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¶ … Albert and Smith delve into the controversial and complex topic of the use of excessive force in policing. The authors note two important points about the complex topic. First, use of excessive police force is poorly researched and understood. The term "excessive force" is not well defined within law enforcement, and a cohesive explanation of situations that use excessive force is lacking in the training of police officers. Further compounding this lack of definition is a lack of comprehensive statistics on the use of force in the policing environment. As such, police officers have been given enormous powers and responsibility in a hazardous and highly-scrutinized environment, but lack a real understanding of the degree of force that they are allowed to use in carrying out their duties. This lack of understanding of the use of force has resulted in the inability of the police force to provide comprehensive statistical information about the use of excessive force. However, public opinion about excessive force is not so tightly constrained by a lack of a solid definition of excessive force. In a Gallup Poll in 1991, 9% of non-whites and 5% of all respondents noted that they had been mistreated or abused by police. Further, 20% of respondents said that they knew someone else that had been abused or physically mistreated by police. This public perception of excessive force among police action is supported by studies that suggest that the use of police force is excessive in about one third of force incidents, and other observational studies that show officers use excessive force in about 1.05% to 5% of citizen contacts. Second, this results in a difficult situation where police officers are judged by both citizens and independent research as using excessive force, and yet the same officers have no real guidelines as to the definition or extent of excessive force. Police are unrealistically forced to adhere to a vague and largely undefined notion of "reasonableness" in their policing activities. As long as a definition of excessive force remains unreachable, police officers will continue to struggle with this dilemma (Albert & Smith, 1994).
References
Alpert, Geoffrey P. & Smith, William C. (1994). How reasonable is the reasonable man?: Police and excessive force. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Volume 85 (2), 481-501.
367 Although the incidence of deadly force use has likely remained steady in the first five categories, Russell and Beigel emphasize that based on the increased attention being directed at the "stake-out and drugs" category, these rates are likely much higher today. What quickly emerges from these foregoing trends, though, is just how quickly even innocuous encounters such as stops for traffic offenses with ordinary citizens can escalate to the
At the same time though, they are often used in cases of violent arrests and intense police operations. Also, ultrasounds weapons are used in riots and mob control as well as in violent manifestations. At the military level, these are common especially when engaging in peacekeeping operations and in the missions where the risk of hurting civilians is relatively high. Still, in these situations, police forces are also equipped with
One police officer for example referred to the chaos as a "holocaust," far removed from the real world (Shankman et al., 2010). Alpert and Smith (2001, p. 483) note that a survey of the public showed a general perception that the police is frequently excessively violent in their contact with the public. According to the authors, the targets of reported abuse are generally lower class males, with a common factor
police management affect the way police officers use force? The Force Continuum Style of Leadership and Management Proper Management of Police Resources Innovations in Excessive Force Training Protection of its citizens is the fundamental mission of any government. And on the forefront of this mission are the law enforcement officers who are in fact the most visible arm that the government utilizes to protect the citizens and also to preserve public order ("Police Use
During the 1960's and 1970's, violent contact with the police, resulting in force occurred during anti-war, labor and civil rights demonstrations, during a politically tumultuous time. It is safe to conclude that excessive force was used during these clashes. Deaths and injuries were the results of political clashes at the Republican Convention in Chicago, during campus riots held at several universities, during political demonstrations held in public places and in
individuals join the police academy, they undergo rigorous training. This training teaches these individuals about many subjects such as criminal law, defensive tactics, and verbal judo amongst many others that the individuals may be required to apply during the course of the job. However, regardless of these teachings the professional culture influences the behaviors of these individuals separately creating a bias in the learning techniques. The police subculture is