Police Brutality: Deal With It

Disclosure: During my rookie days back in the sixties as a San Diego police officer I used excessive force, more than once. I remember most of the incidents, though I'm sure I've conveniently forgotten some. I'm ashamed, wish to hell I hadn't done it. But I did, and visceral memories of these incidents help shape an answer to the question of why certain cops engage in brutal behavior, and others don't.

As police brutality cases go, it may not be one for the annals.

In late February, King County, WA sheriff's deputy Paul Schene deposited a slender 15-year-old girl into a holding cell and ordered her to remove her shoes. The teen used her right toe to loosen the heel of her left sneaker, which she then cast off, the rubber-soled shoe apparently striking Schene in the shin.

As she began the mirror process with the other shoe, Schene stormed the holding cell, kicked the girl in (what appears to be) the groin, chased her across the cell, grabbed her by her hair, flung her to the concrete floor, burrowed his knees into her back, slugged her twice in (what appears to be) the head, and handcuffed her, all of this on camera. He then yanked her by her hair to her feet and "escorted" her out door, and out of our view.

The girl, who had offered no resistance, reported trouble breathing. Paramedics were called. Schene's report declared that the teenager had suffered a "panic attack."

Pretty bad. But does it stand up to the LAPD Rodney King beating? Or the NYPD torture of Abner Louima? Or the countless other videotaped police attacks we've seen in recent years?

Yes.

The Schene attack didn't last nearly as long the King beating. It wasn't as sadistic as the broom-handled, sodomizing case of Louima in Brooklyn's 70th Pct. But it's just as painful to watch: a six-two, 195-pound man pummeling a frightened child.

Who cares whether the girl was "lippy," or that she may have referred to the officers as "fat pigs." Any excessive police force violates agency policy, not to mention state and/or federal laws. Not only does such "official" violence inflict pain, often causing lasting physical and emotional injury, it greatly undermines public confidence in the police (as evidenced by reader reactions to the original post).

Cops are allowed, in the language of Schene's own agency, to use physical or lethal force only as "necessary to effect an arrest, to defend themselves or others from violence, or to accomplish other police duties according to law."

Apart from the question of why in the world they'd do it with today's omnipresent cameras rolling, why do certain cops resort to excessive force?

Schene claims he was assaulted (the girl maintains that she was not aiming for the deputy when she flipped off the shoe). He claims the sneaker caused him "bruising, bleeding, and pain" as well as a "blood filled pocket," though it's hard to imagine that statement passing as truth. Schene's injury appears to have been caused by his self-propelled collision with the cell's shin-high stainless steel commode--caught clearly on the tape. The deputy will no doubt assert he used only that amount of force necessary to overcome the girl's physical aggression. It doesn't take a trained observer to see he's wrong.

So, how do we prevent this kind of behavior in the future?

Please don't say through (1) more thorough screening of law enforcement candidates, or (2) better training. They're both important, of course. Critical, in fact. But law enforcement, for the most part, doesn't pick bad apples. It makes them, and not through academy training.

Forty-three years ago I was an idealistic, vaguely liberal 21-year-old when the San Diego Police Department hired me. The last thing on my mind was taking to the streets to punish people. And lest there be any doubt about the department's policy, the police academy, even then, drove it home: excessive force was grounds for termination.

So, why did I abuse the very people I'd been hired to serve?

Not to get too psychological, I did it because the power of my position went straight to my head; because other cops I'd come to admire did it; and because I thought I could get away with it. Which I did--until a principled prosecutor slapped me upside the head and demanded to know whether the U.S. Constitution meant anything to me.

It comes down to this: real cops, those with a conscience, those who honor the law, must step up and take control of the cop culture.

Comments

[ReverendDraco]

When people in "Positions of Authority" abuse that authority, the penalties should be more severe than if the same crime were committed by a regular Joe. . . If the person involved has taken an oath as part of gaining their Position, the penalty for abuse of Authority should be even more severe. . .

[GoingBust]

"So, how do we prevent this kind of behavior in the future?"

The answer to this question is getting simpler and simpler.

