Police Brutality: A Global Issue?
- ricrotaract
- Nov 13, 2021
- 4 min read
We witness police brutality in all corners of the world almost every single day, from so-called developed countries such as United States up to developing countries like Nigeria. What exactly is police brutality? It is the excessive and unnecessary force use by law enforcement when dealing with civilians. Black’s Law Dictionary consider this as an umbrella term that defines 5 different types of offences that police commit i.e., excessive use of force, wrongful search and seizure, racial discrimination, false arrest/wrongful imprisonment, sexual harassment and abuse.
Even though this has been an ongoing problem, the development of technology and widespread media platforms including social media, there is an increased public awareness about police brutality more than ever before. However, it unfortunately continues to be a leading global problem with no signs of improvement in the near future.
The excessive use of force by police can sometimes end in death, injury and destruction. Most often, the abuse of authority by officers such as, using unlawful methods of interrogation of suspects, arbitrary arrests and intimidation, results in violation of human rights. In many of these occasions people are subjected to torture, ill-treatment and they are even deprived of their right to life which is the most fundamental human right of all. Moreover, these would be clear violations of civilians’ right to liberty and security, and their right to equal protection under the law.
Even though many international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights repeatedly mention the importance of protecting these fundamental rights, it does not seem to go through to the officials who actually needs to be aware of them. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that officers who kill or injure people after using force unlawfully are rarely brought to justice. This lack of accountability seems to be the root of the problem for many related incidents.
According to the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials which was adopted by the General Assembly in 1979, officers are allowed to use force as a last resort only. But are these codes of conduct obeyed in the real world? Isn’t this what initially triggered and gave rise massive social movements like Black Lives Matter? Millions of people around the world recoiled at the sight of Minneapolis police officer kneeling on top of George Floyd’s neck. His death brought the racial discrimination of US police force against African-Americans and other minorities into light.
However, police brutality is not limited to a single race. It is a global phenomenon that has extended to all races.
· During protests in Iran in November 2019, police shot and killed hundreds of protesters who posed no risk, including at least 23 children.
· In October 2020, Nigerian security forces reportedly opened fire on protesters calling for police reform #EndSARS, killing twelve people.
· Between October 2019 and January 2020, police in Iraq killed around 600 protesters.
· According to data in a Brazilian Public Security Forum, Brazil recorded an average of 2,200 annual civilian deaths by police between 2008 and 2013.
· The most recent events of police brutality can be evidenced from the protests against the military coup in Myanmar. This has left more than 700 civilians dead, and videos of security forces' brutal killings and beatings of civilians has shocked the international community.
These are some staggering amounts of deaths. One could only imagine how many were left injured, how many were subjected to ill-treatment, how many were arbitrarily arrested, and how many actually got the proper justice they deserve.
Where does Sri Lanka stand amidst all these? Are we any better? There is no need to swim through history to answer this question. The most recent incident was reported in Batticaloa where a police officer was seen kicking one individual while dragging and slapping another individual on a motorcycle. And can we ever forget the lunatic attack by the police officer who jumped on the body of a fallen driver which is caught on video and went viral on social media. There are a number of incidents in this year alone where the police attacked and unlawfully arrested peaceful protesters. And how many custodial deaths occur each year and how many go unnoticed due to lack of evidence?
The solution to this global issue is not an easy fix. Every county has their own domestic laws. So, there isn’t a one-size-fit-all system to make this problem disappear within a day or two. This issue should rather be approached from every angle. First and foremost, we should track the problem. Once the root of this issue is identified, it would be easier to find solutions.
In addition, the use of force and firearms by police officers must be strictly regulated. Furthermore, when handling protests, they should be provided with proper guidelines as to how to facilitate peaceful assemblies instead of resorting to violence as their starting point. People under detention also have the same rights as everybody else. Therefore, steps must be taken to preserve their rights. And most importantly, where the use of excessive force by police has resulted in death or injury,there must be thorough, independent, and impartial investigations and those who are responsible must be brought into justice using fair trials.
Although some nations encounter more police violence than others, it is quite\ evident that it has turned out to be a global issue. The society needs to have faith in the officers who are supposed to protect them instead of living in fear of them. Therefore, if the police violence is reduced and if there are more law-abiding officers that people can turn into, the world would become a much more peaceful place.
By Anuradhika Uduwana – LLB 2nd year
Edited By: Rtr. Dulithi Jagoda
Design By: Rtr. Savanthi Kothalawala
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