The Use of Police Force in the United States and United Kingdom - Literature review Example

 The Use of Police force in the U.S. and UK Police officers are a vital unit in the society. The officers have a mandate of protecting the society as well as maintaining stability and peace within the community. However, it is heartbreaking to realize that police departments are majorly paying attention to law enforcement, issuing citations and making arrests (Balko, 2013). Militarized police techniques in addition to the perceived roles of police officers have increased chances of Americans being killed. Currently, American citizens are eight times more probable to be executed by a police officer compared to a terrorist. The passage of the legislation in 1994 by federal government permitting Pentagon to provide surplus military paraphernalia that was intended for Cold War to local police units to curb war on drugs has contributed to excessive use police force and brutality when responding to scenes (Ruckle, 2014). Thus, weaponry that was designed purposely for foreign battlefield has permitted and handed over to the police to use on American streets and against American citizens. Therefore, when the USA military tackles terrorism abroad, the local police use similar equipment at home to resolve internal security problems. Many American citizens have perished in the hands of police officers both in the line of duty or not. The deaths have occurred due to application of force in extenuating circumstances majorly when responding to the scene. Other incidences leading to deaths by police include police brutality and accidents. Some of the deaths occurring may be considered justifiable homicide. The USA Supreme Court in Tennessee v Garner argues that the police officers are granted use of deadly force by state law to state and local law enforcement groups in their line of duty thereby constituting justifiable homicide (Ruckle, 2014). Annually, an average of 400 Americans die through justifiable homicide. A good example of the demise by police and citizens are the deaths of U.S police officer, a British teenager, Alex Hollinghurst and her American boyfriend Brandon Goode in Orlando, Florida (Hollinghurst, 2014). Despite the US government, lacking a database gathering information related to statistics of police shootings every year, approximately between 500 to 1000 Americans perish in the hands of police officers annually. From 9/11, police officers have killed an average of 5000 Americans, a number that is nearly equivalent to the total number of US soldiers lost in line of duty within Iraq (Ruckle, 2014). According to mike Prysner, one of the directors of Los Angeles chapter for ANSWER, epidemic of police harassment, as well as violence, constitutes a nationwide problem. Moreover, he asserts that ANSWER tries to hold police officers accountable for their abuse of power. Police brutality has been a major controversial issue with police officers killing 13 people in Southern California in May 2013 (Ruckle, 2014). Consequently, CATO Institute’s National Police Misconduct Reporting Project asserts that, in 2010, it recorded 4861 exclusive reports on police misconduct concerning 6613 freshly sworn in police officers as well as 6826 alleged victims (Ruckle, 2014). The majority of the allegations concerning police brutality entailed officers who hit or punched victims with batons. However, approximately a quarter of such cases involved stun guns or firearms. Prysner continues to assert that racism forms the biggest element to police killings (Ruckle, 2014). Thus, most of those killed by White police officers include Blacks and the Latinos and this constitutes racism. According to Prysner, it entails a badge of honor for police officers to shoot gang members and, therefore, they go out targeting and shooting people who resemble gang members. For example, police officers executed 34-year-old Rigoberto Arceo on May 11 (Ruckle, 2014). According to one of the reports from Los Angeles times, Arceo was a biomedical technician working at St. Francis Medical Center. A police officer executed him after exiting from his sister’s car. However, The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department argues that Arceo had advanced the on the deputy police officer and had attempted to snatch the deputy’s gun (Ruckle, 2014). Conversely, Armando Garcia, a 53 year old and a sister to the deceased who was barbecuing at the time of the event, claims that his brother had his hands raised above his head in the entire period of the incident. Moreover, an anti- racist organization known as Malcolm X Grassroots Movement backs Prysner’s assertion that race plays a critical role in officer-linked violence. Through a study conducted in May, the group established that police officers, self-appointed vigilantes, or security guards executed no less than 313 Black Americans in 2012 (Ruckle, 2014). This translates to U.S .A. law enforcers’ executing a Black person every 28 hours. This is because American police have developed a mentality that increased application of power against a citizen is justified regardless of the situation. The officers do not understand that, in most instances, they are behind the rise in chaos and bear more responsibility in the event of an adverse outcome (Ruckle, 2014). Further, the rising incidences of excessive use of force by police officers occur due to police misunderstanding and lack of knowledge and ethics in dealing with various individuals (Balko, 2013). For example, when conducting a search, instead of police officers making a simple request of a suspect, many officers make confrontational and difficult path. This