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End Police Brutality in the United States

Law Enforcment Crimes Committed in Minority Communities

Jul 28, 2008 Taylor Bennett

Battery. Assault. Racial Profiling. Interrogation. Murder. These tactics are an abuse of power and a violation of human rights used by those who should protect us.

Race is a factor in police brutality in the US. Police have violated the human right's of minorites more often than any other race. What does one do when the African American community can no longer trust the police force?

There are incidents, such as the recent acts of racism displayed in Harlem, New York where two officers drove around town in an unmarked vehicle with a black doll's head on the antenna. The NYPD has not done anything about the hateful act.

In the 2007 Sean Bell Case , one hispanic and two African-American men were shot at fifty times by undercover officers. Sean Bell was killed, and his two friends were severely wounded. The officers faced charges of manslaughter, reckless endangerment and assault and all three of the police officers were acquitted on all counts.

In the killing of Amadou Diallo in 1999, Diallo was hit 19 times out of 41 shots. Three out of the five detectives who were involved appeared in the trial on charges ranging from manslaughter to reckless endangerment and were found not guilty.

NAACP Members and State Official Speak on Police Brutality

To address the problem of police brutality in the United States, state officials and members of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) have discussed their thoughts in a brief interview.

"No one should be able to break the law without being punished," said Hazel Dukes, President of the NAACP NY State Conference. "There are all kinds of ways that they should be handled." Dukes along with other officials are working with NY State Senator Bill Perkins to address this epidemic.

"We each have a responsibility. It's not enough to tell the story, but the black media has to do something also," said Senator Perkins.

"We just can't tolerate all this abuse that they are doing, said Leroy Gadsden, Chair of the Legal Department of the State Chapter of the NAACP. "There needs to be action and we aren't talking about a slap on the wrist but termination. They need to send a message to every police officer that comes in this city. The officers think that they could come into the Hispanic and African American community and abuse people and there will be no repercussions."

A victim of police brutality should write your city goverment, state legislators, U.S. Representative or Senator. Victims of police brutality around the world need to come together and put an end to the problem, so that there will not be another innocent life taken or another guilty cop being set free.

The copyright of the article End Police Brutality in the United States in Activism is owned by Taylor Bennett. Permission to republish End Police Brutality in the United States in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.