REQUIRE COPS TO WEAR AUDIO VIDEO RECORDERS WHILE ON DUTY.

Have you seen the size of the latest iPod and Cellphones with cameras? Some manufacturer should easily be able to build a clip-on AV recorder that can store DAYS worth of video. This should be done, officers should be required to wear them. Failing to wear one should be a firing offense.

Cops should want to wear them too. The fact is that 99% of the lies come from accused criminals, not the cops. The recorders would help the vast majorty of cops. They would deter or expose the few bad ones. Everybody wins.

[guajiro]

For those citizens who live in a town where the police are full of too much testosterone in their behavior, I suggest getting the city council to adopt a policy wherein the police officers are required to provide the citizen that's involved in the issue with a document that gives the citizen a chance to put down on paper his/her opinions on the matter. For example: a- was the officer courteous, b- did the officer identify him/her self? c-etc. As it stands now the officer has TOTAL control of the situation. It should not be that a citizen loses all his/her rights just because an officer pulls them over for some infraction or other issue. When pulling over a citizen the 2 or 3 minutes it takes for the citizen to fill out the form is about how long it takes the officer to fill out his/her form.

[LincolnParkChicago]

This happened in Connecticut when there was an attempt by local government and local activists to institute a statewide civilian review board. Read it if you think police or police departments will just lie still for your suggestion. Also watch the you tube video below for Norwalk mayor's thoughts.

"While now a freelance journalist, once I was a successful businessman and political figure, had a net worth of about $1 million, and also wrote US police accountability laws. My scope was national; I lived in Connecticut. "

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0411-27.htm

[LincolnParkChicago]

There is no oversight of police. When an "investigation" does take place , the outcome will (99.9% of the time) be "the officer acted within dept guidelines" . The 0.1% of the time the officer is sanctioned, he or she will be reinstated with backpay by the review board. Police unions are in charge.

Former Norwalk, Connecticut, Mayor William "Bill" Collins talks about police officers abducting citizens while wearing ski masks to beat the suspects at abandoned waterfront warehouses. Police we...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmdqiUE7Gfw&feature=PlayList&p=5C0ED82BE92FA2EA&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=40

Ritt Goldstein, a Connecticut businessman active in attempts to institute a statewide civilian police review board, was harrassed by police to the point that he fled to Sweden and asked for asylum in Sweden.

[WilliePilgrim]

In my High School the worst troublemaker and biggest bully eventually became the town cop. Ironic? I wish, but where else can a sociopath go to be protected as they inflict the pain that gives them joy and purpose? The church, I suppose, like the BTK guy...

[onwisconsin]

I concur. As a matter of fact, in my hometown these bullies were also the ones who drove around in the trucks with confederate flags behind their deer rifles. I'm a law-abiding person but when I go visit my parents in the South with my Wisconsin plates, I'm doubly sure I follow every possible speed limit (not even 2 miles over) and give them no reason to stop me. These guys scare me and I am a white middle class professional woman. I can hardly imagine what it is like for my friends of color because I know they get harassed just for the cars they drive -dwb- driving while black.
One of my old school friends is an attorney in my hometown and knows of cases where these old classmates of ours have planted drugs in people's cars. He's told me if I'm ever stopped to never, ever consent to having my car searched. I don't do drugs. I don't drink and drive. There's no reason at all for them to search my car.

It's sad. When I was a little kid my parents used to tell me that if I was in trouble I should go to the police. Nowadays, you just don't know for sure.

[DogLeg]

After 17 years with what used to be the California Youth Authority as a teacher and after having a deputy sheriff put his foot in my door and force his way into my home without any probable or reasonable cause Any citizen in this country is a stupid ass if they think cops uphold the law, protect you or serve you in in manner, shape or form.

Sorry. But the facts are there is no Constitutional right to anything in this country. If you are not rich you are dogmeat.

