Are Police Officers Above the Laws They Are Sworn to Uphold - Essay Example

Are police officers above the laws they are sworn to uphold? In the United s police officers are usually held to unusually high standards of moral aptitude. They are routinely required to perform a diverse set of tasks that necessitate a high degree of integrity in a policeman or woman. Increasingly though the American police is being caught in awkward situations acting illegally and completely outside of their authority. May be it is the high expectations or the requirements of an impossible job of maintaining integrity in the face of crime and violence, but police officers seem to be giving in to the pressure and acting like the very violent people they are trying to get off the streets in the first place. A better spotlight on police activities and education on human rights principles is much needed to re-align the interests of the American police force with those of the American public and at the same time, a system of public oversight needs to be established to make the police more accountable for their actions (Cohen 1975). Police corruption and violence take a huge toll on a society. The feelings of injustice and an increased marginalization of the less privileged are only amplified when a person is unlawfully targeted by the police. The increased police violence also brings with it the disappointment that nothing can be done to curb this tyranny undertaken by the police. This attitude is quite pervasive in the society, leading many people to view the law enforcement agencies as the enemy which seriously undermines their authority by giving people a reason to not cooperate with them if need be (Sherman 1978). It is true that many police officers remain conscientious and honest but still, there are others who use their authority to serve their own interests. Unfortunately, this attitude is a source of fear and harassment for their victim’ families and the related communities. These incidences of police violence are undermining the hard work being done by the government to improve the public image of these law enforcing agencies. And this fear is well justified asevery day in the courts, victims tell of severe beatings by the police. These beatings take place not only at the scene of the crime but sometimes at the police stations as well. This is a serious allegation as it means that sometimes more than one police officer is involved in the incidence. Police violence is usually a way of imparting justice which clearly is not a part of their job description. It is commonly accepted in the American legal system that a person is innocent until proven guilty. But the American police have acquired the reputation of being a law unto themselves. Many incidences are reported every year, where it is evident the a police man acted without any respect for people’s rights and imparted violence even though the situation could have been handled without the use of guns or batons (Sherman 1978). The profession of a policeman requires a lot of accountability, perhaps even more than a doctor’s. After all, only police officers have the authority to take away a person’s freedom and even life and no questions may be asked in certain situations. This power over people’s lives is also very visible which is why every police officer must hold himself to the greatest standard of honesty, integrity, equality and professionalism. Unfortunately, this does not always happen and instead many police officers are blinded into thinking that their authority over people’s lives is immortal and invincible (United Nations Office on Drug and Crime 2011). Law enforcement agencies must create procedures that subjugate police officers to public scrutiny in case of any violent or corrupt behavior. They must take responsibility for policemen demonstrating proper public behavior. (COPS 2009) Police force needs to build a sustainable relationship with the public by demonstrating honor and integrity. Police officers who are found guilty of race discrimination or use of excessive force must be dealt with severely. But unfortunately, police department is often involved in blatant cover ups of such incidences (Walker 2005). Accountability would mean a well-defined system of checks and balances for the police officers. Those who do not carry out their duties must be held responsible and at the same time, honest, hardworking people should be acknowledged. It has become extremely important to put in such a system because it is the only way law enforcement agencies can restore the public confidence in police. But it will not happen unless every police officer is made to take responsibility for his actions. There is also a need to provide police force with a better direction and understanding about what their actions mean and how everything they do is perceived by the general public. Police integrity measures to keep officers from abusing their powers have become a must (United Nations Office on Drug and Crime 2011). Many lawmakers and even members of the general public disagree with any measures to make police force more accountable. The usual excuse is that it may hinder the police from performing their job to the best of their abilities. But the fact is that police force has special powers that the common man does not have. Therefore, they should also be scrutinized and made accountable for the use of this