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Police Abuse

The Statistics On Police Brutality Is Staggering

Police brutality is on the rise in many countries around the world. This has led to widespread hatred of the police. One might wonder how it is that many people have a low regard for men and women in uniform even though their main aim is to implement law and order in society. This issue has become a sensational topic in many places around the world (See reactions to Trump’s call to rough up suspects).

However, in as much as there are police officers whose intention might be to cause harm to suspects, there is a large majority that is intent in ensuring the peaceful pursuit of justice through lawful means. Here are some of the major statistics on police brutality.

Most Of The Cases Of Police Brutality Don’t Involve Crime

Most people assume that in most cases, suspects usually retaliate to police officers hence the need for excessive violence on the officer’s part. However, studies indicate the opposite.

69% of the people who were brutalised by police were not even suspected of being armed.

Location Matters When It Comes To Police Brutality

While people might cast the whole police force in the same light, new research indicates that there are certain areas where police brutality is more rampant. This means that there are other factors that drive police officers towards using excessive force that are location dependent.

Black People Are Most Likely To Be Killed By Police

Official statistics indicate that black people are 3 times more likely to be killed by police than white people. This fact applies to white dominated countries.

Nothing Is Ever Done In Many Police Brutality Cases

Rally against police brutality
Many human rights organizations have complained about unresolved cases of police brutality

While there are indeed many police brutality cases reported worldwide, 97% of these cases are never resolved. This means that only 3% of the cases end up with the police officer being charged in a court of law. Many human rights organizations have complained about this trend. The main aim of the police is to ensure that law and order is followed. They are the enforcers. However, what happens if they end up breaking the law instead? Does it mean that they can’t be prosecuted like ordinary citizens?

These are the questions that are being asked by human rights organisations from around the world. There should be internal mechanisms (that actually work) to deal with rogue police officers. If the trend continues and no police officers face justice, then there is a high likelihood that demonstrations like the ones held in America will be a rampant thing around the world.

Check out these staggering statistics from Warpedspeed. 

Metropolitan Police Accused Of Using Disproportionate Force Against Black People

New statistics in the UK reveal that many cases where police used a lot of force involved black people. People who identified themselves as black, or black British, were involved in 36% of these cases. This number is considered disproportionate given that black people only make up 13% of the entire population. White people, on the other hand, make up 57.5% of the population and they only had 45% of force used on them by the police.

Many human rights agencies condemned this picture and urged the police to exercise restraint when carrying out arrests, especially when it involved black people.

Suffering Minority

Police arrest black man
Black people face a lot of challenges when it comes to police arrests

Even though the report covered a three month period, it illuminated the fact that black people face a lot of challenges when it comes to police arrests. While the police insist that some of the cases required the use of force, many experts and analysts have pointed a finger at the worrying trends. Some insist that this picture should be corrected and that the police force should go through thorough training that teaches them about the equality of all races.

This statistical report is hailed as a step in the right direction in London. It is bound to help in identifying cases where police officers blatantly used excessive force where none was needed. Police officers in London have been trained in filling out forms for each case of forceful arrest encountered in order for it to be properly scrutinised.

Forms Of Force

Of the 36% cases that involved black people, 85% of the arrested people were said to be men. Furthermore, police indicated that a large majority of forceful arrests involved people with mental complications as well. In order to restrain these people, the police themselves also risked getting harmed along the way. That is why some people insist on the retraining of police officers. This will help them identify situations that require the use of force and those that don’t. Furthermore, they will also be able to know how best to protect themselves during such situations.

Taser
Most dangerous form of force involved the use of Tasers

Among the forms of force regularly applied by the police involved the use of handcuffs on people who had willingly accepted arrest. The most dangerous form of force involved the use of Tasers. However, police officers said that its use was more of a tactical measure. That was because they only fired the Taser in 10.5% of the cases that required its use. This means that 89.5% of the times, the Taser was deployed by police officers but it was not fired.

There was also the case of the spit guards. Though new to the police, their use has brought controversies as well. Of the 11 spit guards that were used on women during that time period, 8 were used on black women. This represented 72 % of the female cases involved. 

What To Expect

While these statistics were the first of its kind in London, it has elicited deep concerns from various rights groups including Amnesty International. Given that it will be done regularly, it’s expected that the trends will be sufficient enough to prod the police if the worrying trend continues. However, as for now, being a black person facing arrest in London is one of the most unpleasant things.

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