Introduction
Police brutality means the unjustified and excessive use of force by a police officer or other member of the law enforcement sphere. These actions usually result in harm or even have lethal consequences. Police brutality includes all actions beyond the workers’ responsibilities. These activities violate societal norms and harm the ethical standards of behavior. Police brutality, especially against Black people, is widely seen presently and has become a serious concern; moreover, racial stereotypes and adjustments also significantly influence the development of police brutality. Still, police brutality has a significant impact on public life and creates various obstacles for Black people to fit into society and get an equal attitude.
Especially, Black people suffer the most from police brutality, and many unfair judgments occur about the role of Black people in such activity. For instance, I once heard a joke that black people no longer had to play the lottery. They just wait to get shot by the police and sue for copious amounts of money. This is an unfortunate reality for some individuals who have suffered police brutality.
Police Brutality
Police brutality is a serious issue that affects many people around the world. Police brutality is when a police officer uses excessive and unnecessary force on a victim, such as enough to cause injury and sometimes death. (Cuncic, 2022). These actions are harmful not only to society, but they also harm the image and reputation of law enforcement agencies, which should protect citizens equally. As a result, many precedents are created, which serve as a reason not to trust police officers.
Black Lives Matter
Police brutality became an object of discussion after a few demonstrations and movements aimed to reveal the issue. The Black Lives Matter movement is one of the activist groups responsible for bringing police brutality to the forefront. This movement occurred in 2013, and it was globally launched by fatal shootings in 2014 (Wilson & Wolfer, 2020). The main aim was to reveal the police brutality against Black people and its destructive impact on their lives.
Black Lives Matter focuses on the issues of racism, inequality, and negative attitudes toward Black Americans, including police violence. This movement greatly contributed to the reveal of police brutality. The media coverage of police brutality cases emerged, along with massive protests and activism.
Reforms
Significant changes in law enforcement structure, such as the use of body cameras to observe officers’ behavior towards the public (Wilson & Wolfer, 2020). This movement launched global processes in the world to demonstrate the presence of police brutality and its negative impact on society and the quality of life of Black people. Hence, the Black Lives Matter movement revealed the presence of police brutality against Black Americans, launched global processes and changes in law enforcement structure, and led to massive protests against unequal attitudes and prejudices.
Examples
To better understand the issue, it is necessary to examine some key examples. Some examples of police brutality include Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old black man pulled over for reckless driving; he was brutally beaten for 3 minutes, resulting in injuries that led to his death three days later. Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old black woman, was shot in her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky, as a search warrant was executed. Although the City of Louisville paid 12 million dollars to Breonna Taylor’s family, the three officers involved were not indicted.
George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died after being arrested for using a fake $20.00 bill. The arresting officer, Derek Chauvin, kept his knee on Floyd’s neck while he was handcuffed and lying face down on the ground. Even though the man pleaded for his life, the police officer remained in place, and other officers prevented bystanders from helping him.
The other disturbing example is the lack of support and interaction from police officers if the case is about Black people. For instance, Dontre Hamilton, a man who was shot 14 times by officers responding to a wellness check. The police interaction began with an inappropriate pat-down. Eric Garner died after being put in an illegal chokehold while repeating that he could not breathe 11 times; the officer was not charged with a crime.
John Crawford III was shot in a Walmart while holding a pellet gun being advertised for sale in the store. There was no confrontation in this situation, and no officers were charged. (Cuncic, 2022). Most, if not all, of these interactions could have had different outcomes, which would have resulted in meaningful interactions for both the police and the community members involved. Black people’s lives are being shortened unfairly. There continues to be a need to address police brutality to ensure a safe future for the following generation.
Causes of Police Brutality
Several factors contribute to the behavior of police officers, including both external and internal stimuli. According to Cuncic (2022), several factors can affect how officers perform their duties and interact with the public. These factors can interact and influence one another in various ways, making it challenging to pinpoint a single cause or solution. Some of these factors include individual-level factors, such as mental health and personal issues, as well as organizational-level factors, including the types of policies and the work environment.
Unfortunately, black and Native American men and women are more likely to die from police violence than white individuals. However, black men have a higher risk. Some steps that can be taken to reduce police brutality include implicit bias training, improved hiring practices, improved disciplinary and supervisory measures, mental health support for officers, and improved relationships between the police and the community. More measures include research and defunding the police. (Cuncic, 2022). Hence, it is essential to analyze the factors that mainly contribute to the development of police brutality and understand the core of the issue.
Police brutality and shootings have become more prevalent over time, and a new concern is rising, especially about the treatment of black people. Many new concerns arise due to police brutality, especially for Black women. For instance, it has now become a rising fear of black pregnant women; they are afraid of the treatment their children will receive at the hands of police, especially if their child turns out to be a boy- the stress from that is influencing maternal and infant outcomes.
Parents now need to prepare their children at a younger age for what to expect during interactions with the police. (Mehra et al., 2022). In a study by Mehra et al. (2022), researchers found that the anticipation of police brutality among black pregnant women was significantly associated with prenatal depression. I have always heard of black men being afraid of interactions with the police, but young black boys have also been gunned down unnecessarily, creating a new fear among mothers.
Strategies to Address Police Brutality
There is a need to find out ways to reduce police brutality and implement essential strategies. Cuncic (2022) described some ways to reduce police brutality. Some of these measures involve implicit bias training, which enables police officers to recognize and acknowledge their biases, allowing them to address them when they arise. Improved hiring practices, such as hiring individuals less prone to violence on the job and conducting personality assessments, are suggested ways to determine who is best suited for the job.
