Use of Force Complaints Course Paper

December 16, 2022

Use of Force Complaints Course Paper

Order Number	636738393092
Type of Project	ESSAY
Writer Level	PHD VERIFIED
Format	APA
Academic Sources	10
Page Count	3-12 PAGES

Instructions/Descriptions

Use of Force Complaints Course Paper

Use, Force, Complaints, Course, Paper

The use of force by police against the police has risen over the years, with civilians levying numerous cases of police use of force that they cite as inappropriate on them. The facility has seen; a rise of complaints launched against police for their use of force between 2009 and 2015. The number of complaints went down in 2016.

However, police’s inappropriate use of force has risen to become a social issue that even the international community recognizes and unites to speak up. Law enforcement agencies, including the police, are only mandated to use the amount of force necessary to mitigate an incident, protect themselves, and arrest an individual. The force continuum police should use includes basic physical and verbal restraints, a less dangerous, and lethal force.

Although the force levels a police officer uses vary based on the situations, guidelines are governing the use of force founded on numerous factors such as the officers’ experience levels. The goal is for officers to gain control of the situation as soon as possible and protect the community. However, the use of force should be an officer’s last option. The use of force often leads to adverse consequences, including the death of suspects, which is why the issue should be remedied to restore the community’s faith in police officers and their ability to protect them.

The use of force by police can be understood through sociological, psychological, and organizational theories. One element of the sociological theory is that police conduct is primarily influenced by the social dynamics of the encounters between the police and the citizen. An example is the Donald Black sociological law that holds that the quality of law is impacted by the social attributes of the parties involved, including suspects, victims, defendants, and plaintiffs (Lempert, & Sanders, 2016).

This theory supports the notion that police are not likely to take any legal or coercive against individuals portraying lower social status. This includes the poor, ethnic, and racial minorities who low-status individuals have accused. However, they are more likely to take action for low-status individuals who people have accused from a higher status. This approach, therefore, directs attention to structural attributes of the situations in which civilians and officers interact, including race, class, complainant’s gender and dispositional preferences. The dispositional tendencies include social class, whether they want offenders arrested, sobriety gender, and the demeanour displayed by the suspects.

The psychological approach focuses on the variation between the conduct of the police in their behavioural dispositions obscured by the sociological approach. This notion directs attention to personality traits and outlooks that often elicit different responses from various police officers in similar situations. It also underlies numerous suspicions concerning behavioural differences relative to a police officer’s gender, race, and educational background.

Although female and black officers are expected to have different perspectives from white officers and less educated ones, the difference manifests in the behavioural patterns of these offices. In addition, police officers using excessive force are more likely to endorse authoritarian leadership. Less experienced officers are also more likely to be active during patrol and act aggressively than those who have served for longer.

The behaviour of police officers can also be explained by emphasizing the features of the organizations they work for. Organizations operating under the watchman style instead of the service style are more likely to use improper force following a disrespect to their authority (Shjarback, 2016).

Administrative controls also play a significant role in the use of force by police officers. Organizations with clear boundaries around using deadly force and have provided effective enforcement do not experience excessive use of force by police from the community. A formal structure governing police conduct also explains the behaviour of police in situations where they use force. An organization with rewards and incentives for positive behaviour can significantly reduce police officers’ excessive use of force.

Police organizations have developed interventions focused on different police officer groups in various chapters of their careers. Police departments are working together with psychologists to train procedural fair policing (Abrams, 20200. This approach focuses on increasing the public’s trust by relying on psychological research on fairness and justice.

It encompasses teaching officers’ tactics, such as explaining to citizens why they have been stopped and how this will prove beneficial to public safety. The use of force promotes compliance but at the same time lowers the trust between the police and the community.

