Policing in the U.S. is a sensitive issue because there are contradictory opinions about how law enforcement ought to carry out its mandates with the interest of the public. Some Americans feel that the budget for law enforcement should be cut down while others feel it should be increased. However, there are various conflicting perspectives about the police in the United States and how they ought to do their jobs to ensure that all Americans are protected. The implicit racial bias has been responsible for the brutal conduct of the police in the country, which explains why the rating of American policing has slumped in the last decade. Americans feel that law enforcement racially profiles people of color which leads to increased police brutality and the negative perception of police.
Confidence Levels in Policing
There is an apparent high level of public mistrust in law enforcement which translates to low confidence in the ability of law enforcement to dispense fair justice to all people. For instance, there is a large number of minority communities especially African Americans who report that they might not report a crime because they do not have confidence in the police force. For instance, statistics show that blacks and Hispanics have a 20% likelihood of reporting a crime compared to the 80% for white Americans (Ekins, 2020). Moreover, although locals have a responsibility to report crime to law enforcement, the police can also push the people into complying. The down side is that the people are helping the police because they have no alternative. Willful cooperation is the best solution to achieving lasting police-civilian cooperation.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Revising Police Tactics
Research shows that about 73% of African Americans believe that police will use brutal force against them which is significantly higher than white Americans who stand at 35%. Most whites believe that police are more likely to be polite when dealing with them as compared to hispanics who argue that they feel they are treated much better than African Americans but worse than African Americans. From these perceptions, it is correct to deduce that most of the community groups believe that American law enforcement is likely to use brutal force even without serious provocation. The research shows that Republicans have a leaning on the side of the police which infers that they are more satisfied with the work of the police compared to democrats who believe that the police in the U.S. are racial. Policing in America draws broad opinions from lawmakers to the international community (Ekins, 2020). Republicans are considered pro-police because they are predominantly white; hence they are better treated by law enforcement who are predominantly white. Democrats are regarded as minority community sympathizers, infers that they are not anti-police but are more perceptive and reactive to actions by law enforcement to minorities.
Courteousness
Whites are more likely than African Americans and Hispanic to think their local police departments are nice. Similarly, Republicans (74%) are over 30% more likely than Democrats (48%) to believe their local police officers operate professionally. (Ekins, 2020). The rationale for the rating is that law enforcement is perceived to be selectively courteous depending on whom they are dealing with. African Americans rate the police because of their treatmemt The low rating from African Americans is because police in the U.S. have been accused of treating people of color harshly Ekins, 2020). For instance, while a white person can walk freely at night in his neighborhood without suspicion and even get escorted by the local patrol unit, a black person is not treated the same as the white.
Racial Neutrality
Racial Neutrality is a term used to describe someone who is not prejudiced against the minority race. White Americans 64% are significantly more likely than black and Hispanic Americans (31 percent and 42 percent, respectively) to have relatively high confidence in their local police agencies treating all racial groups fairly (Ekins, 2020). Democrats (40%) believe the police are less impartial contrary to the Republicans (78%) who have a lot of trust in the police/ do. The most significant factor in policing in the United States is the issue of racial discord and police conduct. Law enforcement has been accused of propagating violence on minority communities without facing any consequences. For instance, the Black Lives Matter movement started because two white police officers failed to uphold the protocol for making arrests. The officers mistreated a civilian who was neither armed nor resisting arrest until he died. If the police had recorded the case there is a possibility that it would have been one of those cold cases where the officer reportedly acted in "self-defense".
Interaction of Americans with Law Enforcement
What officers do during active hours and after work can be used to assess their behavior. Whether it's during business hours or after hours, officers' conduct is important to the community (Ekins, 2020). In any event, police personnel reside among the civilians in the areas. The degree of closeness between these two groups is largely determined by law enforcement behavior.
Contact with the police
A quarter of African Americans and Hispanics claim a police officer has used abusive language or vulgarity with them, compared to 15% of white Americans (Ekins, 2020). Whites who are highly subservient to police are less likely to recall experiences with police swearing, according to the research. Deferential blacks and Latinos, on the other hand, do not report receiving preferential treatment. Also, a majority of African Americans report a higher percentage of knowing someone who was physically attacked by the police (Ekins, 2020). Moreover, there is a higher likelihood of being stopped by police for low-income minority communities as opposed to high-income white Americans. In addition, most people of color will be stopped by police despite observing speed limits and all the traffic regulations. Another form of contact occurs where people of color reported a 70% infringement on their privacy because the police invaded their homes and searched them without a warrant (Ekins, 2020). African Americans who are stopped by police are subjected to thorough searches despite having not committed any crime.
Perception of the Criminal Justice System
Only 42% of Americans feel that the United States' justice system handles all racial groups equally. A majority of Americans (45%) feel the legal system in the United States favors white people, while only 13% say black and Hispanic people are treated better (Ekins, 2020). In contrast to 17 percent of African Americans and 27 percent of Hispanic Americans, nearly half of whites (49 percent) feel the court system treats all races equally. Only around a third of Republicans who aren't white agree. White Republicans stand apart, with a large majority (65%) believing that the legal system serves all people equally. White and non-white Democrats alike believe the system is rigged. Despite the fact that many people believe the system is prejudiced in general, whites (77 percent), Hispanics (72 percent), and blacks (60 percent) believe law enforcement will treat them equally.
