Police Brutality

Term Paper # 97331

Criminology > Public and Crime

Police Brutality

This paper explores brutal police behavior and its implications.

1,162 words () | 3 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper examines the legal use of force on behalf of police officers versus aggressive and excessive violence. The paper looks at various articles and focuses on highly publicized incidents, such as the Rodney King and Malice Green cases. The paper explains that there are many factors that contribute to police brutality and explores policy changes that can eliminate this use of excessive force.

Outline:
Introduction
Article Summaries and Findings
Insightful Analysis of Policy Implications or Creative Ideas for Application in the Criminal Justice Field
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The traditional police behavior as "crime-fighters" is constantly reinforced by the mass media through television, movies, and news reporting. A lot of cliches are used to describe the exemplifying role of police officers whose basic responsibility is to maintain order and public safety. It is undeniable that police officers are authorized to use force in some circumstances to overcome resistance of "difficult" populations. Thus violence or rough behavior is used by police against certain people in certain situations. However, it is important to distinguish between the legal use of force and unnecessary violence, aggressive and excessive force that are all various types of police brutality."

Sample of Sources Used:

Babovic B. (2000). Police Brutality or Police Torture. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management. 23(3), 374-380.
Davis, S. M. (2002). The Dictionary of Crime and Justice. London: SAGE Publications.
Sigelman L., Welch S., Bledsoe T., Combs M. (1997). Police Brutality and Public Perceptions of Racial Discrimination: A Tale of Two Beatings. Political Research Quarterly. 50(4), 777-791.