Introduction
Civil rights are rights that ensure that every citizen is free from unfair and unequal treatment by any individual organization or state. Police brutality is one of the issues that have been with the society for a long time, and it always tends to inhibit those subjected to it their civil rights. Civil rights activists and the general public have always come together to speak out against and, in some instances, demonstrate against these rights abuses, and in most cases, there are casualties. During some of these demonstrations, especially in the recent past, police brutality has been witnessed, and in many instances, it has even overshadowed the issue itself. Such a form of brutality leaves some members of the society feeling segregated either due to their race, color, age, gender, among other forms. The segregation will always be inherently unequal and oppressive, but people often do not see this inevitable inequality as white supremacy renders it invisible; consequently, we must overhaul the decision making process with a better understanding of the roles of decision and policymakers.
Police Brutality
Walker (2011) defines police brutality as the use of excessive physical force, verbal assault, or intimidating psychologically. Police brutality is a very important issue to discuss because it helps the citizens understand and correct those that are tasked with keeping them safe, and at the same time, it also brings the police to look at issues from a civilian point view. Policymakers, especially political leaders, also have a thing or two to learn how to protect their citizenly through better policies. Burger (2016) argues that the public is slowly losing confidence in the police service not only because police brutality is a criminal offense, but because they misuse power which is bestowed on them. Society has some form of psychological setting that tends to put people together according to common characteristics; they may include age, sex, race, ethnic background, language, among others. Lack of a good understanding of different behaviors amongst these groups has put more pressure on the police and the individuals in such groups. Therefore police brutality issues can have a detrimental impact on the social fabric that constitutes the society and especially when it is seen as targeting these different groups in our society. If there is to be a successful debate about segregation, then police brutality is one of the issues that should be discussed in its entirety.
History of Police Brutality
Police brutality is a phenomenon that is and has been witnessed around the world and in different forms. Chowdhury (2016), describes police brutality as either physical or verbal (non-physical). Verbal brutality is the use of inappropriate words and phrases against an individual or group. Physical brutality is assault. Police brutality can be traced back to the mid 19th century when the slave trade was legal. Up until the mid 20th century, there police brutality and segregation, in general, were accepted, especially if meted against the minority who were majorly blacks. Jim craw laws that were enforced up until 1965 are remembered for allowing racial segregation in all public facilities(Perdue, 2011). This segregation targeted people of color. After the slave trade was abolished, there was continued police brutality, especially in the 1960s, when civil rights movements were born (Embrick, 2015). During this period, white supremacists and other likeminded groups believed that minorities had to be racially regulated, therefore the need for segregation. Post slavery, other segregation measures were implemented by not only the police but also white supremacy groups like the Ku-Klux Klan, who were believed to be slave overseers. Civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King and Malcolm x were able to bring the issue to public debate up to a point minorities started enjoying some civil rights. However, this did not put an end to police brutality since it changed its form since it was illegal by law. The police and decision-makers always find a way of justifying it. White supremacy has continued to rule the debate when it comes to discussing police brutality, whether in history or today. A research study published in 2016 by an independent American association called PEW shows that every four out of ten blacks believe that the united states will never achieve racial equality(Pew research, 2016). Since this inequality is part of civil rights that citizens need to enjoy, then it is evident that civil rights are yet to be enjoyed by all, and there is the probability that it might take a very long time to achieve.
Current Conditions
During the summer of 2014, a young black man was shot dead by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, and the justification was that the black man looked threatening to the police officer, even though he was not armed. It is estimated that the likelihood of a black male being shot by police is 21times more than that of a white male. Also, less than two white males per million die from police brutality as compared to 32 per million for black males (Milner, George, &Allison,2016). These figures are not from the past but current and recent statistics, which show the extent of police brutality. Police brutality is nowadays due to psychological settings that have been propagated by stereotypical perceptions about different individuals or groups of people when put in the context of either their race, age, sex, gender, ethnic background, among other aspects. According to Najdowski, et al. (2015), there exists a perceptive prejudgment that members of the black and Latino communities are more aggressive and violent when compared to other minorities. Chaney, Cassandra & Robertson, Ray. (2013) using data from the general social survey(GSS) from 1994-2004 deduce that approximately 29.5% of whites accepted the use of force against blacks. It is this kind of perception that has become subconscious and can be directly associated with brutality meted against these minority groups by police. The police might not give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to connecting them to criminal activities.
