They claim that when an officer feels threatened, the use of force is a mechanism of self-defense. Officers almost never acquire full intellect of a crime until they arrive at the scene. Once there, they may need to make decisions based upon how the situation unfolds. Although officers may not respond to violence with violence, they are authorized to use both psychological and physical force to detain convicts and solve crime. In “Police Brutality: A Violent Contradiction,” by Marty Bull, Bull states, “When police are required to make split second decisions, sometimes the decisions are not the wisest… [these decisions] come with a different set of consequences that the officer must carefully evaluate in order to make the right assessment of the situation.” Bull suggests that an officer’s job is exhausting because they can be charged with penalties depending on how they choose to handle a certain situation. Though most occupations allow for careful thought and preparation, a police officer is often pushed into a situation with little knowledge about what is going on. Often an officer is involved in a situation which has the potential to turn violent. One can note that making serious decisions under pressure can be nerve wrecking but policemen risk their lives daily making these sorts of choices. They jeopardize their lives to the benefit of …show more content…
Francis L. McCafferty’s, “Corruption in Law Enforcement: A Paradigm of Occupational Stress and Deviancy,” Dr. McCafferty writes, “Police officers are both respected and suspected, hated and loved, feared and courted for favor, maligned and praised.” Controversial issues have always been a social dilemma especially when dealing with the welfare of the public. Police aggression, or force, is one of the many social issues this nation has been dealing with. How can we keep the people safe if some feel threatened by authorities of this country? Moreover, since Police officers are authorized to use both psychological and physical force to apprehend criminals and solve crime, are police officers simply upholding to their duty? That’s for you to