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Continuing with police brutality, raising good kids and white collar criminals

By Steve Lombardi

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Yesterday we discussed a Q&A from a justifiably angry parent whose son appears to have been arrested without the need to do so. Today we continue on with the dangers of death in police work. In the news in Des Moines is a similar case that may result in a civil claim being filed for excessive force during an arrest. False arrest may also be part of any such claim.

When police brutality is alleged there are no winners. Not the person who suffers the indignity of being falsely arrested or brutalized during an arrest. Not the police department that has it's reputation disparaged. And, whether deserving or not, certainly not the officers involved. And let's not forget the general taxpayers who end up paying for the short sighted action by an employee who was supposed to have received professional training and evaluation showing they are fit to be in law enforcement. No winners only losers.

The poster child for the costs of police brutality would be Rodney King. Remember Rodney and the LA riots? And Reginald Denny? Do you remember him? Very ugly incident in the history of race relations in America. As I said before the cost of police brutality can be extremely high; and the cost of what may only appears as police brutality can be even higher. With video cameras being so prevalent in just a few seconds arrests can be published to the world in seconds. Someone was quoted as saying, "The next war will be fought with video cameras."

First let's look at the homicide trends in the U.S. for police officers. Then we will recap opening night at the LA riots.

Homicide trends in the U.S.
Law enforcement officers killed

The number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty has declined since the early 1970's

Between 1996 and 2005, of the 575 officers killed --

26% were in arrest situations
18% were in ambush situations
18% were making traffic pursuits/stops
17% were on disturbance calls
12% were investigating suspicious persons/circumstances
10% were in other situations

Of the 662 assailants identified in the killing of law enforcement officers from
1996-2005 --

more than half had a prior conviction
2 out of 5 had a prior arrest for a violent crime.

Most law enforcement officers are killed with firearms, particularly handguns. The greatest proportion of the recent decline in murders of law enforcement officers is attributable to the decline in handgun murders.

Source: FBI, Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 1973-2005
Additional information about the data used in Homicide trends in the U.S.

Law Enforcement Officers Feloniously Killed
Year	Total killed*
1973	134
1974	132
1975	129
1976	111
1977	93
1978	93
1979	106
1980	104
1981	91
1982	92
1983	80
1984	72
1985	78
1986	66
1987	74
1988	78
1989	66
1990	66
1991	71
1992	64
1993	70
1994	79
1995	74
1996	61
1997	70
1998	61
1999	42
2000	51
2001	70
2002	56
2003	52
2004	57
2005	55

* The 72 deaths that resulted from the events of September 11, 2001 are not included in this total. Source: FBI, Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 1973-2005

Law Enforcement Officers Feloniously Killed

Year

Total killed*

With handguns

With other guns

Other methods*

1973

134

1974

132

1975

129