power. However, reality is that police force and other law enforcement agencies are fighting this accountability every chance they get. They ban filming of their activities, and pressurize families of their victims to take back the law suits often times settling for millions of dollars out of the court (David 2010). Police violence can only be curbed by enhancing civilian control over police force; this will prove very beneficial for stopping police officers who are undemocratic and authoritarian. Americans must be insured of unbiased and timely investigations in the cases of police misconduct. And lastly, incidences of police corruption must not be tolerated at all. (United Nations Office on Drug and Crime 2011) Another big obstacle in tackling the issue of police violence is the attitude of people who have not become victims of this violence. Many Americans really do not understand how widespread this issue is. The most common argument is that they are “just a few bad apples”. The best way to counter this argument is of course by stating the current statistics. According to the recent data on police misconduct stated in the Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics report, “law enforcement officers appear to be involved in violent crime in a comparable rate with the general population. 432 officers out of every 100,000 compared to 454.5 people out of every 100,000.” (David 2010; Federal Bureau of Investigation n.d.) Both these numbers may be very small, but it is disturbing to see that they are almost equal. This shows that there is an overwhelming majority of people who do not commit crime and yet no one can claim that violent crimes are not a big concern. Similarly, the percentage of violent police officers is roughly the same as the percentage of violent members of our society. Police usually tends to misguide people by claiming that their violent tactics are just a way of keeping the public safe. This is the usual excuse to gather unconditional support from everyone. But the fact of the matter is that violent crimes carried out by police officers are just as big of an issue as violent crimes committed by non – police. People who wield out a camera to record unethical violent practices by the police men also deserve support as they are only doing it to defend themselves. Remember that there are seldom any witnesses to such incidences and those that are, do not get to tell their stories for fear of backlash from the police community (David 2010). Americans owe to the victims of these violent crimes committed by police, to make legislation and laws that promote accountability in the police force. The incidences are not new and will probably take place in the future as well because of the lack of responsibility. These occurrences have caused a wide spread backlash in American communities and still, all the American public gets is promises. It has been almost two decades since Rodney King was beaten mercilessly by a couple of police officers and later on, the courts conceded that nothing out of the ordinary happened. (LeDuff 2004) It took some community backlash to get punishments worthy of their crime for those policemen. American justice system has not evolved much since 1992. In February of 2012, a young boy, Ramarley Graham, was shot in his own house, because the police officers “thought” he had a gun. Similar is the story of AmadouDiallo, an African immigrant, who died in 1991 in the Bronx. It took 41 bullets from police issued guns to kill him (Stelloh and Al Baker 2012). Police officers have been known to engage in fatal choking, severe beatings, and rough treatment all over the United States. And all this while their superiors, the justice department and even common Americans just stand by and let it happen all in the name of peace and justice (Sherman 1978). Proper accountability measures should be taken at the state level to prevent the occurrence of such violent issues and to protect the freedom of the Americans. These laws would assist in the normal innocent citizens from becoming victims of police violence. Works Cited Cohen, Sylvan H. Police--community Problems: Essays on Malice in Blunderland. New York: MSS Information Corp, 1975. Print. COPS. Building Trust between the Police and the Citizens They Serve: An Internal Affairs Promising Practices Guide for Local Law Enforcement. Washington, DC: Department of Justice, 2009. Print. David. "Arguing the Case For Police Accountability." The National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project. 2010. Web. 3 Mar 2012. . Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I). Crime Statistics. United States. N.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2012. . LeDuff, Charlie. "12 Years After the Riots, Rodney King Gets Along." The New York Times. 19 Sep. 2004. Web. 3 Mar. 2012. . Sherman, Lawrence W. Scandal and Reform: Controlling Police Corruption. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978. Print. Stelloh, Tim, and Al Baker ."At Funeral of a Teenager Shot by the Police, Demands for Accountability."The New York Times. 18 Feb 2012. Web. 3 Mar. 2012. .Top of Form Bottom of Form United Nations Office on Drug and Crime.Handbook on Police Accountability, Oversight and Integrity. New York: United Nations, 2011. Print. Walker, Samuel. The New World of Police Accountability. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage, 2005. Print. Read More