inflames citizens thereby exposing the officers in real as well as increased jeopardy. Prysner also advocates for a review and change in the relationship between community members and the police department. Moreover, he is of the view that in case a police officer shoots an unarmed citizen, who has surrendered by placing his or her hands in the air over the head, such an officer needs punishment. This is because such a murder does not include justifiable homicide, which is the only justifiable killing circumstance among police officers permitted by the law. According to Prysner, this tendency of police using force in responding to scenes constitutes a grave misconduct that needs an independent investigator. This is because the police force cannot investigate itself and bring to the public unbiased findings and recommendations. According to Mint Press News report, Minneapolis misconduct review board is toothless and unnecessary since out of the 439 incidences of police misconduct brought before the committee, there is no action that has been taken so far to discipline even one officer involved in the brutally (Balko, 2013). Further, is it logical for the city of Minneapolis to spent $14 million as compensation payments for purported police misconduct between the years 2006 to 2012 yet the Minneapolis Police Department clearing the officers alleged to have committed the misconduct? Similarly, British police officers kill unarmed citizens and never face prosecution. For instance, when British police officer, Simon Harwood killed Ian Tomlison, a UK citizen, the director of public prosecution failed to charge him despite presence of clear video evidence showing the officer knocking the deceased to the ground (Gilbert, 2010). His death occurred due to abdominal hemorrhage caused by an injury sustained from the knocking and falling on the ground. This action angered many Britons who took to the streets. This proves that police officers cannot be their own judges thus the need for the establishment of an independent police oversight committee or commission. Some police departments have banned use of Tasers in order to curb incidences of police misconduct. However, the purpose of the initiative is to protect such individual departments from lawsuits other than that officers are not provided with machines associated with causing serious or fatal injuries to citizens when used. In case police department continues with its brutality on American citizens, then the resources spent on the force should spend in the community to initiate development projects rather than give to officers to purchase more assault rifles, guns, and body armor, which they use to cause misery to innocent citizens (Balko, 2013). This is because the worsening relationship between police and the community is dangerous to the local government and the national government since it threatens the security and reduces public confidence in the police force. For example, existence of a bad relationship between police officers and a community can make the public hide certain vital information leading to arrest of a wanted criminal. The situation can occur since the public fear police officers and that they can kill the suspected criminal when they find him. Dissatisfied with police officers’ conduct of brutality and polices, some citizens have established volunteer police watch groups to curb the ostensible “Blue Code of Silence” effect as well as support police officers to condemn misconduct associated within their department (Ruckle, 2014). In order to curb rising incidences of police brutality and use of force when responding to the scene, police departments have conducted training programs for it officers on how to properly use weapons, knowledge and understanding of police ethics, varying cultures entailed in a community as well as conflict resolution skills. However, the initiative has not been productive due to shifting in priorities as well as tighter budgets within the police department. According to the president of both the Police Executive Research Forum as well as the Major Cities Chiefs Association, Charles Ramsey, the failure by police department to accomplish the mission constitutes the biggest mistake. This is because police need training that prepares them to tackle high stress situations in society (Ruckle, 2014). Moreover, despite the need for police officers to guarantee protection while on duty, it is unnecessary for them to wear Kevlar helmets, body armor, and tactical equipment vests while at the same time possessing assault weapons. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund display statistics revealing that out of 900000 police officers sworn in, 120 officers were executed when on duty. The worst scenario was in September 11, 2001 whereby 72 officers perished (Ruckle, 2014). However, the number is lower compared to Americans killed by the officers during that period. This calls for reexamination of the situation and change of perception that policing should entail protection and not combat. Police officers in the UK play similar roles to those in America. They apprehend criminals, prevent, and protect crime as well as safeguarding of public order. Unlike police officers in America, police in UK generally do not carry firearms except those from Northern Ireland (Kelly, 2012). However, some of them use force when responding to a crime scene thereby leading to death and injury of citizens. Similarly, to America, police in Great Britain are permitted to use force as a tactic of the last option to prevent or curb anticipated harm. Police officers are alleged to kill citizens due to use of force when responding to a crime scene. For