American Police Shockingly Abusive, Research

Most Departments of Justice investigative reports reveal findings that are the same as the Ferguson Police Department conclusions.

Throughout the United States, over the past several years, the police seems to rely on excessive force and discriminate against minorities, transgressing the civil rights of citizens, according to mashable.

Quotes from several DOJ reports show that everywhere, the police use excessive force. Interestingly, the reports are forcing even Conservatives to rethink. For instance, Jason Lee Steorts, the managing editor of national review argued that many right-wingers look at the Ferguson report as spurious, but "anyone who cares about protecting citizens from abusive and arbitrary officialdom" should be grateful that it exists, "whatever else he may think of Eric Holder's tenure as attorney general."

Steorts lays out the DOJ's findings in detail and concludes by calling on conservatives to rethink how they react to credible reports of law. Hence, even Conservatives are beginning to introspect, according to theatlantic.

In various US reports, the following has been revealed:

Ferguson report, published on March 4, 2015: "FPD engages in a pattern of excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment...Some incidents of excessive force result from stops or arrests that have no basis in law. Others are punitive and retaliatory."

Seattle's police force report, published on Dec. 16, 2011: "We find that SPD engages in a pattern or practice of using unnecessary or excessive force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution."

Albuquerque's police force report, published on April 10, 2014: "Based on our investigation, we have reasonable cause to believe that APD engages in a pattern or practice of use of excessive force, including deadly force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment."

Cleveland's police force, published on Dec. 4, 2014: "Our investigation concluded that there is reasonable cause to believe that CDP engages in a pattern or practice of using unreasonable force in violation of the Fourth Amendment."

Hence, Ferguson's department report was not the first that the DOJ was discovered as violating the Fourth Amendment rights, protecting them against unreasonable arrests. It reported: "The harms of Ferguson's police and court practices are borne disproportionately by African Americans, and there is evidence that this is due in part to intentional discrimination on the basis of race."

New Orleans' police force report, published on March 16, 2011: "NOPD has failed to take sufficient steps to detect, prevent or address bias-based profiling and other forms of discriminatory policing on the basis of race, ethnicity or LGBT status, despite widespread concern and troubling racial disparities in arrest rates and other data."

Seattle report: "We do not make a finding that SPD engages in a pattern or practice of discriminatory policing, but our investigation raises serious concerns on this issue." Later, the report states, "Moreover, many community members believe that SPD engages in discriminatory policing. This perception is rooted in a number of factors, including negative street encounters, recent well-publicized videos of force being used against people of color, incidents of overt discrimination, and concerns that the pattern of excessive force disproportionately affects minorities."

Newark's police force report, published on July 22, 2014: "This investigation found that black people in Newark have been stopped and arrested at a significantly higher rate than their white and Hispanic counterparts. This disparity is stark and unremitting. Approximately 80% of the NPD's stops and arrests have involved black individuals, while Newark's population is only 53.9% black."

This part of the Newark report is familiar to the Ferguson report readers, which noted that black residents in Ferguson accounted for "85% of vehicle stops, 90% of citations, and 93% of arrests made by FPD officers" although they constituted just 67% of the population.

From the Ferguson report: "Our investigation showed that the disconnect and distrust between much of Ferguson's African-American community and FPD is caused largely by years of the unlawful and unfair law enforcement practices by Ferguson's police department and municipal court." According to the report, African American residents "described being belittled, disbelieved, and treated with little regard for their legal rights by the Ferguson Police Department."

From the Newark report: "Because the NPD engages in a pattern of making stops in violation of the Fourth Amendment, Newark's black residents bear the brunt of the NPD's pattern of unconstitutional policing. This undeniable experience of being disproportionately affected by the NPD's unconstitutional policing helps explain the community distrust and cynicism that undermines effective policing in Newark."

Portland, Oregon's police force, published on Sept. 12, 2012: The police abuse their use of "electronic control weapons." The report said "These practices engender fear and distrust in the Portland community, which ultimately impacts PPB's ability to police effectively."

From the Cleveland report: "When officers point their guns at people without proper justification, even if the encounter does not progress any further, it can be a traumatic event for the citizen. Done enough, communities can come to feel as if they are under siege." Later, the report added, "This mentality fosters distrust of the police, reduces cooperation, and interferes with CDP's ability to fight crime while ensuring officer safety."

Worryingly, these reports show that the abuse of force leads to "distrust" from the citizens toward the police, while endangering the police too. In a hostile ambience, it is tough to maintain harmony and solve difficult cases efficiently.