Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1: Is Police Brutality a Serious Problem?

Chapter Preface

Yes: Police Brutality Is a Serious Problem

Police Brutality Is a Serious Problem by the Progressive

Police officers nationwide are using excessive force against innocent citizens who challenge police authority. In some cities officers even frame suspects and encourage each other to kill.

Police Officers Use Deadly Force Too Frequently by Amnesty International

The number of unjustified police shootings has risen nationwide. The police have the authority to use deadly force only when protecting their own or others' lives; firearms should not be used simply to demonstrate who has the upper hand.

The Media Underestimate Police Brutality by Michael Novick

The mainstream media treat police brutality as an aberration, which lends support to police claims that suspect deaths are a rare consequence of police activity. By failing to report all the cases of police abuse nation-wide, the media purposely cover up the pervasiveness of police brutality in America.

Some Prisons Condone Guard Brutality by Douglas Dennis

Prisons managed by corrupt prison officials condone guard brutality. Some inmates have been brutalized in sadistic raids while others are injured or killed in gladiator-like battles staged by guards for their own amusement.

No: Police Brutality Is Not a Serious Problem

The Extent of Police Brutality Is Exaggerated by Arch Puddington

Evidence contradicts claims that police brutality is a serious problem that goes unpunished. Police departments nationwide have implemented reforms and, as a result, in some cities police abuse has been declining.

The Use of Deadly Force Is Sometimes Necessary by Randy Tedford

The police must sometimes use deadly force in encounters with people who threaten them with weapons. Those not in the line of fire should not second-guess an officer's decision to shoot.

The Police Rarely Use Excessive Force by the International Association of Chiefs of Police

Research shows that police use nonlethal chemical weapons more often than firearms to subdue suspects. Officers rarely use excessive force, and when they do, it is generally when suspects are under the influence of drugs or alcohol and, therefore, pose an increased threat.

The Force Used Against Political Demonstrators Is Appropriate by James J. Fotis

Police officers must sometimes use force to control demonstrators who become violent and threaten life and property. Using less-than-lethal weapons to control such demonstrators does not violate civil liberties or limit free expression but protects innocent bystanders.

Chapter 2: What Factors Contribute to Police Brutality?

Chapter Preface

Racism Promotes Police Brutality by Salim Muwakkil

Society endorses police brutality against black suspects and allows white police officers to kill blacks with impunity. Tough-on-crime policies in minority communities reflect a growing fear of black criminals and are inadequate to solve tension that is deeply rooted in America's racial history.

The Police Are Not Racist by Michael Levin

Blacks are more likely to commit violent acts; thus, police officers concerned with self-preservation are more likely to use violence when dealing with them. Unwarranted accusations that racism promotes police brutality discourage law enforcement from policing minority communities, resulting in increased crime.

Aggressive Policing Encourages Police Brutality by Joseph D. McNamara

Policing strategies that aggressively pursue minor law violations in minority communities encourage police brutality and create distrust of law enforcement. The police should not view themselves as warriors in a battle with American citizens but as public servants who maintain order.

Aggressive Policing Does Not Encourage Police Brutality by George L. Kelling

There is no evidence proving that aggressive policing encourages police brutality. In fact, this preventive policing approach has successfully reduced crime without increasing police violence.

Antiterrorism Measures Encourage Law Enforcement Agencies to Harass Immigrants by Jane Bai and Eric Tang

Antiterrorism measures enacted in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks encourage law enforcement officers to equate immigrants with terrorists. These new measures encourage law enforcement agencies across America to unfairly question, harass, and detain innocent immigrants and noncitizens.

Antiterrorism Measures Target Only Terrorists by John Ashcroft

Antiterrorism measures enacted after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks do not violate the civil liberties of immigrants or noncitizens but specifically target terrorists. Unfounded allegations that law enforcement agencies are harassing immigrants diminish the nation's resolve to fight terrorism.

Militarism in Police Departments Encourages Police Brutality by Diane Cecilia Weber

The line between the police and the armed forces is becoming increasingly blurred as the U.S. military has become involved in police actions and the police have begun to employ military tactics and weapons. A militarized police force can lead to the unnecessary use of force against American citizens.

Aggressively Policing the Poor Leads to Abusive Police Practices by Daniel HoSang

To remove any visible effects of poverty from higher-income neighbor-hoods, police are strictly enforcing laws against public activities such as loitering and vagrancy that largely affect low-income minorities. This kind of aggressive policing often leads to police brutality.

The War on Drugs Promotes the Unnecessary Use of Deadly Force by Paul Armentano

America's war on drugs has resulted in deadly police raids on the homes of its citizens, many of whom are not guilty of any wrongdoings. Some-times with little or no evidence militarized SWAT teams break into homes, killing residents before they have a chance to defend their innocence.