The current and most conspicuous debate is if the rate of police brutality against minorities and, more specifically, against African Americans is racially prejudiced. A scientific conclusion might be hard to come to, but a social supported theory is not that hard. The debate has taken to different avenues and mediums and, in many cases, in the courts of law. According to the Washington Post (2020), approximately 1004 people were shot by police officers in 2019. This is an increase from 992 in 2018. The post also states that 41 of those were unarmed, and this translated to 2% of the people. As per racial categories, when both Hispanics and blacks are put together, they give half of the total deaths. With this kind of figures where 2% of the casualties were unarmed, there is very little anyone can do to convince the multitudes that the police might not be prejudiced when it comes to executing law and order. After the shooting in Ferguson, a survey was conducted to ascertain the views of the public on the movement that was advocating for black rights called “black lives matter”. More than 65% of blacks supported the movement stating that they felt they are always disenfranchised from the police and judicial systems due to their ethnic background (Pew research, 2016).
It is of my opinion that the issue of police brutality is very sensitive, especially since it touches on very many essential aspects of our lives. It is always advisable to be free of bias and practice sobriety when dealing with this issue. There is evidence of very honorable and outstanding police officers within the force. There is also considerable evidence that there are police officers who are motivated by very immoral perceptions when acting. Police officers are meant to serve and protect, and this is one aspect as citizens we cannot ignore. They ensure there is peace and order. Without looking at the specific cases of police brutality, I can say there has been a great improvement when it comes to police actions and reactions. Therefore I would say they are learning from their mistakes, whether intentional or not. However, there is still a need for the continued push for a more responsible police force. The negative perceptions and prejudices, especially against the minority, which might be present in a few police officers, always taints the whole police force and leaves blanket blame being laid down on the whole force. On the other hand, I can not fail to lay some blame on us the citizens since we also have some form of negative perception against our officers, forgetting that they are fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, aunties, uncles just like us. Therefore we need to perceive them not as our enemies but fellow humans doing their job, which is to protect us.
Plan of Action
Police brutality can be handled through frameworks, processes, and systems which ensure accountability of every officer’s actions while on duty. There are several ways to achieve this, and the first step should be from the lawmakers. The laws should be clear on what the consequences a police officer, whether as an individual or in a group, should face for a certain action. The consequence should be equivalent to the misbehavior. Flury-Kleubler & Gutscher (2001), suggest that to successfully modify a behavior, the individual should understand the consequences of each behavior, and the consequence should be proportional to the misbehavior. The second plan of action is the total embracing of technology. According to Washington Post (2020), out of 1004 people who were shot by police, only 126 police officers had their body cameras on. The other 878 cases had no form of technological backup. With the advancement in technology, some devices, such as body cameras, can ensure our police are accountable in their actions. It can also serve as evidence to back the information that might be provided. With this kind of information, available police officers can have an easier time explaining their actions, especially where they might be challenged due to lack of evidence (Beutin, 2017). When reforms are implemented starting from the lawmakers and police officers, then the public awareness should be conducted to educate the public in their roles and the different aspects of the law that are under their responsibility when it comes to police reforms. The public should be well aware of the parameters within which they can enjoy their rights without infringing on other people’s rights.
Conclusion
To tackle police brutality, which eventually propagates segregation, there is a need for a multi-sectoral approach. When the lawmakers pass laws that ensure the accountability of our police officers, there is a need to back this up with the use of technology to ensure those police officers are not also discriminated against in case of an investigation. After this is done, then there is a need for the public to be aware of what role they are to play in the whole process, it can be done through public awareness. All these measures will improve police – civilians relationships, increasing accountability on both parties, improving confidence civilians have on the police, and eventually taming the phenomena called police brutality. The case of Ferguson, Missouri, was brought to light by a personal video from a bystander, and it led to the action that was taken against the police officers involved. Otherwise was not for the video; the culprits would have gone free and most probably n justice for the victim.
