There have been many cases of tension between ethnic minorities and the police. This tension can be described as a more of ‘us and them’ causing a divide in society. The police do hold a great amount of power within society because as a community we look to them for help when in need. However many communities do not see it this way as they feel attacked and marginalised by the police, ever since cases such as the Stephen Lawrence case. So as a result this has had a massive knock on effect since the 90s on how the police are portrayed amongst many communities.…
The author Terrell Carver assesses the Marx’s social theory in his book (Marx’s Social Theory). This is a fascinating account of Terrell Carver about Marx’s social theory. Writer discusses the influence of Marx on almost every discipline of knowledge from aesthetics to theology, including anthropology, geography, jurisprudence, and history, almost all branches of philosophy, political science and psychology.…
Walker, S., & Katz, C. M. (2011). The police in America: An introduction (7th ed.).New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.…
The types of data most frequently discussed about police-community relations relate to the use of force, pedestrian or traffic stops, complaints and video data. What activists are often looking for is a way to measure how frequently police use forceful or inappropriately aggressive tactics when dealing with the public, and to be able to learn if those tactics are disproportionately used on certain segments of society, such as racial minorities or…
I believe that there are positive influences of police incorporation of community and social justice practices. “The presence of civilians within police complaint processes is said to enhance police credibility, accountability, and ultimately, public confidence in police services” (Watt, 1991). This approach to justice allows for positive growth among the community and the police.…
For most people, the police have been typically seen as the embodiment of fairness and impartiality. Contradictory to this mentality, social inequality exists in law enforcement, arguably the most in the police. This is due to the increased amount of contact with the general populace in their normal lives, as compared to the courts which only deal with the population when they are convicted. This essay will investigate the kinds of social inequalities present in the police, as well as the implications of these inequalities, namely gender specific, racial and sexual discriminations relating to females, ethnic minority groups, and the population in general.…
Conflict criminologists seek class equality as a crime prevention methods. In order to address issues and contentions raised about conflict criminology, conflict criminologists suggests that first, redistribution of power should result in lower crime rates overall, bond individuals together based on their shared belief systems, and making absolutely sure that there is diverse representation of the minority within the government (Turk,…
My thesis police brutality is a result of structural racism that is cohesively entwined with social conflict theory, Laissez Faire racism and institutional racism and consequently stereotyping. In this paper I will discuss the validity and the long term effect of police brutality within the African- American community. Concluding with my hypothesis on a solution that may lessen the chance of police brutality within the African American Community.…
Walker, S., & Katz, C. M. (2011). The police in America: An introduction (7th ed.). New York, NY:…
Police Brutality underscores the abuse of authority. Officers use strands of unreasonable attitudes of extreme measures when it is not necessary. Over time policemen have acted out in ways that demonstrate their abuse of authority, making this behavior now “familiar to the average citizen” (Geiselman). Unjustified shootings, fatal choking's, severe beating’s and rough treatment have all contributed to the current problem of police brutality in America. The fact of the matter is that most of these incidents go un-reported or un-noticed.…
Police in society have the role of maintaining order and safety by enforcing policies and laws. These roles provide a special authoritative power over the general population that can sometimes be misused. Unjustified loss of civilian life and other forms of assault by police officers can be explained by the following reasons: a fear of harm that causes knee-jerk negative fight or flight reactions, an invalid fear based on racism, and a lack of proper de-escalation training. All three of these causes have led to past and present cases of police officers overusing their power despite the lack of harm to the officers or public. Political cartoons, statistics, news articles, and real live footage of police officers…
Issues involving the police can clearly be seen by the American citizens on news channels and on social media. These issues bring about a great amount of debate and conflict of two opposing ideas about what is perceived as right and wrong as well as good and bad. However, if one is to look at the issue of police brutality and compare it to other issues that America is facing, he or she can see a reoccurring pattern of human behavior among them.…
Most evidence suggests that when law enforcement authorities use racial profiling, racial tension can easily become a problem in communities. If ethnic minorities are far more likely to be stopped by police, they tend to feel that they are being unfairly harassed as a result, and before long racial tensions build up between the police and the local community. A great example of this tension is the reaction sparked by the Ferguson trials. Historically, black riots are driven by a collective lack of faith in the justice system, and feelings that the concerns of the community remain unheard. David A. Harris professor of law at the university of Pittsburgh says, "Neither the police nor the public can make the streets safe by themselves; police work without public support will not do the whole job. The police and those they serve must have a real partnership, based on trust, dedicated to the common goal of suppressing crime and making the community a good place to live and work." How can we expect the police to form this crucial partnership with all this tension in between the police and community?…
A rift in the relationship between minorities like African-Americans, Hispanics, or low income neighborhoods can be warranted by the police’s reaction to crime in the impoverished neighborhoods. Police respond to crimes differently amongst minorities rather than white communities which can affect the relationship between minorities and the police force. Compared to the white communities the “police services are not as robust or effectively delivered to minority groups” (Ranapurwala, pg.2). Crime victimization continues because of the treatment and lack of acknowledgement the lower income feel from the police.…
Conducting ourselves as mature individuals could determine whether or not we’re taken seriously within society. Since the beginning of time, black, white, Hispanic, etc., have filed complaints against police officers, regardless of their maturity level or regardless of their own fault level. Is society too disrespectful to law enforcement? If civilians could walk in police officer shoes for one day would the complaint level decrease? This paper will focus on the perception of the police by measuring public complaints and identifying two key aspects that affect the relationships between law enforcement and civilians.…