The article written by Seth W. Stoughton talks about the need to review police training, which have been major contributors to avoidable deaths. In the recent past, there have been reports of killings involving the police, especially those that affect black men. The killings are blamed on police being consciously racist and do not value black lives; the notion is, however, is not entirely true. However, it is widely acknowledged that police training in America is among the best in the world (Stoughton, 2014). Many would then ask why there are many deaths brought about by the police in scenarios that can be avoided. The police training would attribute to police killing innocent citizens. During the training, the police officer is taught to prioritize his/her safety (Stoughton, 2014). The police are trained to mitigate any threat to their lives because overlooking it would be fatal for them. Therefore, the need to review the police training process to maintain a cordial relationship between the police and the community will stop the unnecessary deaths.
Much of the emphasis on police training is on their safety. During training, the police officer is meant to witness how lack of vigilance can prove fatal for their lives. Training is done through videos that show horrific videos of the police officer’s last moments at the suspects’ hands. The police are also trained through hands-on exercise (Stoughton, 2014). Hands-on activities are meant to show the police the consequences of underestimating what the suspect is capable of doing since it is within that split second that the suspect can utilize the opportunity and cause injury or/and death to the police officer. Therefore, the police are taught to take action if a threat is perceived and not hesitate to shoot the suspect if they feel threatened. Hesitation could prove fatal and would mean fatality for them. In most cases, police shootings are due to anger, hatred, or frustrations. However, the fear for their lives is the main reason why a police officer would shoot at somebody. They are taught to be afraid and treat fear as their means of survival. Therefore, in most cases, the police will tend to act irrationally and allow their emotions to control them.
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Police training should be comprehensive to prevent loss of life or injury to both the police and the suspect. The use of weaponry should be their last resort in handling a situation. Police should look into the implementation of initiatives such as community policing which have contributed to reducing police fatalities in the recent past. Such an initiative fosters the relationship between the community and police officers. Therefore, violence against a police officer will decrease significantly. Secondly, police training needs to look into the racial biases; to overcome police officers’ view that black men pose a threat to their safety. Thirdly, the training should aim to equip the police officer with skills in identifying actual threats. Fourthly, the training should aim at providing the police officer with alternative tactics that minimize the use of force. Lastly, the training should aim at changing the mindset of police officers to prioritize the preservation of life rather than the use of force to cause death (Stoughton, 2014). Police executives should also review the training and the reasons behind a police officer’s shooting at a citizen so as help prevent future occurrences of the error. Therefore, a lot needs to be done in terms of how training the police is concerned so as to avoid unnecessary deaths due to the police.
Reference
Stoughton, S. W. (2014, December 12). How police training contributes to avoidable deaths . The Atlantic. Retrieved April 9, 2021, from https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/police-gun-shooting-training-ferguson/383681/
