Growing Relevance of Police Brutality in Modern Society
Police brutality and state-inflicted violence have become increasingly relevant topics in recent years. I agree with some points regarding the violent work stated by Seigel (2018), including the justification of brutality by the government to control and regulate society. The recent trend to reform police on the federal level is, first and foremost, the response to civil disobedience and not the genuine desire to keep people safe. An example of this development is the policy promoting accountable policing by Biden (“Fact sheet,” 2022).
Government Justifications and Political Motives Behind Policing Policies
While I think it is a positive sign for public safety, it is critical to remember that politicians typically implement profitable regulations. In this case, the federal government takes advantage of violence by addressing it legislatively and achieving support from Democrats. When there is no public response to police violence, it is safe to assume that most local governments are content with using force to regulate society, even if it comes to brutality.
Disagreement with Calls for Police Dissolution
However, I do not entirely agree with the other points mentioned in the paper. For instance, I think that “To shrink or dismantle the police is the surest and perhaps the only way to diminish their abuses” is a false perspective (Seigel, 2018, p. 28). After all, we can see that the degree of police violence is much higher in the United States than in other developed countries, even though all nations have functioning law enforcement (Picheta & Pettersson, 2020).
The Role of Civil Disobedience and Community Activism
It means it should be possible to achieve this level by forcing the government through civil disobedience. Community groups and political activists are exceptionally critical figures in this context because they can take advantage of the most notable brutality cases and advocate for peaceful protests.
Legislative Responses and the Path Toward Peaceful Reform
Biden’s legislation is the outcome of these situational processes, and it is essential to continue expressing discontent with the current state of police violence. In summary, I cannot agree with Seigel about the complete dissolution of the police. Still, people should convey their dissatisfaction to the government via peaceful protests to achieve positive change.
References
Fact sheet: President Biden to sign a historic executive order to advance effective, accountable policing and strengthen public safety. (2022). The White House. Web.
Picheta, R. & Pettersson, H. (2020). American police shoot, kill, and imprison more people than other developed countries. Here’s the data. CNN. Web.
Seigel, M. (2018). Violence work: policing and power. Race & Class, 59(4), 15-33. Web.