Racism and Brutal Force Problems in Policing
Police form a crucial part of society as they maintain law and order and contribute positively to community development and policy implementations. However, policing problems such as fund misappropriation, victim intimidation, and other misconduct forms have threatened the institution. Police brutality and racism are the most rampant and seemingly linked. They often involve either unfair treatment of civilians, excessive force to inflict control, or misuse of power to the disadvantage of minority groups, usually African Americans. This issue’s relevance is linked to the impact it has on the disadvantaged communities and how the strained relationship between the community and police affects the latter’s effectiveness. Understanding the root of the problem is essential towards formulating working solutions Solutions involving lawful enforcement, improved community-police relationships, effective and intelligent policing are crucial to changing the face and reputation of the police force.
Police brutality is the more common term for excessive force on civilians and is often linked to acts of racial and ethnic discrimination. According to Graham et al. (2020), the historical contention between the police and African Americans is related to excessive and lethal force. According to the study, African Americans are five times more scared of violent encounters with police officers as their American counterparts, while for Hispanics, it is four times more fear. These hidden scars of being the minority represent how these communities mistrust the same officers tasked with protecting them. More so, the fears are justified due to the overwhelming evidence of fatal brutality cases on innocent civilians. As such, addressing the issue of brutality in policing in light of racial discrimination further elaborates on the causes and consequences of this problem.
The issue of police brutality tied to racism has mainly come to light amidst the “Black Live Matter” movement and the loss of lives that instigated it. It is impossible to ignore the existence of a racial and ethnic divide when addressing police brutality since most brutality cases are inspired by discrimination (Graham et al., 2020 ). However, it is also important to note that not all brutality cases are tied to racial discrimination since, in other countries or cases, officers may still use excessive force on civilians. Understanding why police are driven to such actions builds up to find a suitable solution to tackle the problem.
While it may be easier to blame police brutality on the officers, evidence suggests that stereotype threat is the leading cause of this power abuse. Due to history or media representation, there is a lasting expectation that police are naturally brutal. Similarly, being racist is another stereotype threat affecting the force while also increasing the effect of undermined legitimacy (Trinker et al., 2019). The stereotype threat compromises pole confidence in their authority and instigates a need to use excessive force to exercise control. The subsequent coercion and loss of public trust are due to the perception of these acts of brutality as immoral and unethical. The question of morality or immorality among police is a question of stereotype as much as it is of culture.
When trying to understand the impact that brutality linked to racism has on the criminal justice system, the concepts of rogue police officers or culture drafts a map to understand the situation as well as establish lasting solutions. Rogue policing, as described by Sherman (2020), is the culture around police brutality that condones the acts due to corrupt institutional systems. Eradicating the officers and departments that let offending officers go free involves transforming the hierarchy in the enforcement force. For instance, introducing an Inspector of General Policing (IGP) who is empowered to decertify police and departments due to a reported history of rogue policing will hold officers more individually accountable. Corrupt police departments are incapable of performing their duty since discipline is vital to this line of work.
Discipline in policing is one of the best solutions to the problem of brutality, primarily when focused on improving transparency among the officers and between them and the community. According to Levine (2018), Police Disciplinary Records (PDR) ought to be treated similarly to criminal records, which are available to the public as a way to hold people accountable to the consequences of their actions. While there is a concern of exposing these records and risking the officers’ safety, this solution offers an explanation for this not affecting the intent. Lawful release of the documents would help foster transparency and not provide as much risk as individual expose and risk would bring along. When the PDRs also become a cause for retrenchment, police will be held readily accountable to lose their jobs if they participate in brutality or other misconduct cases. Accountability and transparency are the foundation of other efforts towards effective policing.
Effective policing relies on public support to facilitate participation efforts by enforcement officers to control crime. As addressed above, the hidden trauma of minority communities is the leading cause of strained relationships between police and civilians. According to Braga et al. (2019), the rift due to a history of undermined citizens and discriminative police officers is involved and not quickly resolved. As such, solutions such as mediation or restructuring the police departments have minimal effects on the citizens’ concerns. Instead, community members’ direct involvement in efforts to curb crime and ensure adherence to strict procedures may fix the existing situation. Additionally, evidence-based policies and practice will improve the relationship between the involved parties. Hence, a thorough investigation of crime control methods and implementation is crucial to minimize discrimination and subsequently, brutality. The research also requires adequate feedback to inform decision making processes.
Informed decision making is a vital solution to the issue of police brutality and subsequent estrangement with the communities they serve. Information is power, and aspects of predictive policing or reducing recidivism rates all require adequate feedback to facilitate crime mapping (Ensign et al., 2017). Limited feedback due to partial monitoring leads to misdirected efforts by the police force and is linked to brutality and victimization cases since they focus on areas perceived to have a lot of criminal activity. As such, law enforcement should avoid decisions made based on incomplete feedback to facilitate better completion if their duties. More information and knowledge also inform intelligence-led policing, which will eradicate the issue of brutality and improve the force in the future.
Intelligence-led policing is a futuristic solution to many problems in law enforcement. It facilitates the anticipation of risk and requires the use of analyzed data to act on matters. The development of patters leads to predictability and, subsequently, proactivity and prevention. According to Radcliffe (2010), data analysis and criminal intelligence guide decisions and reduce crime and problems between the police and the general public. Intelligence-led policing focuses on serious offenders and is guided by strategic oversight, thus avoiding the possibility of use of excessive force on innocent civilians or offenders alike. Anticipating risk and devising ways to mitigate them is also an essential part of policing that enables leadership to guide officers on the right conduct to avoid misconduct reports.
The issue of police brutality is rampant in law enforcement agencies worldwide and, in most instances, linked to racial discrimination posing a problem for effective policing due to negative community attitudes. In the United States, the cases and evidence of the use of excessive forces on members of the African American Community have had adverse effects on the quality of relationships between civilians and officers. The impact is continued brutality and hidden trauma among the minority or oppressed groups. Solutions to the issue are necessary to ensure that law and order are maintained, and the stand-off between police and civilians ceases. The root cause is mainly the stereotype threat forcing more police officers to exert force as a way to establish control. As such, the solution lies in cleaning up the police departments and getting rid of officers that do not adhere to the law and inflict harm. Additionally, in the future, repairing the relationship and minimizing discrimination will be facilitated but aspects of practical and intelligence led policing.
References
Braga, A. A., Brunson, R. K., & Drakulich, K. M. (2019). Race, place, and effective policing. Annual review of sociology, 45, 535-555.
Ensign, D., Friedler, S. A., Neville, S., Scheidegger, C., & Venkatasubramanian, S. (2017). Decision making with limited feedback: Error bounds for recidivism prediction and predictive policing.
Graham, A., Haner, M., Sloan, M. M., Cullen, F. T., Kulig, T. C., & Jonson, C. L. (2020). Race and Worrying About Police Brutality: The Hidden Injuries of Minority Status in America. Victims & Offenders, 1-25.
Levine, K. (2018). Discipline and Policing. Duke LJ, 68, 839.
Ratcliffe, J. H. (2010). Intelligence-led policing: Anticipating risk and influencing action. Intelligence.
Sherman, L. W. (2020). Targeting American Policing: Rogue Cops or Rogue Cultures?.
Trinkner, R., Kerrison, E. M., & Goff, P. A. (2019). The force of fear: Police stereotype threat, self-legitimacy, and support for excessive force. Law and human behavior.