General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: There are roughly 800,000 cops in the United States... [View all]Jeff In Milwaukee
(13,992 posts)According to a website called copblock.com which advocates for pursuing and punishing rogue cops, there were 5,986 reported cases of police brutality in a one-year period in 2009-2010. That's the number reported -- Lord knows how many suspects got roughed up but kept their mouths shut. And 382 fatalities resulting from those incidents. I'm sure that most of the reported cases (any those that were unreported) were the result of "repeat offenders" in this regard. But I'll concede that we're probably talking about 2% of all cops are basically psychopaths with badges.
Problem One: The Thin Blue Line. While only a small number of cops are inherently bad, there are a lot of cops who look the other way, and police unions who fight tooth and nail to prevent their members from ever being disciplined for their behavior. Don't get me wrong -- if you've been paying union dues for years, the union had damned well better have your back and not cut you loose the minute you need them. But there are attitudes that have to change.
Problem Two: Police are woefully unprepared to deal with mentally ill persons. Many of the worst videos that you see of cop beatings involved cops and homeless or otherwise mentally ill suspects. The typical police mantra of "Do as I say or get beat down" doesn't work in this context (and is on some pretty shaky moral ground in general). There are times when cops need to use force, and I fully support a cops right to go home alive at the end of a shift, but there are times when a more nuanced approach is better.