Faults in the Criminal Justice System 

The criminal justice system is something that we are all familiar with. We come across it in our everyday lives. It consists of Police Officers, Judges, and the many court systems in the United States. Founded many years ago, the criminal justice was put in place in order to help maintain order in communities. Police would patrol the streets to ensure the safety of people like you and me. The criminal justice system is also used as a guide for what is right and wrong in the communities that you and I live in. More recently, the criminal justice system has been at the center of media frenzy, and has divided the nation at an unimaginable level. I have studied the criminal justice system for several years, and have a high level of understanding in regards its complexity. However, I do feel as though there are many areas for improvement. In this paper, I will discuss the popular topic of police brutality in relation to the criminal justice system. 

In my analysis, I will explain what the criminal justice system is and how police brutality became a factor. Following, I will provide research into instances of police brutality, as well as what researchers say, may have led to this. In the closing arguments, I will give readers points to think about, as to how they can help end the issue of police brutality, as well as what I am doing to solve the issue. 

HISTORICAL CONTEXT 

In order to understand the current standings of the police force, we have to understand when and why it was started. In an article published by “Time” magazine, writer Olivia B. Waxman says that “Policing in Colonial America had been very informal, based on a for-profit, privately funded system that employed people part-time. Towns also commonly relied on a “night watch” in which volunteers signed up for a certain day and time, mostly to look out for fellow colonists engaging in prostitution or gambling (waxman 1). “As the reader can infer the phrase “Colonial America” refers to a time that occurred several hundred years ago. This is significant information because it does show the aging of the system. In the beginning this wasn’t a sought after job, as people who patrolled areas were not seen as the best people. Once communities started to grow larger, the original system played out. However, this would soon be the way the world operated. An article by Britannica, tells us how the police force furthered. It went from something that was very routine, to a force that became personal with the people in its neighborhoods. When the writer, who is unknown, speaks about why the police force decided to switch its approach he says “In part because of an ideological commitment to local control over most institutions, police power in the United States became the province of state and local governments, and each city established its own police department(Bittanica 1).” I feel as though this switch was one of the realization that the idea of policing was good, but it needed to be reevaluated, so that it could fit the world around it which had been growing and changing. 

The policing system that we know today is very hands-on and community oriented. However, there have been new additions such as uniforms, bandages, and rates of pay. Another new addition to officers is the ability to use weapons. At the time that police forces were formed the use of weapons was not really a major issue, as the technology to produce the type of guns was not available during that time. In an analysis of what police officers carry on their belt today, students at WVSU, have identified the items by saying “On a daily basis, most police officers stock their utility belts with a radio, knife, taser, mace, baton, handgun, flashlight and handcuffs (onlineWVSU).”  In short, we went from volunteers protecting neighborhoods, to having named police officers with weaponry that has the potential to cause bodily injury. So, this raises a question. Do we keep policing the same? Or, do we adjust it, once again, to fit the needs of America’s constantly growing and changing society. 

Police brutality is defined as “the unwarranted or excessive and often illegal use of force against civilians by U.S. police officers (britannica 1).” This could result in extensive amounts of bodily harm, and in some cases, death. One of the first, and more memorable publicized instances of police brutality that resulted in serious injury, is the beating of an African American male, who goes by the name, Rodney King. According to a biography about Rodney King, the incident occurred after King was pulled over in a traffic stop, that occurred as the result of a high speed chase. As told by the writers, “the officers pulled him out of the car and beat him brutally, while amateur cameraman George Holliday caught it all on videotape(biography editors).” The officers in Kings case were all charged, however, they were all found guilty by a mostly white jury. The non-guilty verdict resulted in what we now know as the Los Angeles riots, which ended up killing at least 50 people, and resulted in almost a billion in damages to the surrounding community. 

