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Brutality
Criminal justice and security agencies are constantly accused of police brutality or exceeding the amount of force needed to subdue the suspect. With what policies and procedures do the officers, security or protective services use to determine the level of force? As (Huseyin, 2009) states society expects law enforcement officers to perform their duties in a professional manner, enforcing laws and maintaining peace within the community. The society also requires peace officers to maintain peace with peaceful means. The use of police force is a legal duty and obligation, but, unfortunately, the practice may be misused or abused by law enforcement officers who do not distinguish between the thin line of legal or essential use and excessive use of force. The ethical decision process of when to increase force comes from some standard training. Training teaches law enforcement that if the officer is in danger of being harmed or potential to harm others then force can be increased.

The escalation of force procedure is a process of how to increase the use of force and under what circumstances. Stress and occupational factors are huge factors of excessive force used on suspects. The common causes of stress are changing work schedules and excessive hours. The lack of family support and rest can affect the mental state of law enforcement. By changing the level of stress with law enforcement this will help with preventing police brutality. Research has shown that although there is a common relationship between an individual’s attitudes and behaviors, there are various definitions of attitude (Huseyin, 2009). The attitudes of police officers are direct influences on how they will react in certain situations. The training of officers in how to deal with stress and ethical situations can limit the cases of brutality. The accusations of police brutality will always be present in the law enforcement. Making officers more accountable for their actions by recording and reviewing every incident can help juries see the reasoning behind the amount of force used. With the recorded proof the officer’s professional ethics can be eliminated as cause for brutality. Relying on training and escalation of force procedures can limit the amount of brutality cases brought against law enforcement officials. The trust of law enforcement must be renewed in order to truly protect and serve within the community.

Akdogan, Huseyin. Understanding and preventing police use of excessive force: An analysis of attitudes toward police job satisfaction and human rights laws; University of North Texas, ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing, 2009.

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