Police brutality has grown greatly through out the United States of America over the past decade. Since the Amadou Diallo shooting in New York City it seems that every day there is a new person being abused by "New York's Finest." Concerned citizens all over the country are now wondering has police brutality common? Ever since the beating of Rodney King and the riots that took place afterwards there has been a serious backdrop to America's ideas on race. When people in law enforcement "act without integrity and without regard for peoples' rights, they lose credibility and legitimacy in the eyes of the people." I, myself, really don't understand why police officers abuse some of the criminals and lose their temper so easily. Could it be because they overwork? Do they not know what they are doing? Do they think they can take advantage of civilians just because they have the badge and suit on? These are some of the questions that remain to be answered, but if you think about it no matter what, the abuse has to stop. Police officers are here to protect us and maintain order. We shouldn't have to be afraid of them when we see them in the streets.
In New York City in 1992, Mayor David Dinkins appointed the Mollen Commission to investigate corruption in the NYPD after cops in the 30th, 9th, 46th, 75th and 73rd precincts were caught selling drugs and beating up people to keep them from saying anything about what they were doing. The Mollen Commission heard from officers who admitted pouring ammonia on the face of a detainee from another who threw garbage and boiling water on someone hiding in a dumbwaiter shaft. Another "doctored an escape rope used by drug dealers so they would plunge to the ground and the same group also raided a brothel while in uniform and terrorized and raped the women there." .
Furthermore, civil claims filed against New York City for police misconduct have been rising steadily for some years.