Aug 17, 2003
Whether or not you personally know about instances of police brutality and abuse, sooner or later it will affect your life -- either morally, financially, or personally -- it is just a matter of time. Does your community's police force look like an urban military unit? Do they have military weapons for use against civilian (a.k.a. ''you'')? Are they given special privileges over a civilian because they are supposed to protect society at large? Yes.
Is it dangerous to be a cop; do they really need all of those weapons and privileges? FBI reports show that in 2000, a total of 51 police officers were killed in the U.S.. Out of the hundreds of thousands of law enforcement personnel, this means less than 1/10 of 1% are at risk, thereby making law enforcement personnel one of the safest class of citizens in the United States.
On the other hand, nearly one in every two civilian women in the U.S. has either been raped, assaulted, beaten, or subjected to domestic violence during their lives. Court records show police officers are four (4) times more likely to commit acts of domestic violence, than any other group -- however, they rarely are arrested because their friends respond to the scene of the crime and do a cover-up.
Overall police brutality is increasing at an alarming rate. While it is true most law enforcement officers are ''good cops,'' these same officers almost always turn a blind eye to the laws broken by their fellow officers and do nothing to stop the illegal behavior.
Whether or not you personally know about instances of police brutality and abuse, sooner or later it will affect your life -- either morally, financially, or personally -- it is just a matter of time. Does your community's police force look like an urban military unit? Do they have military weapons for use against civilian (a.k.a. ''you'')? Are they given special privileges over a civilian because they are supposed to protect society at large? Yes.
Is it dangerous to be a cop; do they really need all of those weapons and privileges? FBI reports show that in 2000, a total of 51 police officers were killed in the U.S.. Out of the hundreds of thousands of law enforcement personnel, this means less than 1/10 of 1% are at risk, thereby making law enforcement personnel one of the safest class of citizens in the United States.
On the other hand, nearly one in every two civilian women in the U.S. has either been raped, assaulted, beaten, or subjected to domestic violence during their lives. Court records show police officers are four (4) times more likely to commit acts of domestic violence, than any other group -- however, they rarely are arrested because their friends respond to the scene of the crime and do a cover-up.
Overall police brutality is increasing at an alarming rate. While it is true most law enforcement officers are ''good cops,'' these same officers almost always turn a blind eye to the laws broken by their fellow officers and do nothing to stop the illegal behavior.