Nearly half of Americans (49%) feel that "most" cops believe they are "above the law." African Americans (61%) and Hispanics (61%) are far more likely than whites (46%) to feel that most cops believe they are above the law. Instead, the majority of whites (54%) feel that cops do not believe they are above the law.
Cops, according to 46% of Americans, are a good thing. According to 6 percent of Americans, police misconduct is "generally not" held accountable. 64 percent of black Americans, compared to 43 percent of white Americans. A narrow majority of Hispanics (51%) believe that cops are not held liable. The majority of Democrats (59%) are concerned that police officers are not held responsible. In contrast, a large majority of Republicans (76%) and a slight majority of independents (51%) believe cops are held liable (Ekins, 2020). Therefore, there is a lot of permissiveness as to what police officers can do and get away with. The unwillingness to have the police officers responsible for their actions is responsible for the widening chasm of distrust between civilians and law enforcement.
Public Opinion of what needs to be done
The civilian body in the U.S. agrees that the overall spending on police should not be cut; instead, it needs to be raised to allow for more officer civilian ratio, which would improve policing. There are various suggestions of what needs to be done to improve policing, which include:
Use of Body Cameras
According to statistics, 89 percent of Americans support police body cameras, with a narrow majority (51 percent) prepared to raise taxes to pay for them and allow officers to review the tape before making public statements (52 percent) (Ekins, 2020). Body cams, according to three-quarters of respondents, protect both officers and citizens equally. The use of body cams has been lauded as a move in the right direction. Civilians argue that using these cams is necessary for establishing whether an officer's behavior towards a civilian was warranted. Moreover, they help ascertain whether instances of lethal force used was required (Ekins, 2020). As a result, they help make the police more accountable because they understand that the footage will be reviewed to screen for irregularities in the statement. However, there is an emerging trend where officers choose not to turn on the cams when dealing with a suspect. The rationale for this action is baseless, with some citing that there was no adequate time to switch it on or it was not working.
Investigating police misconduct
About 80% of Americans support having outside authorities conduct police misconduct. They argue that internal investigations are marred with bribery and the unwillingness of police chiefs to expose their officers (Ekins, 2020). The common argument is that exposing an officer means exposing the entire police department to audit and investigation by the justice department. As a result, police brutality is often uninvestigated plus many other crimes meted by the police on innocent civilians. Moreover, various police misconduct is not investigated, such as unlawful searches and racial profiling (Ekins, 2020). Consequently, the police have considered themselves above the law, explaining why the misconduct is breeding more rapidly. The need to have a neutral investigating body is paramount if civilians are to regain confidence in the ability of law enforcement to protect their interests.
Training
An overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens agree that there is a need to retrain the police. Police officers need to be retrained to identify situations where force is required and where it is not necessary (Peeples, 2020). This retraining will help police officers to relate more humanely with civilians and vice versa. In training, police officers need to be taught how to avoid bias and prejudice associated with racial differences and economic endowment. Many crimes perpetrated by police have been against people of color (Ekins, 2020). Suspicion and mistrust that police harbor against African Americans have to cease if civilians trust the law enforcers. Consequently, officers need to be equipped with social skills to learn how to interact proactively with the civilians, prompting the locals to be more forthcoming in reporting crime.
Protocol
Americans unanimously argue that police must follow protocol as stipulated in the police code of conduct. The law requires that an officer possess a warrant before searching a premise or property of an American citizen. Therefore, one way of preventing police misconduct is to follow protocol (Ekins, 2020). Many Americans are brutally assaulted because they refuse to have their cars and homes searched under unfounded suspicion. Police officers also have to follow the correct arrest procedure to uphold the rights of the arrested individual.
Community Policing
Community policing is a solution to mistrust in law enforcement. The close relationship between the police and other community stakeholders will enable law enforcement to get accurate data on crime because there is more cooperation (Peeples, 2020). Community policing thrives because the partnership requires that each individual do their part. Consequently, police officers can merge efforts with civilians from high-crime areas to eradicate crime without necessarily resorting to excessive use of force (Oliveira & Murphy, 2015). Community policing will also help reduce the number of shootings by white police in black neighborhoods. Statistics show that white police officers responding to a 911 call in a black neighborhood discharge their firearm five times more than a black officer in the same area or a white neighborhood.
Observing Privacy
Americans argue that police officers have to establish clear motives for listening to calls and monitoring chats of civilians. Unwarranted spying on civilians is a gross breach of privacy, and police officers in the country have been reported violating privacy (Oliveira & Murphy, 2015). Moreover, drones to spy on civilians are issues that need to stop to restore confidence in the police. Many people feel that although drones help in policing work, they are being used to spy on Americans, violating their right to privacy.
