, K., Keenan, W., Barcelo, N., & White Coats for Black Lives National Working Group. (2015).

White coats for black lives: medical students responding to racism and police brutality. Journal of urban health, 92(6), 1007-1010. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11524-015-9993-9.pdfO'Connell, Ph.D., M., Omollo, J., Robertson-James, Ph.D., C., Rush, C., & Taylor, Ph.D., C. J. (2020).

Can We Talk?... A Dialogue on Race, Racism, and# George Floyd. https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1097&context=explorercafe