In this year alone, the world has been touched by the tragic loss of George Floyd, who was not only assaulted, but murdered by Indianoplis police officers. An article titled “How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody” describes the incident. It all started when Floyd went to a convenience store to purchase a pack of cigarettes, and was accused of using a fake $20 bill. The writer says that “Seventeen minutes after the first squad car arrived at the scene, Mr. Floyd was unconscious and pinned beneath three police officers, showing no signs of life(Hill 1).” Videos recorded by onlookers, helped police identify that the officers involved in the incident, did indeed violate  policies of the Minneapolis Police Department. Due to this, all four officers were fired shortly after the incident, and days later they were charged with murder and manslaughter charges. The case still remains open. 

While these are two different stories, both are fairly similar. The common ground being, that both of these men were injured at the hands of police officers who used a brutal, and arguably unnecessary amount of force. The community however, refused to sit down and accept this defeat. In turn, people around the world decided to fight back! One example of the community outcry in response to police brutality, is the formation of the “Black Lives Matter” movement. While researching I came across the original group which was founded in 2013, after the death of a young African American male, Trayvon Martin. The movement says that its mission is to “ build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.” While it is not necessarily confirmed that police brutality is a race issue, it can be argued that way, since the majority of police brutality victims are of the African American race. 

CONCLUSION

A scientific article titled`How to actually stop police brutality, according to science’ lists several ways in which we can help end police brutality. The first of which is to track the problem. Writer Stephanie Pappas says that there are “no comprehensive government clearinghouse for data on police killings or police use of force (Pappas).” In other terms this means that there is no record of police killing or use of force on a federal level. This poses a problem, since you can’t fix a problem that you don’t even know really exists in the first place. However, some private corporations have begun keeping track. Unforntally, there is no guarantee that this type record could be used in the courts. The second thing she suggests is to demilitarize. She says that “For decades, police departments have been gradually adopting more and more gear from the U.S. military.” This is important to note, due to the fact that the military is a powerful force, with extremely advanced technology used to protect us against other nations. Equipping police forces with this type of machinery is giving them a power that is specific to another group, and this can result in an unnecessary struggle for power. Pappas also suggest investing in alternatives. She argues again that “Community policing is an alternative to the “Broken Windows” style policing that cracks down hard on minor infractions, flooding neighborhoods with police enforcement (pappas 1). This claim emphasizes the idea of being proactive instead of reactive. It would encourage community leaders and state officials to put into place more community activities, create programs for youth, and work on the mental health of those in the community. Another way to cut down on police brutality is to change police culture. In today’s society, this would look something like incorporating classes into police training that promote equality and discourage ideologies that create racial profiling. Some ideologies taught would be to calm down the situation verbally before using force, making sure verbal warnings were issued,  and also removing the use of chokeholds, something that could have been useful in saving George Floyds life. 

I feel as though we all play apart in keeping our community safe. Even if an issue does not directly affect you, it may affect someone that is close to you. By writing this paper, I hope that the sources I have put together would encourage others to consider taking a stand against police brutality, as well as educate themselves and others on the practices that are conducted in the criminal justice system, and more specifically, in local police departments. 

After researching the topic I have gathered a lot of information. I have discovered the foundation of the police force, and the evolutions that have already been made. I have also identified two very well known situations in which police brutality occur, as well as how the community reacted. Lastly, I identified solutions that could be used to fix this issue. Earlier in my paper, I raised two questions: the first being, “should the police force be kept the same, or is time for another change?” and the second “can police brutality be fixed?” My answer to the first question, would be yes, it is definitely time for a change. Just like the original police force had to adapt to the growing community, I feel as though today’s police force should adapt to the changing ideology, and need in today’s society. Today’s society could use more community activities, after school programs, and other methods that could reduce the risk of crime. Police forces are used to not only protect us, but ensure that our community is well taken care of. Police brutality, and advancements in law enforcement weaponry, have given law enforcement a powerful, and almost harsh name. However it is not too late to change this. To answer my second question, Police brutality is for sure an issue that can be fixed by putting officers back in their place, and giving them proper training that promotes equality and fairness. We will also have to work harder together as a community in order to get everyone the justice and peace that they deserve.