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Using the example of Ahmed's suitcase clock, this Powerpoint considers the nature of police misconduct.
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Police Misconduct JCE Chapter 7
From last class… • Ethical training for police is best conducted through moral dilemmas. • Moral dilemmas force trainees to consider best practices rather than moral “codes,” making the ethical training more practical. • Summary ethical/practical principle: ‘advocate for others up to the point that you may get reported.’
…to this class • Where does police misconduct (as opposed to unethical behavior) originate? Answer: An Unethical System?
YES! • Police Misconduct occurs when an officer uses force beyond what is needed to respond to a citizens behavior. • Ahmed was arrested and handcuffed for his ‘clock-making/carrying’ behavior. • So, arresting and handcuffing Ahmed was Police Misconduct.
How did (2) Occur??!!! *Systemic Racism: If someone looks of middle-eastern decent, then they are Muslim and could be a terrorist. “As a Sikh American who keeps a turban and a beard Prof. Singh is often racially profiled by police officers and airport security. Therefore, he empathizes with Ahmed Mohamed, the Muslim high school student who was arrested on Monday when he brought a homemade clock to school and it was mistaken for a bomb.”
YES!* • Police Misconduct occurs when an officer uses force beyond what is needed to respond to a citizens behavior. • Ahmed was arrested and handcuffed for his *appearing middle-eastern with ‘clock-making/carrying’ behavior. • So, arresting and handcuffing Ahmed was Police Misconduct.
NO! • Police Misconduct occurs when an officer uses force beyond what is needed to respond to a citizens behavior. • Ahmed was arrested and handcuffed for having a device that looked like a bomb. • So, arresting and handcuffing Ahmed was NOT Police Misconduct.
It looka like a bomb? • “Right. That’s a clock, and I’m the Queen of England.” (Sarah Palin) • “The people at the school thought it might be a bomb perhaps because it looks exactly like a f*&%ingbomb.” Bill Maher • “The police overreacted. Yet the device did look like something Ethan Hunt would lob out of a helicopter at the last minute in “Mission: Impossible.” Christopher Cooke (National Review)
YES AGAIN! • Police Misconduct occurs when an officer uses force beyond what is needed to respond to a citizens behavior. • Ahmed was arrested and handcuffed for his having something that appeared like a weapon. • So, arresting and handcuffing Ahmed was Police Misconduct.
Having something that appearslike a weapondoes NOT mean it is one! • Alex Stone, a 16-year-old white kid from Summerville, SC, wrote a short story in which he imagined using a gun to kill a dinosaur. For this, his locker was searched and he was arrested, handcuffed, charged with “disorderly conduct” and suspended from school for three days.
The Perceptual Frame of Fear • “Toughest guy on the block” • Hero Mythologies • The “thin blue line” that stands between anarchy and order. • The war for social order • Us vs. Them • Reality of the Streets • Never Back Down • No Duty to Retreat • No legal obligation to seek out alternatives to the use of force • Just compensation • Better 12 judging you than 6 carrying you.
Responding to Weapons • Is it just to use guns when confronted with knives? • Yes, both knives and guns are potentially lethal. • No, knives require action at contact and thus knife-wielding suspects can be incapacitated at a distance by other means.
Responding to Kids with Weapons • Is it just to use guns when confronted with a kid with any kind of weapon, even a toy? • Yes, if the kid has something that looks like a gun, it is potentially lethal. • No, gun toys (all weapon toys) are common for kids to play with. Thus, it is worth, given the probability of it being a toy, looking like a gun-wielding kid can be incapacitated at a distance by other means.
