The issue of police brutality has been one of the defining issues of 2020 and the 21st century in general because of several high-profile incidents of suspects dying while in police custody. Regardless of whether you believe in the “a few bad apples” theory or believe that the problem is more systemic, clearly it is a problem that needs to be addressed. There is no one simple solution to stopping police brutality but solving it should be on the police departments and the local governments. However, in some cases it is the citizens who can help to stop it as well.
When a person is brutalized by the police, it is a violation of their civil rights, which means that they can sue the officer or police department that perpetrated the abuse. In order to do that, they will need the help of a police harassment lawyer to help them with their case. Past and current events have shown that taking a case against the police can be challenging and there are many obstacles on the path to justice. But an experienced civil rights attorney can surmount those obstacles and challenges to get victims of police brutality the justice that they deserve.
What is Police Brutality?
Police brutality is defined as the undue and excessive use of force against civilians by law enforcement officers. We are familiar with the more violent forms of police brutality like assault, harsh restraint methods, and even death. However police brutality can also encompass behaviour like false arrest, verbal abuse, intimidation, harassment, and other kinds of mistreatment.
How To Stop Police Brutality
There are several methods proposed by various experts that if implemented, could reduce the instances of police brutality.
Better Data Tracking – If there were more comprehensive data on the instances of brutality or killings by the police, then it would be easier to get a handle on the problem. Unfortunately, the data on police violence is often inaccurate, unreliable, and incomplete, which makes it hard to gauge where and how often excessive use of force by the police occurs.
Changing the Police Culture – Many experts agree that better training that emphasizes de-escalation would help to reduce police brutality across the country. This includes the banning of techniques like chokeholds and strangleholds as well as using violence as a last resort. Additionally, changes should be made that would make it easier to discipline police officers who fall out of line.
Demilitarization – Many police departments take a more militarized approach to policing after acquiring gear donated by the military. This military equipment is linked to a rise in police killings by departments that use them. Since the increased use of military equipment is linked with a more violent approach to problems by the police, many civilians and politicians want to reduce the militarization and use of military equipment by the police. The militarized approach to policing often gives the police a warlike “us vs them” mentality that is detrimental to good policing.
Community Policing – In neighborhoods where crime is rampant, the police tend to flood those neighborhoods, which leads to over policing, which in turn leads to a crackdown on relatively minor crimes, which then leads to suspicion and distrust of the police. Instead many experts want more social welfare programs in those neighborhoods instead of having police on every corner. That can help to reduce crime in those neighborhoods without the use of excessive force by the police.
Better Oversight – Civilian and independent oversight of police departments could help to reduce acts of police brutality. However, reports of police brutality are often ignored or dismissed, especially if they are made by minorities. The expanded use of bystander video to record instances of police brutality as they happen is one method of oversight, but there needs to be more official forms of oversight as well.
Police Brutality Needs to End
Police brutality does not just affect the people who are on the receiving end of the brutality, it affects everyone else as well. The reason is that police brutality erodes people’s trust in the police. That can make it less likely that they will cooperate with the police, which can embolden criminals. Ultimately all citizens, as well as the police themselves are hurt by police brutality.
That is why reforms need to be put in place that will lessen instances of police brutality and hold officers accountable for their actions. If you were a victim of police brutality, then you should contact an attorney to help you since the police are highly protected and it can be difficult to take them on by yourself.
