Consequences for Victims

Consequences for Victims

A series of high profile incidents where police officers have used excessive force against citizens or cause death has led to a deterioration in public trust and confidence in the force. According to a report by Gallup, an institution that tracks confidence in organizations, the public’s level of trust and confidence in police have decreased in recent times. In America, approximately 57% of citizens they had no confidence in the police, citing the violence perpetrated by the police against various groups in society as the primary concern (Khoda 7). Psychological science reports indicate that police brutality and punishment-based strategies erodes public trust. Thus, the report suggests that policing strategies aimed at transparent decision-making and respectful treatment are likely to be effective in building public trust and confidence.

Social justice activists have expressed concern that the consistent police brutality, including killings, is detrimental to people’s health and wellbeing. According to the Lancet report, al leading British Medical Journal, mental survey data and police shootings database shows that police officers in the US kill unnamed black people, which leads to the damage of their mental health. In 2018, USA Today newspaper reported the killing of Botham Jean by a police officer who was later charged with manslaughter. In regard to this data, among others, Boston University School of Health and the University of Pennsylvania released research that found the increased rates of unarmed blacks dying at the hands of law enforcement officers has caused more incidences of stress, depression, and other mental problems. Overall, overwhelming police brutality is damaging the mental health of related communities, including those without a direct relationship to the victims.

Consequences for Police Officers

The accusation of police violence, officers are often assigned to desk duty and have his firearm withdrawn. An indictment, even a false one, often affect the career of the officer, leading to stress and depression in severe cases. In recent years, cognitive scientists have reported that wrongful convictions of police officers accused of violence against citizens always influence their mental health. According to Bertram and Jennifer, violence and danger of policing has headed many lists of postulated stressors of police officers. Preliminary studies that rely on law enforcement officers responding to survey questions show that they think of stressors as emanating in the context of their work. Most review studies also confirm the idea that police brutality affects the mental health of perpetrators, primarily due to related consequences, such as loss of career and enduring criminal justice procedures.

According to Human Rights Watch, local prosecutors may put on trial police officers engaging in behavior off or on-duty that infringe upon the law. Under state laws, when officers are prosecuted for crimes related to brutalities, such as assault or murder, the consequences to the individual officers border the negative impacts of policing. However, numerous studies have shown that trials and convictions of police officers accused of violence remain rare. In recent years, fatal shootings of defenceless black Americans across the US have sparked disgrace and concerns overuse of lethal force among the police. The present research, according to Lopez, shows that there are approximately 1,000 police shootings annually. However, only 35% of the officers are convicted while the rest are put pending or acquitted. In this case, the convictions and trials associated with police brutality present severe consequences against law enforcers.

Proposed Solutions

The criminal justice system, including the police, often investigate and decide the consequences of their fellow officers should face in cases of bad behavior. Under this system, less than one in every twelve complaints of police brutality nationwide leads to some aspect of disciplinary action against the officers accountable. In that regard, communities require an urgent approach to ensure law enforcement officers are held responsible for misconduct. According to Campaign Zero, establishing active civilian oversight structures with powers to discipline officers and removing barriers to reporting police brutality remain vital to ensuring ending the menace. Additionally, the Campaign Zero recommends that policy actions based on independent investigation and oversight, using technology, such as body cameras, and limiting the use of force would be useful in ending police brutality.

Exploring Compromise or Solution

Policymakers, police, and scientists are scrambling for answers about the best approach to combat excessive and deadly force against civilians. A group of researchers indicate that the first step should be related to obtaining accurate data on how police departments apply physical force against people and the circumstances (Obasogie & Zachary 281). The Center for Policing Equity reported that indicating that the officers often use excessive force against people, especially blacks. The solution for ending police brutality, as ii. Alang writes, using police data would provide an improved approach to the solution (663).

Conclusion

First, the police usually conduct investigations and establish the consequ3ences of their fellow officers and other cases of misconduct. Under this approach, l police misconduct less result in disciplinary action against the perpetrators. Thus, communities needed a compelling way to ensure law enforcement officers are held accountable for police violence. Second, police brutality is often racialized. Recent social movements have centred violence among the police as a matter of public discourse, but there has been insignificant progress in reducing the number of people affected by police. Last, of all, it is vital to codify more robust and consistent limits on the use of force by police to contain the force that has overwhelming consequences on the communities’ health.