Assignment 16- Sara Anderlich

 Police Brutality: An Annotated Bibliography

Devylder, Jordan, et al. “Impact of Police Violence on Mental Health: A Theoretical Framework.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 110, no. 11, 2020, pp. 1704–1710., doi:10.2105/ajph.2020.305874. 

This article worked to describe how unwarranted police violence was different from other kinds of trauma. Following the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, along with several others, people began to question the mental effects of the police violence that has emerged over the years due to media attention. From a public mental health perspective, it is obvious that such violence is stressful. Minorities can never be sure when and where they are completely safe. This is already concerning as stress has been proven to cause a straining sense of one’s purpose and self-esteem. Not only this, but it can turn into types of depression, and even psychosis, if the person is always worried. However, what’s different about police brutality compared to usual stress, is that it is violent and state-sanction. These people are left stuck, as the police are meant to make them feel safe, but do the opposite. Not only does this greatly increase the severity of the issue, but the people also lose the police as an institution that they can depend on. 

“How to Become a Police Officer in Kentucky.” How to Become a Police Officer, 21 Dec. 2019, www.how-to-become-a-police-officer.com/states/kentucky/. 

To become a police officer in Kentucky it is required that you possess/pass the following: are at least 21, are a US citizen, have a valid driver’s license, a background check, an oral interview, a polygraph exam, a medical exam, and have your GED.  As for the Kentucky States police requirements (kentucky trooper or highway patrol), you must possess the following qualities: You must have a good moral character, not have more than six points against a driver’s license, have a highschool diploma along with 3 years of full-time work experience/60 hours of college credit, and no visible tattoos while in uniform. Then, for Fayette County, deputy requirements include: to demonstrate a law-abiding lifestyle, to not have been convicted of domestic violence, to not have been convicted of misdemeanor or have used illegal substances within the past 2 years, to not have been fired from a job within the last year, and that you have a good driving record. 

Using this information, as well as the information presented in the extra source at the bottom, I can look at the requirements already in place to find any that seem counterintuitive or that are potentially missing. This can help me argue for what I think would be a necessity to this career. 

“List of Essential Skills and Traits for Social Workers.” List of Essential Skills and Traits for Social Workers - University at Buffalo School of Social Work - University at Buffalo, 13 Oct. 2020, socialwork.buffalo.edu/admissions/is-social-work-right-career-for-me/list-of-essential-skills-in-social-work.html. 

Coming from the University of Buffalo School of Social Work, the qualities of a social worker should include empathy, communication, organization, critical thinking, active listening, self-care, cultural competence, patience, professional commitment, and advocacy. To be more specific, this means that social workers need to be able to look at different perspectives. Not only when they’re communicating with others, but also when they try to consider them. Going along with this, patience is just as important as it helps in both active-listening and critical thinking (all vital communication skills). It means taking the time to be culturally competent (respectful of people’s differences) and active in overcoming one’s own implicit bias. 

Using this in my essay, I would argue that police officers should have a degree in social work because all of these qualities are necessary, especially when one is trying to keep various people in check. The profession is a very social career, and I don’t think it can be carried out well if those employed don’t know how to work well with all kinds of people (race, gender, ethnicity, disability).   

Peeples, Lynne. “What the Data Say about Police Shootings.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 5 Sept. 2019, www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-the-data-say-about-police-shootings/. 

Taken from this article, the graph, “Shootings by Police--The Data” shows that there is an obvious correlation between race and police brutality. This can be seen in the second section of the graph, where black men are nearly twice as likely to be killed by the police compared to white men. Specifically, these numbers are about 96 black men, and 37 white men, per 100,000. The 4th section of this chart tries to find explanations for why this could be occurring. Of course there is some implicit bias, but a lot can be attested by the strong backing of gun culture throughout the US. For example, the US had about 120.5 guns per 100 people as of 2016-2017 data. Comparing this to Canada, they had about 34.7 guns per 100 people, and with Sweden, only 27.6 guns per 100 people. Putting this next to the number of fatal police shootings, The US had 996, Canada-36, and Sweden-0. Though it might not be exact, this definitely shows how much easier it is for most people to access a gun in The United States, compared to other countries.

Wilson, Betty, and Terry A. Wolfer. “Reducing Police Brutality in African American Communities: Potential Roles for Social Workers in Congregations.” Social Work & Christianity, vol. 47, no. 3, 2020, pp. 66–84., doi:10.34043/swc.v47i3.153. 

This journal on Police Brutality highlights how police killings have become ever-more prominent among African Americans as a result of racial profiling. Doing this, it points out that the United States government had not begun to document this until recently, and is only now doing so because of the increased attention from the media (“But official statistics to substantiate these claims have been hard to find: the United States government does not maintain a comprehensive record of people killed by law enforcement (Swaine, n.d.). Increased media attention on several high-profile incidents, however, has prompted new efforts to document the occurrence of police brutality.” p67). These newer statistics are staggering. The Counted, a crowd-sourced database, tracked police brutality and killings 2015-2016 and found that African American men, ages 15-34, were nine times more likely than other Americans to be killed by the police. Relating this to post-Civil War, some scholars have even stated that this phenomenon is likely a continuation of the unchecked police violence that was first perpetrated by slave patrols (established in 1704) during slavery. In other words, police brutality has been happening for centuries, it is only the increase in technology has made the issue more visible to the public. 

Extra:

“Police Training Academy.” City of Lexington, 2020, www.lexingtonky.gov/basic-training-academy. 

https://www.lexingtonky.gov/basic-training-academy#:~:text=Recruits%20are%20challenged%20both%20physically,or%20higher%20on%20all%20exams.