Public Opinion on Police Brutality

Public Opinion on Police Brutality

        Police brutality is a major issue across America. This topic can be hard to discuss due to different views and opinions, so I want to get a better understanding of society’s take on police brutality. There are times where force applied by an officer is necessary but there are other incidents where it is excessive. In saying that, there is not a universal definition for “necessary”, making these cases difficult to debate. This can be a touchy subject because of the role race and gender play in it.  The most common police misconduct is against African Americans, mostly male. Statistics have proven that African Americans take up a large proportion of the population in poverty, and crime is often connected to poverty. In saying, that Officers can very easily jump to the conclusion that anyone of a lower class is a criminal. Stereotyping also plays a major role in race department of police brutality. Stereotypes are partly based on fact, and in our country, people of color are disproportionately represented within the people who commit crimes.

Police misconduct typically involves younger males. Many believe that this is true because young men are more commonly seen as a threat opposed to women. This leads to officers enforcing harsh treatment to establish a fear factor. Police brutality is an issue that could be fixed by the attention of lawmakers. Everyone has their own beliefs and views on this specific topic and this research helped me have a better understanding of the public's opinion.

"Aiken, South Carolina (SC) Poverty Rate DataInformation about Poor and Low Income Residents." Aiken, South Carolina (SC) Poverty Rate Data. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2016. .