Social Issues: Police Brutality

Brett Baldelomar

Cal State LA

ART 3170-2

Professor Aziz

November 11, 2020

Social Issues: Police Brutality

On May 25th, 2020, George Floyd’s death resonated throughout the globe (Hill et al., 2020). After a 911 call, police arrested George Floyd for purchasing cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill (Hill et al., 2020). The police viciously pinned George to the ground with a knee on his neck, depriving him of air (Hill et al., 2020). George eventually succumbed to death due to the lack of oxygen (Hill et al., 2020). All sides of the political spectrum consensually agree that in no way, shape, or form were the police’s actions justifiable. The social injustice led to mass civil unrest and national protests, as shown in the image below (Brownstein, 2020). After the death of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd’s death was the last straw for many Americans (Hill et al., 2020). Global coverage of Floyd’s death ignited racial tension and public acrimony towards the police institution (Hill et al., 2020). 

Courtesy of CNN

Police Brutality in America

Unfortunately, police brutality has been a prevalent theme in American history. In the 1920s, New York and Chicago police racially targeted and harassed Italian immigrants to crackdown on organized crime groups like the Mafia (Moore, 2019). Similarly, in 1943, the Los Angeles Police Department brutalized Mexican-Americans during the Zoot Suit Riots, exhibiting their prejudice and abuse of power (Moore, 2019). Additionally, after the 9/11 attacks, many Muslim Americans reportedly experienced harassment and racial profiling by law-enforcement (Moore, 2019). Fast forward to the present day, African Americans and other marginalized groups experience police brutalization due to racial discrimination and remanating historical racial conflicts (Moore, 2019). Instances such as the brutal murder of Rodney King has increasingly led to the public distrust of the police institution (Moore, 2019). 

Psychology of Police Brutality

At an individual level, police officers’ personality traits and mental disorders are defining factors that cause law enforcement to engage in the lawless act of police brutality (Cunic, 2020). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stressor that contributes to an officer’s unwarranted suspicion and aggression (Cunic, 2020). Psychologists believe that police are more “trigger-happy” when bombarded with stress and personal issues (Cunic, 2020). The police department fails to perform proper mental health evaluations of officers and yet allow them to out into the field where they must make rational decisions (Cunic, 2020). Many police officers are not in the correct state of mind to exercise their power, which leads to police brutality (Cunic, 2020). There are also theories of racial prejudice innately embedded in police officers (Cunic, 2020). 

At an organizational level, the police protocol for practicing force is vague (Cunic, 2020). There are no concrete definitions of proper force and excessive force, allowing officers to exercise their power at their own discretion (Cunic, 2020). Psychologically, it allows officers to define their own power, which leads to police brutality (Cunic, 2020). Furthermore, when police brutality occurs and the officers aren’t reprimanded, it inadvertently sends the message that the lawless act is acceptable (Cunic, 2020). Thus, police officers feel as if they are above the law, causing them to engage in police brutality (Cunic, 2020).

Police Reform

Officials are pushing an agenda to reform police conduct (Kates, 2020). Philadelphia has implemented a Citizens Poice Oversight Commission to monitor police and hold them accountable (Kates, 2020). This provides more power to the constituents to report lawless officers and give insight to regulate law enforcement. San Diego, Portland, San Francisco, and other cities are implementing similar measures to hold the police accountable and maintain order (Kates, 2020). Moreover, Akron, Ohio is requiring police to wear body cams and release unedited footage to the public (Kates, 2020). Many citizens have pushed forward to “defund the police” and allocate the funds to other sectors in the community such as education (Kates, 2020). Additionally, researchers find that present-day police training is inadequate as educators fail to implement racial sensitivity training and effective de-escalation training (Moore, 2019). Legislators are trying to increase police training and standards to prevent more police brutality instances (Moore, 2019).

Personal Stance

The recent police brutality occurrences are absolutely appalling, to say the least. I sympathize with the black community and support their cause for social justice. As a minority having grown up with friends from marginalized communities, I have heard many accounts of unjust policing. The issue of police brutality affects me on a personal level because one of my loved ones or I may be a victim. It’s frightening to think that law enforcement can mispractice the law, resulting in a citizen’s death. There have been too many lives lost at the hands of ruthless police. Poor policing has ignited racial tension and political divide. I do not believe that the police institution should be abolished because society needs an institution to enforce the law and pursue justice. However, I think the police institution should be defunded as many cities have already done so. There should be extensive changes to police training and police accountability to prevent any more instances of police brutality. 

References

Brownstein, R. (2020, June 23). Black Lives Matter Protest [Photograph]. CNN. 

https://images.app.goo.gl/xp7cebLkPBaThmjz5

Cunic, A. (2020, October 23). The psychology behind police brutality. Verywell Mind. 

https://www.verywellmind.com/the-psychology-behind-police-brutality-5077410

Hill, E., Tiefenthäler, A., Triebert, C., Jordan, D., & Williams, H. (2020, May 31). How George 

Floyd was killed in police custody. The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-investigation.html

Kates, G. (2020, November 9). Voters approve police reform measures across the country. CBS 

News - Breaking news, 24/7 live streaming news & top stories. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-reform-measures-approve-us-election/

Moore, L. (2019). Police brutality in the United States | Definition, history, causes, & examples. 

Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Police-Brutality-in-the-United-States-2064580