Therefore, it is essential to give individuals a voice and a chance to explain themselves before taking action. This lets individuals know that the police are sincere and re concerned about the well being of the community and that they can also act in an unbiased and consistent way. Police departments employ psychology-driven policies that help reduce the adrenaline during encounters between the police and the citizen that most likely depend on stereotypes. Psychology is also targeting implicit bias that has been documented in various populations and domains.

Peer intervention is also another promising intervention in reducing violence and brutality among police officers (Aronie, & Lopez, 2017). This means that police officers have to work collaboratively to keep each other out of trouble.

An example is when an officer is faced with a difficult situation with a suspect and is about to use excessive force on the suspect even though it is unnecessary. Their peer should come in between and stop the officer from taking the law into their hands. However, this requires a culture change where officers should be comfortable giving and receiving this kind of intervention. This culture must be modelled and supported by the highest level of leadership.

Additionally, police officers are now being held accountable for their excessive use of force against civilians. One such case is the case of George Floyd that happened recently. The police officer responsible was taken to court and charged for the murder of George Floyd. Therefore, police organizations should punish and hold officers accountable whenever there are complaints of excessive use of force by police, and there is enough evidence supporting the claims. This is why police should wear wearables that will also control their induct while interacting with the public.

Police officers communicate one on one with the public daily. It is critical for an officer to be able to communicate with diverse individuals. Cultural diversity training is a strategy that promotes communication by training police officers on cultural awareness and communication.

This involves training that includes race relations, racial awareness, and sensitivity. Digital and social media is also another strategy that is effective in promoting communication with diverse communications. Therefore, the police officers should receive training that will improve their cultural sensitivity and educate them on the use of media in communication with diverse populations.

The data proves that excessive force by police officers is a real issue that needs to be addressed despite the decline in 2016. Police organizations are working with psychologists to deal with the problem and reduce the adrenaline involved in interactions between police and civilians, encourage peer to peer interventions, and hold guilty officers accountable for their actions.

The root causes of excessive use of force are divided into sociological including race, gender, and social status, psychological which involve the officers’ perception about the sociological factors, and organizational factors that affect the culture of the various organizations where police officers work.

References

Abrams, Z. (2020). What works to reduce police brutality. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/10/cover-police-brutality

Aronie, J., & Lopez, C. E. (2017). Keeping each other safe: An assessment of the use of peer intervention programs to prevent police officer mistakes and misconduct, using New Orleans’ EPIC program as a potential national model. Police Quarterly, 20(3), 295-321.

Lempert, R., & Sanders, J. (2016). An invitation to law and social science. University of Pennsylvania Press.

Shjarback, J. (2016). Cops, culture, and context: the integration of structural and cultural elements for explanations of police use of force. Arizona State University.

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Excellent Quality

95-100%

Introduction

45-41 points

The context and relevance of the issue, as well as a clear description of the study aim, are presented. The history of searches is discussed.

Literature Support

91-84 points

The context and relevance of the issue, as well as a clear description of the study aim, are presented. The history of searches is discussed.

Methodology

58-53 points

With titles for each slide as well as bulleted sections to group relevant information as required, the content is well-organized. Excellent use of typeface, color, images, effects, and so on to improve readability and presenting content. The minimum length criterion of 10 slides/pages is reached.

Average Score

50-85%

40-38 points

More depth/information is required for the context and importance, otherwise the study detail will be unclear. There is no search history information supplied.

83-76 points

There is a review of important theoretical literature, however there is limited integration of research into problem-related ideas. The review is just partly focused and arranged. There is research that both supports and opposes. A summary of the material given is provided. The conclusion may or may not include a biblical integration.

52-49 points

The content is somewhat ordered, but there is no discernible organization. The use of typeface, color, graphics, effects, and so on may sometimes distract from the presenting substance. It is possible that the length criteria will not be reached.

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75-1 points

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48-1 points

There is no logical or apparent organizational structure. There is no discernible logical sequence. The use of typeface, color, graphics, effects, and so on often detracts from the presenting substance. It is possible that the length criteria will not be reached.