Chapter 3: What Strategies Reduce Police Brutality?

Chapter Preface

Public Protest Against Police Brutality Promotes Accountability by Edward Lewis

Many in minority communities have come to fear the police. If the black community unites in protest against police brutality, political leaders will be forced to acknowledge the problem and make the police accountable to minority communities.

Police-Brutality Protests Discourage Effective Policing by Tamar Jacoby

Those who protest against police brutality exaggerate the problem of racism in police departments. These protests ultimately hurt minority communities because they increase distrust between the police and minorities, discourage effective policing, and fail to promote effective police reforms.

The Police Must Discontinue the Practice of Racial Profiling by David Cole

Individuals, not races, are responsible for criminal acts, yet the police continue to use policing strategies that target minority groups. To restore faith in the criminal justice system, police departments must discontinue the practice of racial profiling.

Unproven Accusations That the Police Use Racial Profiling Discourage Effective Policing by William Norman Grigg

Although no evidence exists that police departments use racial profiling, anti-police zealots frequently accuse officers of being racist when they arrest black suspects. To avoid accusations of racism, demoralized police officers are refusing to police minority neighborhoods.

Early Warning Systems Reduce Police Misconduct by Samuel Walker, Geoffrey P Alpert, and Dennis J. Kenney

Early warning systems that identify problem officers help police departments reform officers before formal disciplinary action is necessary. Cities using these systems receive fewer citizen complaints about police misconduct.

Citizens Should Have Access to Accurate Data on the Use of Deadly Force by James J. Fyfe

Television news does not provide an accurate picture of how often police officers kill. If Americans are to bring about intelligent reforms concerning the use of deadly force, the federal government must require that local police departments provide truthful data on officer-involved deaths.

Video Cameras Curtail Police Brutality by Richard D. Emery

Video cameras installed in police precincts and patrol cars can help reduce police brutality. Officers being recorded might be less likely to engage in abuse, and when charges of misconduct are filed, authorities can use video of the incident to ascertain an officer's guilt.

Chapter 4: Is Police Brutality Adequately Punished?

Chapter Preface

Federal Lawsuits Against Police Departments Effectively Punish Police Brutality by Alexis Agathocleous

Federal lawsuits against police departments that refuse to discipline abusive officers do more to punish police brutality than criminal prosecution of individual officers. By opening up the entire department to scrutiny, such lawsuits also force agencies to reform the policies and procedures that lead to brutality.

Federal Intervention in Police Department Policies Discourages Effective Policing by Darlene Hutchinson

When the Department of Justice intervenes in response to unsubstantiated police brutality allegations and imposes its policies on local police departments, officers become afraid to enforce the law. Moreover, such actions by the federal government impinge on states' rights and blur the division between government branches.

Civilian Oversight Promotes Impartial Investigation of Police Misconduct by Emma Phillipps and Jennifer Trone

Confidence in the police is often shattered when citizens suspect that police misconduct is not properly investigated or is covered up. In response, democratic nations worldwide have developed a wide variety of civilian oversight systems that allow citizens a hand in making sure that investigations of abuse are impartial and objective.

Civilians Cannot Objectively Oversee Police Practices by Bill Rhetts

Civilians lack the experience and training needed to objectively evaluate police practices. In the real world, police officers must perform in stressful and dangerous situations, not under the idealistic conditions inexperienced civilians imagine.

Police Chiefs Should Be Given the Authority to Discipline Officers by Anonymous

Police chiefs are in the best position to investigate allegations of police brutality and punish guilty officers. Currently, agencies outside police departments, such as civilian review boards, investigate and punish police misconduct, but these entities lack the knowledge and experience needed to evaluate police actions.

Police Culture Makes It Difficult to Prosecute Police Brutality by Jerome H. Skolnick

Police officers become committed to the protection of their fellow officers. Unfortunately, these close-knit relationships create a culture in which officers are loath to report misconduct by each other, usually resulting in guilty officers escaping punishment.

The Courts Do Not Adequately Punish Police Departments That Use Racial Profiling by David Cole

Racial profiling-when the police target citizens on the basis of race-is unconstitutional. Nevertheless, the courts do not punish police departments for using racial profiling as a crime-fighting tool.

Civil Lawsuits Rarely Lead to the Punishment of Police Brutality by Human Rights Watch

Although civil lawsuits filed against police departments can compensate victims of police brutality, brutal officers are not held personally account-able. Cities pay substantial sums to settle civil suits but seldom punish the individual officers whose behavior is in question.

Juries Are Reluctant to Convict Police Officers by Scott Turow

Police officers accused of using excessive force are rarely convicted. Juries are reluctant to punish police officers-who risk their lives to protect people-for abusing suspects whom juries believe probably deserved it.

Organizations to Contact

Bibliography

Index