programs introduced to the community include those to reduce tensions,
particularly with the homeless, gays, and African-Americans. Education of
both police officers and citizens will help police meet their ultimate goal
of controlling crime. Implementing policy may, at first, hinder police
from performing their duties, as they have grown used to certain pressure
tactics. However, as education and communication skills increase, the
ability of the police department to interact with local resources instead
of taking so much of the burden internally, will help alleviate some of the
pressure felt by citizens. Citizens, then, will have more involvement, and
hence, more satisfaction with the job police departments are doing.
As the prevalence of police abuse as shown through the media has
drawn attention to the need for increased surveillance on police, a
mandated cure is now a necessity. While brutality and police abuse seems
to be a prehistoric idea, the surge of violence has caused police to fight
back in often un-police like manners, though seemingly acceptable to deal
with those break the law. Methods must be implemented which effectively
deal with police who tend to cross the line, from simple situations to
serious firearm use or prejudice. These solutions should be offered by a
variety of view points, so as to address both the needs of police and
citizens themselves. Some of the solutions, particularly the policy
changes, will be met with controversy and will be difficult to implement.
Citizen watch groups will be much easier to organize as there are already
thousands of neighborhood watches illustrating that citizens are willing to
become involved to protect both their community, as well as themselves.
Keeping track of police is the next step in self-protection. Some of the
goals addressed here are most helpful for the citizen as a first step in
the education process, and will hopefully inspire those who feel they need
to take affirmative action against police abuse.
While the threat of a world war has diminished, the violence on the
streets across America has increased at a dramatic rate. Police are forced
to face this violence and are sometimes caught up in the same violent and
abusive cycle while trying to fight it. Citizens realize that police
intervention is necessary, but they also realize that there are limits as
to what a police officer can do. To make society a safe place for both
citizens and officers, it is imperative that they work together for a
comprehensive checks and balances system. The United States Constitution
guarantees certain rights for everyone, and is the very backbone of this
country. If it is to be ignored, either through permissive laws enacted
for law enforcement against private citizens, or through a lack of
maintenance of existing protective legislation, private citizens–indeed,
the entire country–will become paralyzed. Because of this, the
opportunity and freedom which this country is built on must be enforced,
and those charged with doing so must not abuse their power.
References
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crime and the criminal justice system. New York: Plenum Press.
Chevigny, Paul. (1991).Police brutality in the United States: A policy
statement on the need for Federal oversight. New York: Human Rights
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Couper, David C. (1983). How to rate your local police. Police Executive
Research Forum.
Geller, William A. (1982). Deadly force: What we know. Journal of Police
Science and Administration, 10 , 151-177.
New York Civil Liberties Union. (1990). Police abuse: The need for
civilian investigation and oversight. New York.
Reiss, Albert J. (1971). The police and the public. New Haven,
Connecticut: Yale University Press.
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. (1981). Who is guarding the guardians: A
report on police practices. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
Vaughn, Jerald. (1989). How to rate your police chief. Police Executive
Research Foundation.