The Police Force: Helpful to society or harmful to the public?
Carlee Colvard, Managing Editor
Photo courtesy of pixabay.com.
Imagine a world of chaos. A world without justice. A world of crime that can’t be stopped. Imagine car crashes with no first responders, all sense of safety is lost and you’re left to fend for yourself.
This is a world without police. A world where everything goes because no one is capable of enforcing the law.
Recently, there have been instances of anti-police brutality rallies and even people who are anti-police altogether.
American film director, actor, screen writer and producer, Quentin Tarantino, recently spoke out at a rally that he would not support “murderers” and videos have surfaced framing police officers of using force against different individuals.
The question arises whether or not police are beneficial to society or if they are a force that has too much control over their subjects.
According to Chief Rick Morris, director of campus security at North Greenville University, police are important to society.
“Without someone to enforce ideals, there is no buffer between a criminal element and citizens trying to live their lives in a civilized manner,” Morris said. “There would be a total breakdown of society with no one to hold anyone accountable for their actions.”
Last month, Steven Hildreth Jr., a resident of Arizona, posted a Facebook status that went viral. After being pulled over by the Tuscon Police Department for a broken headlight, Hildreth explained to the officer that he is a conceal-and-carry permit holder and had his gun on his right hip next to the pocket where he kept his wallet.
In order to ensure both Hildreth’s and the cop’s own safety, the officer disarmed Hildreth to check his ID.
Hildreth could have reacted rebelliously and denied the officer’s safety precautions, but instead he complied and ended up with a verbal warning rather than a ticket.
In his Facebook post, Hildreth stated, “I’m a black man wearing a hoodie and strapped. According to certain social movements, I shouldn’t be alive right now because the police are allegedly out to kill minorities.”
Police officers perform their job regardless of the race of the individual. However, media tends to highlight the instances when an individual of a certain race acts out against police officers and because of their actions, face the penalty of their crime.
Hildreth’s status also said, “Maybe if you treat police officers with respect, they will do the same to you. Police officers are people, too. By far and large, most are good people and they’re not out to get you.”
The individuals in many of the videos posted to show police brutality rebelled against the officer and received the penalty of their actions. In some instances, the officers actions may have been forceful, but overall the individual faced the consequences of their own behavior. It is the officer’s job to react in a way that keeps others around them safe while detaining the unruly individual.
Police are necessary to society because without them order would be lost. Some will mess up because they are human, but ultimately they are here for the protection of civilians. Rather than disrespecting them, people should offer their gratitude for the men and women who risk their own lives to keep everyone safe.