[overcat]

Several years ago I was arrested for DUII. It was late in the evening on a residential street when I was pulled over. No question, it was a clean bust, I knew I was guilty and was cooperative - no lip, no resistance, total compliance. The cop was extremely aggressive. He cranked the cuffs down on my wrists so tight that my hands began to swell, then he grabbed my by the hair and slammed my face onto the hood of my car. I asked him a couple of times to loosen the cuffs a little, and was told to shut up. I stayed like that until his sergeant arrived to transport me to lockup. I repeatedly asked the sergeant to loosen the cuffs, and finally he did. When we got downtown and the cuffs came off, my wrists were swelled to twice their normal size, and I had a bruise on my face from my encounter with the car hood.

While this instance was mild compared to what so many have experienced, for me it exemplifies the opportunistic aggression far too many cops feel entitled to inflict as a function of their normal duties. I don't even want to know what would've happened had I been running my mouth or resisting arrest, or a racial minority in a run down neighborhood instead of a white guy in an affluent neighborhood.

[scooperss]

"Please don't say through (1) more thorough screening of law enforcement candidates, or (2) better training. They're both important, of course. Critical, in fact. But law enforcement, for the most part, doesn't pick bad apples. It makes them, and not through academy training."
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I was going to say, jail time.
We're coming to a point in this country where certain groups of people, think they are above the law.
You know it isn't right and so do I.
Unfortunately, those able to do something about this appear to think themselves part of the entitled.

[captaink2]

Does anyone remember the guy in New lnodon Ct that took the police test and did too well?They said "he's to smart to be a cop"

[maxgen]

To me, the question "why do certain cops resort to excessive force?" is not the major question. Almost all groups contain sociopaths and crooks. Effective, ethical groups make them responsible, prosecute them and kick them out or remove their power to do damage.

The question should be "why do those who are supposedly not sociopaths (some individual policemen, police administrators and government officials) allow abuses to happen and cover up the crimes?" Or does police work attract latent abusers and induce all to become sociopaths?

[Noland]

Well done Mr. Stamper. Please keep hammering away with this matter officers of your former profession needs your voice. Thank you for supporting this matter.

[RoloTomassi]

I've seen firsthand a my share of excessive force by law enforcement, and I know that police work is very much in the same league as the military when it comes to attracting young men who wish to "get some" in regards to violence. I suppose to their minds it's an occupation that offers a community "service" while affording them a means of legal aggression and a sense of supreme power over the common citizen.

But I think it is also a matter of tradition with senior law enforcement personnel, and a superficially accepted aspect of American pop culture, through the fictional glorification in the mediums of books, film and TV; by now it is ingrained in us as a nation to expect cops to be tough characters, and to at least half-believe that maverick cops who break the rules are really necessary ot get the really bad guys.

But like many things in American culture, the reality is far less cut-&-dried and far more brutal, dishonest and selfish, tolerated for the sake of the almighty dollar.

[MoeB]

Mr. Stamper:

Thanks for your piece here. I must respectfully disagree with how you propose we deal with the issue of police brutality. If simply BEING in law enforcement creates "bad apples", then I certainly don't feel very safe with your solution of "real" cops policing other cops. As we've seen in the past, cops tend to PROTECT each other, not scold them on their behavior (if they do, it must be completely behind closed doors, which, again, is not reassuring). What needs to happen is PRISON time for cops who abuse their authority. With great power comes great responsibility. You all have a duty to NOT abuse your powers. And when you all do, the penalties should be severe.

Also, these brutality complaints should be taken more seriously...both by the public and by law enforcement.

[karinova]

The standard "Blue Attitude" probably doesn't help.
How are you supposed to simultaneously be a humble servant/protector AND expect absolute, when-I-say­-jump-you-­say-how-hi­gh "respect"? Neither the cops nor the public seem fully able to resolve both.

[WilliePilgrim]

It's paradoxical, but it's almost as if those who wish to become cops should never be allowed to do so (their desires too easily slip from law to order), and those who would never want to be cops should be selected instead.

[EAbraham]

Indeed. I'm not a cop, and haven't been the recipient of this sort of behavior.

But I've worked security at conventions, and I say the same thing - the people who WANT to work security are almost never the ones who SHOULD be doing it. I try to draft competent people from other areas and usually find that that works better