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Police use of force
There is no single globally accepted definition of use of force by police officers. The National Institute of Justice, which is a subsidiary of the Justice Department concurs with this. This leaves the approximately 18,000 police agencies in America with the leeway to formulate their own policies regarding the use of force. Some agencies may address the issue while some may not. The Justice Department has however provided a use-of-force continuum. This refers to a step-by-step manner in which the police officers can act in order to calm a situation. As such, a police officer can first present himself at the scene, resort to verbal warning if his mere presence is not enough, then use unarmed control, say grabbing the offender, proceed to use less harmful weapons such as tear gas and batons, and finally use excessive force (Vera, 2018).
This order of attack is quite important bearing in mind the excessive force police officers are known to apply. That is what they are taught during their training, to counter lethal force with lethal force. This is purportedly in a bid to save their lives. They actually spend lots of time learning how to use firearms....
The use of force does not necessarily mean the victim is murdered. Nevertheless, the use of force may at times lead to death or serious body injury, even permanent disability (Roufa, 2018).
The police officer may sometimes be compelled to apply force depending on what weapon the offender has in his possession. The officer may also weigh the magnitude of force used by the offender. There are instances where the offender may use excessive force with non-lethal weapons such as a knife or baseball bat, which all have a capability to take someone’s life. On top of possession of lethal weapons, the police must consider whether the offender had the intention and ability to cause great harm (Roufa, 2018).
The US Supreme Court has a number of times upheld the use of force. A good example is the 1989 Graham vs. Connor ruling. The judges ruled that the use of force is not bad if there’s a good reason to. And more so if another police officer in the same situation would react in similar manner. Clarence E. Cox III, the former president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, holds the view that force is excessive if…
One of the authors in the review, in fact details a reporting system that effectively makes the use of force scene an investigated crime scene, where forensic and other evidence, physical and testimonial, is collected to develop a clear understanding of the events as they unfolded. (2005) Some would argue that this sort of method smacks of the police policing the police, and yet the OSCE Guidebook and many
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
Though women constitute only 12.7% of the sworn police force they are implicated in only 5% of the total cases registered against the use of excessive force. Statistics further indicate that women officers account for only 6% of the total dollars paid out for court settlements for The Use of Police Force 4 police abuse related cases. [DR. Kim Lonsway, 2002] It is clear that a women police officer is
Disadvantages of police discretion The blanket use of discretion can result in repressive tactics being utilized against suspected criminals. If the police department refrains from guiding and controlling the use of this authority, abuses as well as extreme disparities can occur. Where, various individuals could become corrupted from the large amounts of authority they are given. As they could begin seeking out special favors (bribes / kickbacks) or they could use
.....police brutality against people of color has a long history in the United States, the Rodney King incident and the media attention it received promised to alter policy and public discourse. Yet police brutality continues to be a problem and threatens to undermine civil rights in America. Police brutality against visible minorities also erodes public trust in the institution of the law and the system of law enforcement. Those effects
Policing Operations: Hidden Dangers, Real Weapons, and Potential Technologies Police officers are, undoubtedly, society's primary protectors. These individuals undertake assignments knowing that they could be placed in lethal danger, and do so in order to help complete strangers and keep a community safe. For this reason, police officers ought to be very much admired. Despite the personal and professional satisfaction that comes with being a great police officer, these individuals are also