Editorial: Police Excessive Force Complaints a National Crisis

[damnedifIknow]

We have a national excessive use of force problem in our law enforcement community. The onslaught of examples in the last nine months has moved this issue to the forefront. This is not a new issue, but our awareness is particularly heightened in light of the rapid dissemination of written and visual information. Our use of force problem isn't isolated to racially charged communities, although we are more likely to find excessive use of force in urban and large metropolitan areas where, not by coincidence, we are also likely to find minority communities. Use of force is endemic throughout our nation, including a small community in northern Connecticut"

* Police officers are trained to use necessary force. They must be able to protect themselves and members of the community and we do not advocate constraints that would endanger them or the public. However, it is time that we, as a nation, demand that our law enforcement community ensures that officers do not engage in illegal, unapproved, excessive or lethal use of force against those they are sworn to protect and that appropriate sanctions are leveled against officers who do engage in such use. Excessive use of force is unacceptable."

http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202723729015/Editorial-Police-Excessive-Force-Complaints-a-National-Crisis?slreturn=20150320174224

[SamKnause]

1. A National Crisis

A National Disgrace

A National Embarrassment

The Justice System in this country

is anything but just.

The Penal System in this country

is barbaric.

With the economic divide growing, judges, attorneys, district attorneys, prosecutors, police, the FBI, the DEA,

repeatedly and unabashedly breaking the law I fear things are going to get very ugly.

[Xipe Totec]

2. A National Clusterfuck nt

[SamKnause]

3. Fucking A,

indeed it is.

[Faux pas]

4. National SHAME.

[mike_c]

5. the most fundamental tenant of U.S. justice is that punishment is the best deterrent....

That notion is the foundation of conservative thought regarding our justice system-- that it exists to punish criminals, and that punishment deters others from committing similar crimes.

It's a particular irony that we seem to not apply that logic when it comes to law enforcement itself, where the lack of any meaningful punishment for routine abuse of authority seems to foster greater and greater reliance on excessive force and authoritarianism. The solution, I think, is to punish police who abuse their authority, clearly, unambiguously, quickly, and reliably. In other words, apply the same philosophy that swift and sure punishment is the best deterrent of criminal behavior.

Until we routinely throw cops in jail for it, they will continue to routinely abuse their authority. In most jurisdictions, simply defending yourself from illegal police abuse is itself illegal, and therefore justifies their abuses.