Writing a Police Brutality essay is not easy. Police brutality is characterized as the use of excessive or unnecessary force by police officers against civilians. It has been a component of many major social and political movements in the United States.

It can be hard to find enough information on this topic if you are writing an essay on Police Brutality for your class. This article will provide general essay topics and valuable essay help tips on how to write an essay about different forms of police misconduct that involve the use of excessive force.

What defines police brutality?

Police brutality refers to when police officers use excessive or unnecessary force by police officers against civilians. Police brutality is one that takes many forms, such as verbal abuse and physical force, beating citizens in custody until they are unconscious, using lethal weapons like tasers where non-lethal ones would suffice (e.g., pepper spray), and shooting people who pose no immediate threat to the officer or others.

Citizens killed by police officers sometimes become controversial because it involves undue violence by the United States Police department. Other times, controversy arises when there is an explanation, but it’s unclear whether the undue violence by police was necessary given that explanation. 

Cases of police brutality might include:

  • Using pepper spray when it’s not called for.
  • They are punching someone repeatedly when they’re already handcuffed.
  • Kicking an unarmed person in the head after he’s been restrained on the ground face first with his hands behind his back, 
  • Or they were twisting someone’s arm behind their back until the person screams in pain.

Police brutality should not be confused with “assault and battery,” a criminal violation of law that considers any physical contact made without consent to be illegal, even if it does not result in injury (e.g., hitting somebody).

Police brutality is a problem in some countries such as America, Canada, and India, where it has become a crucial social issue for many significant movements or campaigns.

Police brutality is a controversial subject in America. Many people have sought to end it by enacting laws limiting how much force police officers may use when arresting civilians or dealing with public members (e.g., citizens).

Police departments are often divided on whether they believe these limits infringe on their rights and give criminals more power during encounters with law enforcement officials. Some argue that civilian safety should always prioritize officers’ comfort because every person who wears a badge has sworn to protect them. Others say they need more freedom to do their jobs effectively without fear of repercussions from those higher up in rank.

Police violence can lead some communities into cycles of violence in which citizens retaliate against the police for mistreating them. Police officers can also become embittered and unhappy with their jobs because they’re constantly dealing with violent situations that turn out to be far more complex than what is portrayed on TV shows like “Law & Order.”

Save Your Time & Money By Ordering Essays from Us

What laws are there against police brutality?

Police brutality is prohibited by the Fourth Amendment, Fifth Amendment, Eighth Amendment, and Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution. Police officers are also protected from prosecution under Section 1983 of Title 42 for violations that result in death when there’s a good faith belief they’re acting lawfully.

As we know, this is not always true – many cases exist where police brutality is evident, even if it doesn’t lead to death. Police can also use excessive force without violating anyone’s constitutional rights or breaking any laws as long as their actions don’t exceed what is permitted by the law.

But how does one define “excessive force?” We must first examine each level of severity on its own before comparing them:

reasons of  Police brutality

Level One

Police using an appropriate amount of reasonable physical force to stop a crime and protect themselves or others

Level Two

Police using excessive force, but without violating anyone’s constitutional rights (i.e., through actions that can prove) to stop the alleged offender

Level Three

Police committing crimes against their arrestees, such as assault with intent to commit murder or other felony offenses 

Level Four

Police committing crimes against their arrestees, such as assault with intent to commit murder or other felony offenses and violating someone’s constitutional rights in the process

Level Five

Police officers who use force that is both excessive AND unconstitutional. When this happens, it becomes a criminal offense that can be prosecuted by law enforcement agencies or result in a civil action through Section 1983 of Title 42

Police can also use physical force without violating anyone’s constitutional rights if they don’t exceed what is permitted by the law. For example, Police using an appropriate amount of reasonable physical force to stop a crime and protect themselves or others; Police using excessive but not unreasonable amounts of bodily harm when trying to prevent people from harming others; Police committing crimes against their arrestees, such as assault with intent to commit murder or other felony offenses.

Speaking of reading sources, if you want to view this copy offline, download the PDF here.  

What are the forms of police brutality?

Police brutality can take many forms. Police brutality includes physical assaults, sexual assault, verbal abuse, and false arrests. Some common types of police violence are shootings by officers with their service weapons and more subtle or psychological approaches to quelling a crowd (such as overly aggressive police dogs).

Police brutality is often influenced by targeted people’s social and economic status, for example, people with fair skin color or higher socio-economic levels. Police brutality is usually a result of the negative attitudes and biases of police officers. Police officer prejudice can lead to violence against those who are different from them, leading to more problems for everyone.

The several forms of Police brutality are divided into the following categories:

level of severity of police brutality

Police misconduct

It includes any type of inappropriate behavior in the course of police activity. Police misconduct may consist of police corruption and abusing their power for personal benefit or to protect law enforcement officers who have committed crimes while on duty.

