Police Brutality Is Not Necessary"

Introduction:

The Police Department has a duty to protect and serve in the public's best interest. Working in this particular profession, at times, can be very dangerous. Many men and women who wear the police uniform are put into positions where excessive force is necessary; however, there are many instances where it is not.

Causes of Police Brutality:

The factors that trigger into whether police abuse their power are race, religion, socioeconomic status, and treatment of the mentally ill. Also, the militarization of police departments and “Shoot-To-Kill” policies weigh in heavily towards this issue. Police brutality should be addressed because some police officers use dangerously extreme measures.

Race plays a key role in most police brutality cases throughout the United States. In spite of the growth in many areas since the civil rights movement, one area that has been persistently resistant to change has been the treatment of blacks and minorities by the police. Police have subjected minorities to apparently discriminatory treatment and have physically abused minorities while using racial slurs. The excessive force by police officers is becoming a growing problem, and should be investigated by both the police and the powerful political figures.

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety provided raw video from a police dash cam that shows a December 12, 2004, incident in which a state trooper threatens to kill an African American person and uses a racial slur.(www.nbcaugusta.com) Then in St. Louis there was another case where an off duty St. Louis County police officer was accused of using racial slurs and pointing his pistol at a man during a parking space argument at a St. Patrick's Day event.(www.knox.com) In Cincinnati, Ohio, Police Officer Patrick Caton has been was stripped of his police powers after allegedly using a racial slur that was recorded inside his cruiser.(www.enquirer.com) Each new incident that involves police abuse of an African-American, Hispanic-American or another minority and particularly those that receive media attention strengthens