The problem of police brutality and unfair treatment of people is often raised in the media and provokes protests among citizens. A striking example is the events in 2020 under the slogan “Black lives matter.” It is directly related to police brutality and shows that people care about this issue. However, this is far from the only case when the police are biased and unfairly treat people, in particular colored citizens. Usually, this is due to racial prejudice, which is still subject to many officials. The purpose of this paper is to suggest several ways that might help solve this problem.
One of the essential steps for working on this issue is the careful monitoring of the authorities. In particular, ordinary citizens who encounter the police in real life should also join this monitoring (Brunson 2007). First, it will allow gaining multilateral control over the police. People will express their opinions about their work from different angles, which will provide a complete picture. Second, existing police laws and regulations may not always meet the demands of the modern world. Consequently, helping ordinary citizens to change them will be beneficial and make the police as useful as possible.
Another way to tackle the problem of racism and discrimination among police officers is through ongoing training. The ethical standards of society change regularly; however, many police officers are adults who are used to thinking in a certain way. This means that the police training program should include ethical and moral sections explaining interaction with different categories of citizens. Subsequent training and accreditation must become regular to keep police officers’ actions up to date. Thanks to this, they will better navigate in any situation and interact with people. Their knowledge of sociology and psychology will become beneficial for their work, and they will look at criminal events from a different angle.
To tackle the problem of racism, it is worth introducing regular checks and statistical studies. If they show that the percentage of arrests strongly depends on racial characteristics, it is worth investigating the cause and addressing this issue. In other words, everyone should be treated equally: if people commit crimes, their race does not matter, and they should be punished. Thus, the police should be a security agency, and interaction with them should be fruitful and rewarding.
If they do not consider people equal, then one cannot talk about safety: people of color will consider themselves disadvantaged and will not trust the police. The proper functioning of the police must be regulated by law. Laws should contain clear information about the lawful and illegal actions of law enforcement agencies. The state must be responsible for monitoring police actions so that they take their work as seriously and responsibly as possible.
Racism is a rather complicated issue, and it is necessary to approach its solution from different angles. It can be met almost in every country in the world, and there is a long way to go to get rid of it. Undoubtedly, everyday racism met among various people and police racism are different aspects. However, the police should be the ones people will follow and trust. This should not be influenced by their race, class, gender, or any other characteristics. This arrangement of society will contribute to its prosperity and make it safe. People will feel protected and will know where to seek help.
Reference
Brunson, Rod. 2007. “Police Don’t Like Black People: African-American Young Men’s Accumulated Police Experiences.” Criminology & Public Policy 6 (1): 71-101. Web.