Use of Excessive Force

Police brutality by definition refers only to excessive force used against civilians as a form of punishment without provocation. Still, it can also be broadened to include physical violence perpetrated by law enforcement agencies that go beyond what would reasonably appear necessary under the circumstances. Police brutality can also be defined as using excessive and unnecessary force against civilians. Police misconduct is a broader term that includes any inappropriate behavior in police activity, such as corruption or abusing their power for personal benefit.

Unlawful Search and Seizure

It is a human rights violation, the right to be secure in our persons, houses, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures. A Police officer can only search us if they have reasonable suspicion or probable cause that we are engaged in criminal activity at this time.

False Arrest

A false arrest occurs when police officers detain someone without witnessing them committing a crime (or having reasonable grounds for suspecting they did commit it). In the same vein, police officers use excessive force on an individual who was not resisting their detention but had yet to break any law.

Sexual Abuse And Assault

Sexual assault is a type of sexual violence in which the victim experiences unwanted contact or touching, either directly or through coercion. Police officers who sexually assault are often motivated by impulses to dominate and control their victims.

Denial Of Medical Care

In some instances but not others, police personnel may deny a person in custody any medical treatment. It constitutes one of the multiple issues of police brutality found within our current judicial system. In particular, denying any medical care to somebody once they are under police or other law enforcement supervision may qualify as an Eighth and Fourteenth amendment violation.

Physical Violence

The use of physical police force to control citizens who have not broken laws has led some people to become skeptical about whether law enforcement agencies serve the public interest without bias.

Brutal Tactics

Police officers may resort to brutal tactics because they are poorly trained to defuse confrontational situations with dialogue instead of force. They feel threatened by those they encounter (especially individuals with mental health problems) or otherwise believe that drastic measures will stop an incident from escalating into something dangerous. For instance, they were firing shots at a car if it didn’t stop.

Racial Profiling

Racial profiling is defined as any action by a police officer that excludes people or disadvantages them because they are members of a particular race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation. Police brutality has been a component of many major social and political movements, including the US civil rights movement. Black Police misconduct (corruption) demanded equal protection under the law from police brutality racism that was acted with impunity to commit violence against African Americans without consequence.

 

What is a good thesis statement for police brutality?

  • Police brutality is the application of excessive force by police officers against civilians.
  • Police brutality can happen in a variety of ways, including but not limited to: using weapons and firearms (assault on both an unarmed person), hitting with batons, kicking, choking/smothering, punching until unconsciousness occurs; as well as shooting someone who poses no physical threat.
  • Police brutality also involves verbal abuse such as racial slurs and offensive language.
  • The most common form of police violence studied is “police shootings” because they are one type where statistics are available. Police killings have become increasingly more visible in recent years thanks to cell phone footage capturing these events for all to witness them on social media first hand regardless of whether they are a bystander or not.
  • Police brutality can happen even when the officer does not intend to hurt their victim; for example, if an officer is struggling with someone and accidentally breaks that person’s arm in the process while trying to restrain them.
  • Police violence disproportionately affects people of color because police officers often profile young African Americans as dangerous regardless of any evidence suggesting this might be true.
  •  The police violence has been called “an American legacy”: it was systemic before slavery, during Reconstruction after abolitionism, and then again at various points throughout history in different ways. It shows that racism has always been present but has taken on new forms over time.

Top Essay Topics on Police Brutality

Categories of forms of Police brutality

Unlike How To Write A Synthesis Essay, police brutality is a broad topic that covers many facets of society. A Police officer is often the most visible representative of an organization, so it can be hard to separate their actions from those of the entire entity.

A Police officer acts as both protector and enforcer in different situations – they may have to make tough decisions about how much force should be used or when lethal force would be necessary.

Here are some top topics that you can use for your police brutality essay.

Law enforcement brutality against racial minority citizens.

(Preview)

Police brutality has been seen as a critical issue in the USA for many years. Police often use unnecessary force against minority citizens, and this is why it’s such an important topic to cover when writing about police brutality. The 2017 report by Amnesty International suggests that black people are disproportionately targeted with excessive or lethal force than white people during interactions with law enforcement officers.

Significant Reasons for Police Brutality Racism.

(Preview)

Police brutality is a universal problem that has many causes. Police officers are often the most influential people in society, and they can abuse this power easily. Police brutality can have various reasons, including:

Top Essay Topics on Police Brutality
  • The training of law enforcement personnel;
  • Race relations;
  • Police culture;
  • Stress among law enforcement workers;
  • Conflicts between a police officer and members of minority groups or other underprivileged communities.

The connection between Police Brutality and the race of civilians.