When there is no punishment for officers who engage in deadly force, it conveys to other members of the department that this type of conduct is permissible. Implementing adequate supervision and addressing inappropriate behaviors before they escalate sends a message to other officers about the department’s expectations. “…Police departments should begin to lead by example, and that starts with enforcing the law for police officers in the same way that it would be for civilians.” Providing adequate support for their mental health needs can help officers manage their stress and emotions and communicate well in high-stress situations by using de-escalation techniques instead of excessive force.
While implementing strategies to reduce police brutality levels, it is essential to address different social and mental issues among police officers. For instance, supporting officers struggling with PTSD and other mental health issues will significantly benefit them. Improve the relationship between police and the community- initiatives that put police officers in helping or educational positions instead of policing will help bridge gaps, especially in the black community, which is affected mainly by police brutality.
Carrying out studies is essential to further investigate and comprehend police brutality in all its different manifestations. Defunding police departments- directing money towards prevention has been discussed as a solution to police brutality (Cuncic, 2022). Other solutions proposed by Levinson-King (2020) include rewriting a particular police policy, “the use of force.” Some states now require officers to intervene and report when they witness excessive force being used by another officer. Although each jurisdiction might have different policies, it is essential to rewrite them, although many departments do not until after high-profile police killings.
Another solution was to “police the police,” but this solution should be accurately analyzed. This might be challenging, as police work in a closed system where loyalty is highly valued, and there is limited external oversight. There is a push from Congress to mandate the use of body cameras nationwide. However, there is little evidence to show that they effectively prevent violence. Most of the footage exposing police brutality is said to be filmed by citizens, not police cameras. (Levinson-King, 2020). Additionally, police officers can turn off their cameras, especially if their colleagues share similar views and stereotypes. In this case, it is essential to find an efficient mechanism to minimize all risks and make this strategy efficient and protective.
Need for Holistic Solutions
There are many solutions to this social issue of police brutality, but not one of these solutions is effective on its own. These solutions must work hand in hand to help the police force and benefit the community they serve to reduce police brutality. Firstly, the government should take a proactive position in addressing the issue, as well as society. It is needed to implement a strict and precise description of the use of force by law enforcement agencies (Drakulich et al., 2021). Punishment should be included for not following the norms of using excessive force.
Secondly, society should be actively engaged in the process, and its advocacy should be presented. Cooperation with various local or community organizations is necessary to explore additional ways to support individuals who face police brutality (Drakulich et al., 2021). Thirdly, global cultural changes are needed, as police brutality against Black people has a historical background, and many of the past stereotypes are widely seen presently. Lastly, a clear understanding of the role of diversity in peoples lives should be established to reduce the gap between Black Americans and White Americans (Drakulich et al., 2021). Hence, these solutions should be combined and implemented in a step-by-step manner to make them efficient.
Urgency of the Issue
Police brutality in the USA is an issue that should be addressed and solved immediately. The mentioned movement, Black Lives Matter, has significant support worldwide, but is not as well-supported in the USA. Americans do not understand the reasons why the gap between Black and White Americans exists (Wilson & Wolfer, 2020). As a result, low support from them is observed. However, an understanding of the stimuli that launched the movement would help address the issue of police brutality. For instance, there are two main reasons for this movement.
The first one is the police attitude and actions toward Black Americans, and the second one is racial prejudices, which usually serve as the basis for police brutality (Wilson & Wolfer, 2020). Many people do not understand the goal of the movement and may regard it as an attempt to violate their civil rights and change the racial status quo. In this case, it is essential to highlight cases of police brutality and reflect the movement’s goals. Thus, understanding the origin and primary goal of Black Lives Matter can help address the issue of police brutality and foster greater societal support for the movement.
Conclusion
To sum up, police brutality is a serious problem presently, which is seen mostly against vulnerable populations. The main contribution to it is made because of racial stereotypes and prejudices. Furthermore, police brutality negatively influences the quality of life of people, especially Black Americans. These populations experience unequal attitudes from the police officers. There were many cases of police brutality observed, and the most severe of them launched massive protests, such as Black Lives Matter. This movement brought about significant changes in the law enforcement system and sparked global protests and activism. These activities helped to reveal the acts of police brutality and implement different measures to prevent these destructive actions. However, the mentioned strategies are helpful when used simultaneously and in a step-by-step approach. In this case, these measures, with government support, would be efficient and could improve the quality of life for Black people.
References
Mehra, R., Alspaugh, A., Franck, L. S., McLemore, M. R., Kershaw, T. S., Ickovics, J. R., Keene, D. E., & Sewell, A. A. (2022). “Police shootings, now that seems to be the main issue” – Black pregnant women’s anticipation of police brutality towards their children. BMC Public Health, 22(1).
Wilson, B. L., & Wolfer, T. A. (2020). Reducing police brutality in African American communities: Potential roles for social workers in congregations. Social Work and Christianity, 47(3), 66-84.
Drakulich, K., Wozniak, K. H., Hagan, J., & Johnson, D. (2021). Whose lives mattered? How white and black Americans felt about black lives matter in 2016. Law & Society Review, 55(2), 227-251.
Levinson-King, R. (2020). George Floyd death: Seven solutions to US police problems. BBC News.
Cuncic, A. (2022). The psychology behind police brutality. Verywell Mind.