Discriminate and Arrest. Law enforcement officials in the United States are sworn to serve and protect, but recently we have witnessed discrimination and unjust arrests. Abraham Lincoln was thought to have said, “America will never be destroyed from without. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we have destroyed ourselves." The democratic freedom of the United States is second to none, yet those who should uphold its values and morals have failed miserably. Minority communities face extreme violence from those who are supposed to protect them. Racial bias and police brutality have repeatedly created inequality in society and have no place in the American justice system. “While we were protesting the police killing of Eric Garner, John Crawford was killed. While we were protesting the deaths of Eric Garner and John Crawford, Mike Brown was killed. While we were protesting the deaths of Garner, Crawford and Brown, Darrien Hunt was killed.” As soon as Americans process the death of a community member, another death follows. In 2017, police killed 1,129 people and less than 1% were charged. Of the 534 cop killers, 43 had already shot and killed someone and 12 had shot and killed multiple people. Even if American citizens are quick to distinguish certain situations, changing racial dynamics, requiring would-be recruits to have a higher education, and integrating structural changes to law enforcement could create a justice system where racial bias does not exist. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The justice system is an industry dominated by predominantly white men, changing the racial dynamics would allow officers to better understand each other; so they can understand the surrounding community. Implementing a diverse police force that reflects the community it serves would ease the tension of suspects wondering whether they were stopped solely because of their race. Inequality in police brutality begins not with police firing unwarranted bullets, but with the profound disconnect between cultural awareness and compassion. “The way Tamir Rice, a sweet 12-year-old boy playing in the local park, is shot in the stomach by Cleveland police, doesn't start when the trigger is pulled. Yes, the force itself was unjust... but Tamir's death revealed much deeper problems with law enforcement, ranging from racial profiling to poor hiring practices to an antiquated emergency and dispatch system police". King's analysis of the predominantly white male presence in justice systems points to problems in the future generation of law enforcement. Shaun King surveyed a wide variety of educational institutions and his overall findings were as follows: "to be clear, dozens of them said they wanted to work as entrepreneurs, civil rights lawyers, charity leaders and journalists facing the problems of the police". brutality and injustice in America, but the idea that they would actually go into the belly of the beast to solve the problem from the inside was consistently noxious.” None of the students interviewed had any interest in being part of law enforcement. Instead, college students want to pursue careers that fight against police brutality, but don't dare join the police force to be the change they want to see. The vast majority of white Americans, 63%, are “confident”that police treat blacks and whites equally, while only 40% of Latinos and 21% of blacks do. Additionally, 60% of whites believe the killings of unarmed black men were isolated and have no connection to larger issues, while 45% of Hispanics and only 18% of blacks agreed with this isolated view. The vast majority of young adults are not interested in becoming law enforcement officers, which means that in 5-10 years our justice system will remain the same as it has always been: predominantly white. 70% of Americans believe a city's law enforcement should have a similar racial dynamic. If racial dynamics were to shift to a level that reflects the multiracial community, it could improve the department's overall reputation. One potential downside to implementing change related to racially diversifying the police force is that it is illegal to hire based on race in the United States. Employers can run into multiple legal issues and the paperwork can be extensive. However, racial diversification is not the only reform that needs to be implemented. Racial diversification along with required higher education would weed out those who are unfit for the position to protect and serve. Aspiring police recruits should be required to obtain a higher education, because a higher education instills critical thinking and gives officers more life experiences. In 2018, “law enforcement agencies spend seven times more hours training officers on the use of firearms than on how to de-escalate situations.” “Higher education has the academic expertise and experience to produce critically thoughtful, capable and competent professionals to behave professionally and meet the challenges of contemporary policing.” The benefits of requiring higher education from prospective law enforcement officers are many, including: learning accountability, professional development, reduced costs of training recruits, broadening the pool of diverse candidates for employers jobs, exposing students to a variety of college experiences and professional training opportunities. gain an understanding of the complexity of communities without exposure to police culture. Ultimately, a higher education offers countless career options for students who decide that policing is not a career they want to pursue and strengthens the connection between law enforcement and institutions of higher education. Until it is mandatory for law enforcement officers to obtain a higher education, there will always be an inadequate system. Incorporating structural changes to law enforcement would reduce the amount of unnecessary policing. When only 12 officers are charged with a crime after killing 1,129 citizens, the conversation shifts from motive to prosecution. The lack of consequences provided by local prosecutors handling law enforcement cases hints at the appearance of justice. Conflicts of interest and racial dynamics in the justice system cause significant mistrust and undermine public confidence in the justice system overall. “The appearance of conflict arises for two reasons: (1) the “symbiotic relationship”61 between local district attorneys' offices and their law enforcement counterparts and (2) systemic pressures on local district attorneys to avoid to accuse and prosecute the police." Robertson explores the idea that with increasing media attention around the topic of extreme police brutality, the justice system is incapable of prosecutingsuccessful cases in court. Scholars have argued that one way to combat conflict of interest would be to have a prosecutor appointed from outside the specific community, so the prosecutor has no connections to law enforcement culture. Caleb argues that unfair biases in the justice system will jeopardize the legitimacy of our overall system. Courtney Turkington explores current laws and how they can be changed, so that those who are released have more employment opportunities and reduce recidivism. Not only does Louisiana have the highest incarceration rate in the United States, it is 13 times that of China. The United States represents only 5% of the world's population, but Louisiana accounts for 25% of the number of incarcerated citizens. “Mass incarceration has disproportionately impacted Black Americans. Despite representing 13.6% of the total U.S. population, Black Americans make up approximately 35.4% of the total prison population, numerically exceeding the white population. Sentencing disparities, particularly with capital punishment, foster perceptions of systemic racial bias in the criminal justice system.” Turkington says Louisiana can continue to imprison nonviolent offenders while its taxpayers foot the bill. In 2016, Gov. John Bel Edwards said his goal was to reduce the number of inmates by 5,000 by the end of his term. But to achieve this goal, they must decriminalize those who have been locked up for nonviolent crimes. As Michelle Alexander said, once you are labeled a criminal, that idea will follow you your whole life. “Convicted felons in the state are subject to 389 employment restrictions, while the national average is only 123,136. These restrictions include former inmates being ineligible for specific business or property licenses and certain occupations, including those in law enforcement, education and the healthcare profession.” Turkington says they need to clear those offenders of non-violent records to give the ex-convict a chance at life outside of bars newly constructed facilities, but also rely on prisons to generate revenue to pay for equipment, police cars, and new technology. Many small rural communities in Louisiana rely on prisons to provide jobs. As a result, there is intense political pressure to maintain prisons are full, and the powerful prison lobby typically fights against reform efforts that could reduce the state's incarceration rate. There is no doubt that "the hidden engine behind the state's well-oiled prison machine is cold hard cash." The justice system currently profits from those in prison. When analyzing Louisiana and its current prison structure, it creates enormous mistrust on the part of the community it serves. On the other hand, scholars have put forward the idea that officers “have distinct personalities characterized by “machismo, courage, authoritarianism, cynicism, and aggression,” as well as bigotry, and some argue that police work itself fosters authoritarian traits of police personality". Mummolo's analysis of police reform indicates that the only way to reshape law enforcement is through the institution that houses the agency. With current police procedure and the expectation of meeting quotas, many officers said that if they didn't report satisfactory numbers, it could lead to consequences and careers. setbacks. “In this organizational climate,”?
tags