instance, uniformed police officer, Simon Harwood, is alleged to have killed Ian Tomlison yet the director of public prosecution declined to charge him for the offence in London (Gilbert, 2010). However, there have been concerns that the police force has not adhered to minimum use of force more so when dealing with people from Asian, Caribbean and African and other minority communities. Just like in America, police officers in Great Britain tend to be racial bias with the Whites recording a satisfactory experience of service compared to people of African, Asian or those from islands of the sea who constitute minor communities. Therefore, majority of people from minority groups in UK are less satisfied with police duties and actions and deem them unfair to thereby less willing to cooperate with the officers (Bowling & Philips, 2003). Thus, racial discrimination and stereotypes used by police officers has exposed people from minor communities to more police harassment and brutality compared to Whites. For example, when people from minor communities report incidences of crime, they get treated with suspicion and often asked to display their passports. Moreover, people from minority communities were exposed to persistent foot and vehicle stops, arbitrary arrest, violence on arrest, racial abusive questioning, punitive as well as indiscriminate attacks, victimization on reporting a crime as well as use of paramilitary equipment (Bowling & Philips, 2003). A major incidence of police brutality occurred Brixton in 1981 when police officers were instructed to question any suspicious looking person. In the process, 118 people were arrested of which more than half of the population comprised people of African origin. Consequently, during the operation, more than 300 people were injured thus due to police brutality (Bowling & Philips, 2003). Therefore, the riots in Manningham, Bradford in June 1995 clearly proved use of force by Great Britain. The event saw a violent confrontation between police officers and the public since the public had lost faith in the police due to police brutality. In UK, approximately 70 people died in police custody or when in the hands of police in the period of 2001 - 2002, a 32% increase compared to the year 2000 (Bowling & Philips, 2003). Just like in America, the bulk of those who died in the hands of police due to the use physical force and excluding the use of guns are from the minority groups. Moreover, statistics in 2002 – 2003 indicate a significant increase in the overall number of deaths from 7 in 2001- 2002 to 23 in the period 2002 -2003. Surprisingly, most of those who perished included 11 blacks and 7 Asians (Bowling & Philips, 2003). Just like in the US, UK police officers also perish when performing their duties. A good example entails the awful execution of two WPC’s in Manchester on September 18, 2012 (Bowling & Philips, 2003). Moreover, the death of PC Christopher Francis of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary who perished in 1997 from a fatal illness after being spat on during a football fracas. According to the Police Roll of Honour Trust, more than 248 police officers have perished when responding to crime scenes (Sherwood, 2012). Such deaths are attributed mostly to shootings, stabbings, and vehicle crash when pursuing suspects and knock over by suspects. This situation is sad since the officers die in pursuit of criminals. Similarly, number of deaths of police officers is lower compared to those of citizens over the entire period covered by the statistics. In both U.S and Great Britain, there is a need to improve police relations in handling public disorder, between police and communities, improved management in police trainings, balance in recruitment of police officers from varied race and ethnic backgrounds. However, in UK there has been a positive change in attitude towards police officers in the society. For instance figures obtained from 2006 BCS survey, 56% of the black population have positive perceptions towards police officers, 53% among Asians and 48% among the sampled white population (Kelly, 2012). Moreover, there is need to increase public confidence in police force through enhanced consultation References Balko, R (2013). “How did America’s police become a military force on the streets?” ABA Journal. Retrieved April 15, 2014 from http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/how_did_americas_police_become_a_milit ary_force_on_the_streets/ Bowling, B., & Philips, C. (2003). “Policing Ethnic Minority Communities”. LSE Research Online. Retrieved April 15, 2014 from http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/9576/1/Policing_ethnic_minority_communities_%28LSERO%29. pdf Gilbert, J. (2010). “Ian Tomlinson's death caused by police kittling”. Community Party of Great Britain. Retrieved April 15, 2014 from http://www.cpgb.org.uk/home/weekly- worker/828/ian-tomlinson-s-death-caused-by-police-kettling Hollinghurst, A. (2014). “British teenager dies after US police officer shot dead”. Retrieved April 15, 2014 from http://www.itv.com/news/story/2014-03-24/british-teenager-alex- hollinghurst-dies-after-us-police-officer-shot-dead/ Kelly, J. (2012). “Why British police don’t have guns”. BBC News. Retrieved April 15. 2014 from http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19641398 Ruckle, K. (2014). “US Police Have Killed Over 5,000 Civilians Since 9/11”. Retrieved April 15, 2014 from http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36807.htm Sherwood, M. (2012). “British Police Officer Deaths 1900 – 2012”. Retrieved April 15, 2014 from http://michaelisherwood.com/2012/09/british-police-officer-deaths-1900-2012/ Read More