Abuse of Power by the Police
Introduction
Law enforcement departments have the mandate to control and monitor the limit of force the police apply in their duties (Hass et al, 2015). This is done so as to harmonize the liberty of the citizens and to ensure that there is safety. However, there are many cases of abusive use of force by the police. This has led to premature deaths of many citizens as noted by Atherley & Hickman (2014). Jeremy Mardis, a six-year-old boy was shot dead in the Louisiana town of Marksville by two black police officers. The young boy was autistic and had a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Abuse of power by the police
Guidelines to minimize excessive use of force
Having less-lethal weapons, normal police on patrol should not be authorized to carry lethal weapons. This will minimize the extent of injury to the suspects or those that are not ready to comply with the police demands.
Specific guidelines, there should be clear guidelines for the types of force and tools authorized for a given level of resistance
Use minimum force to apprehend a subject, there should be simple instructions that the police should use and not abusive or issuing threats to whoever they suspect
Authorize deadly force only when there is an imminent threat to an officer’s life or the life of another person
In a timely warning, the officers are required to give a verbal warning. However, when this is not immediately complied with, the subjects are to be given some good time to respond to the commands before using deadly force.
Report of police killings should be done through the right channel. Police who kill or those who involve in assaulting and contribute to serious injuries of civilians. According to Prenzler et al(2013), this will help in evaluating an individual’s work and integrity.
The prosecution, The lawbreakers, and the police who express excessive force that leads to the death of innocent individuals should be put judged and prosecuted. (Ferdik et al, 2014)
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident to state that the police’s excessive use of power has led to the death and assault of many innocent citizens. The enforcement protocols should ensure that procedure of handling cases is followed. A body that moderates the police and ensures the rights of the citizens and innocent people are upheld.
References
Atherley, L. T. & Hickman, M. J. (2014). Controlling use of force: Identifying police use of excessive force through analysis of administrative records. Policing, pau003.
Ferdik, F. V., Kaminski, R. J., Cooney, M. D. & Sevigny, E. L. (2014). The influence of agency policies on conducted energy device use and police use of lethal force. Police Quarterly, 1098611114548098.
Haas, N. E., Van Craen, M., Skogan, W. G. & Fleitas, D. M. (2015). Explaining officer compliance: The importance of procedural justice and trust inside a police organization. Criminology and Criminal Justice, 1748895814566288.
Prenzler, T., Porter, L. & Alpert, G. P. (2013). Reducing police use of force: Case studies and prospects. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 18(2), 343-356.