(Preview)

The correlation between police brutality and the race of civilians is a controversial one. Police officers have been known to use excessive force against people who are members of minority groups, such as racial minorities or those in poverty. Police brutality can also occur when law enforcement personnel feel threatened by inmates or potential criminals. And this problem becomes worse when there is an issue with how some communities view the police: for instance, many black Americans think that white police officers will shoot them on sight due to their skin color even if they’ve done nothing wrong at all.

Research several facts about African American brutality, police force, and racial profiling.

(Preview)

Several recent incidents of police brutality include the shooting deaths of unarmed black men in Ferguson and Cleveland. Police officers have also been involved in shootings at protests for Michael Brown and Tamir Rice. In addition to these cases, two women were recently raped by on-duty officers. United States Police justify their actions as necessary because they fear for their safety or believe that someone is a threat. It’s hard to know how many other instances where people get hurt, but it doesn’t make the news due to lack of evidence or public support from family members who want an issue resolved quietly without any publicity.

 

History of Black Lives Matter Movement & Police Brutality.

(Preview)

The Black Lives Matter movement began with the killing of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African American teenager who George Zimmerman shot in 2012. After this incident, many people took it as a wake-up call reminding them again that racism is still present and alive. The Michael Brown shooting, which occurred two years later, triggered what became known as the “Black Lives Matter Movement.” This time everyone from celebrities to politicians spoke out against violence towards black lives matter activists who were willing to do anything they could for justice on behalf of other black victims. The black lives matter community also tweeted their support using #blacklivesmatter, showing just how big of an impact social media can make on this issue.

Can Crime Criminal Justice stop police violence?

(Preview)

Police officers should be punished according to the severity of their crimes. In many cases, police brutality has been found out to happen because there are no consequences for it. Police violence is a form of racism that can only stop by recognizing its root causes: poverty, mass incarceration, and intergenerational trauma. Police departments should invest in training programs for cops to prevent incidents of excessive use of unnecessary force against civilians. Follow these tips if you want your essay on this topic, not just good but also unique!

Why do Police officers use excessive force?

(Preview)

Police violence can be physical and psychological, verbal and sexual abuse on one end of the spectrum at best – but it also includes manslaughter, homicide, false imprisonment, extortion, and more serious crimes on the other end. Police forces have been known to cause injustice in many countries due to different types of police corruption. Police departments should invest in training programs for cops to know how to stop incidents of excessive use of unnecessary force against civilians sooner rather than later!

Can the use of excessive force against African Americans be justified?

(Preview)

Police brutality is one sensitive issue that needs to be addressed in many countries around the world. The adoption of excessive force by police officers has been an issue in many countries worldwide, including the USA, since colonial times when Native Americans were treated as slaves.

 Now, African American people are still being subjected to unfair treatment. Police officers have been given powers by law for arresting civilians. However, they must use their power responsibly and ethically when dealing with them. 

No one can justify Police brutality because it’s against fundamental human rights such as freedom of speech or expression, which are protected under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

Moreover, police should always protect people from harm and not cause more damage than necessary; this also applies to victims who approach them for help. Police officers’ job duties depend on local laws where they serve but generally speaking. 

They’re supposed to keep citizens safe and ensure peace, order & tranquility with courtesy, respect, and professionalism while upholding the Law regardless if the person they’re arresting is guilty or innocent.

Criminal Law enforcement and Racial Conflict.

(Preview)

Police brutality has been a vital issue in the United States throughout the years, and it is easy to see why. Police officers use excessive aggression when dealing with African Americans because they do not know how to deal with their race-related biases. 

Police violence against an African American can have devastating consequences on communities as well as police departments themselves. Police may use excessive force if someone feels threatened by them even though there was no danger present before or during the incident. 

This type of police brutality generally occurs while an individual is being arrested. For many minority groups, especially African Americans who were slaves centuries ago, every day, feeling unsafe around law enforcement officials becomes a way of life that society needs to change.

These are some important topics for writing a police brutality essay. You can use these topics as clues for your character analysis essay and do further investigation.

On top of that, here are some more recent years’ topics on police brutality.

Recent years' topics on police brutality
  • Legal and social ramifications of civilian abuse through police brutality.
  • If you think the police denied or violated your civil rights, what should you do?
  • Discrimination in law enforcement.
  • Impact of Police Brutality on Mental Health.
  • Black Lives Matter, police brutality, and Rodney King.

With all this information available online, plenty of options to choose for your informative essay and research papers. 

Save Your Time & Money By Ordering Essays from Us

You can categorise your Police Brutality essay as follows, 

  • Police Brutality Argumentative Essay.
  • Solutions to Police Brutality Essay.
  • How to End Police Brutality Essay. 

However, if you do not have the time or need an expert on the job, try our “Write My Essay” services, a one-stop solution for all your worries and excellent grades.

Want to view this blog offline? Download the PDF by clicking here.

carlos