Defunding the Police
As a last resort, civilians argue that if all else fails to cause the expected and needed police reforms, there is a need to defund the police. Although it has many negative consequences, it can be considered as a last effort. Defunding means redistributing or redirecting funds from the police department to other government agencies supported by the local government (Oliveira & Murphy, 2015). On average, many precincts in the U.S. spend millions of dollars paying for police misconduct. For instance, since 2010, St. Louis has paid more than $33 million in restitution for police misconduct, while Baltimore has been found accountable for roughly $50 million. Chicago has spent more than $650 million on police misconduct claims in the last 20 years (Oliveira & Murphy, 2015. New York City paid out $230 million in nearly 6,500 misbehavior charges in a year, from July 2017 to June 2018. These funds could be used in productive ways while allowing officers to take responsibility for their actions (Peeples, 2020). Prosecuting rogue officers must be considered an option besides sacking them to save law enforcement millions from civil lawsuits and case actions by lobby groups.
What can the police do?
Police officers need to provide accurate data on fatalities per officer. This data is critical in understanding why an officer killed an unarmed civilian because keeping track of fatalities per officer is instrumental in establishing the motives behind the killing and whether the protocol was followed (Oliveira & Murphy, 2015). It raises valuable questions on whether the brutal murder could have been avoided if the officer used a more social approach. As a result, it helps hold the officers accountable for such actions. The disadvantage of it is that these records are voluntary, and no law requires these records to be kept. Therefore, it is impossible to prosecute officers who kill civilians without probable cause because there is no evidence proving otherwise. Thus, there is a need to have officers consider documenting violent interactions with civilians to establish their motives for discharging firearms.
Racial profiling training
There is a great need to train officers in the United States on racial profiling (Oliveira & Murphy, 2015). Young children have been caught in the line of fire because police officers were unaware that a child was in danger when stereotyping a person of color. Like many white Americans, police officers hold African Americans with suspicion, which explains why police make irrational arrests because they feel that the victim might be a criminal (Oliveira & Murphy, 2015). Moreover, profiling means that people of color are unwilling to engage with officers because they are discriminated against and targeted for police brutality.
Training police for unique situations
It is essential to understand that police brutality does not exempt the disabled, aged and children. Therefore, it is vital to teach the police how to deal with these unique individuals. Disabled persons cannot defend themselves, which infers that it is easy for officers to take advantage of their disability (Peeples, 2020). Moreover, children and the aged are in a similar predicament because they are unable to defend themselves in case unfriendly situation arises. Therefore, it is vital to protect these people because policing in the United States relies on the use of force to enhance obedience at all costs.
For instance, a person with mental instability may be easily victimized by officers because they may not understand what the officers are demanding. As a result, such an individual might be shot for failure to comply with the given orders. Protecting these special groups can be attained through training officers on possible interventions. For instance, officers responding to a domestic violence 911 call should remember that there are children or an aged person. As a result, the use of force can only be used as the last possible option. In such a case, officers are obliged to ensure that the safety of the child or elder person is guaranteed.
Conclusion
While it is vital to protect the innocent and punish the guilty, officers are responsible for proving beyond any reasonable doubt that the person being punished is guilty. Officers need to follow proof and not a "gut feeling" because this perspective will kill innocent people (Peeples, 2020). For instance, it is critical to ensure that not just the white Americans are willing to volunteer information that can help stop crime. The remaining percentage of African Americans needs to be brought on board to create a collaborative policing partnership that treats all members equally. Consequently, there is a chance that public opinion about law enforcement might improve, which is a sign that officers are doing better policing work.
Furthermore, it is essential to ensure that strategies are in place to hold officers accountable for their actions. The failure to hold officers liable when they cross the line encourages more violence because officers become more emboldened. The public needs to see a united front in fighting crime that does not discriminate between whites and minority communities (Peeples, 2020). It is worth suggesting that the criminal justice system, especially the courts, plays a part in upholding unfair rulings made using compromised evidence submitted by rogue police officers. Courts should carefully evaluate the evidence before sentencing people of color based on proof of a racially subjective officer. Finally, it is critical to understand that while civilians blame law enforcement on the various crimes committed by a few, it is essential to remember to treat officers with respect. They are normal people with families and children, and their personal feelings also matter. Therefore, it is also advisable to promote officers' mental health by ensuring that they get the required counselling and emotional support after being involved in gruesome occurrences (Peeples, 2020). Moreover, the community needs to associate with officers in the neighborhood instead of shunning them simply because they are police officers.
References
Ekins, E. (2016). Policing in America: Understanding Public Attitudes toward the Police. Results from a National Survey . Cato.org. Retrieved 7 October 2021, from https://www.cato.org/survey-reports/policing-america-understanding-public-attitudes-toward-police-results-national .
Oliveira, A., & Murphy, K. (2015). Race, social identity, and perceptions of police bias. Race and justice , 5 (3), 259-277.
Peeples, L. (2020). What the data say about police brutality and racial bias — and which reforms might work . Nature.com. Retrieved 7 October 2021, from https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01846-z .
