Prevent Crime
One Video Spurs an Examination into our Criminal Justice System...
Jeremy Bentham was a philosopher from the 1800s with numerous ideas on a proper society.
What do you think of this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhkKCreBPZ0
I watch this video, and I get emotional. Why? I saw this video for the first time, and I had tears. It evokes thoughts of George Floyd for me. Other excessive violence police videos begin to enter my mind. What was going on? Why was that Officer so gassed up? What made this situation escalate?
This video has repercussions on Police culture. Is it changing? Collectively as a larger group of people. What made that Officer scream? What made the other take action? Was the suspect dangerous? What are the officers doing now? What should we do as citizens? Do nothing.
Why does this video have such a strong effect? I understand if you don't get it. Still, is change taking place on the streets? Cops have one of the most dangerous jobs around, and they have to protect each other. How do we know if a change is happening?
The video was released in November 2021, but the audio wasn’t available until March 2022. Maybe there's not enough information to judge this video. Marsy’s law, what is it?
Marsy’s Law: All persons will be treated with fairness and respect for their privacy and dignity and free from intimidation, harassment, and abuse, throughout the criminal or juvenile justice process.
I watched it again, and it still gets me. The junior Officer is smaller than the aggressor. What did she do wrong? That sergeant is under the guise of protecting his officers, but it’s terrifying to watch him in action. It makes me think. Don’t we want a giant, intimidating monster guarding our society? By our cultural standards, that small junior Officer shouldn’t be fit. "Smaller people can't make an impact." She stopped the monster. The streets are safe.
Where should we go from here? I wish I knew what that black guy was doing. The video says he was threatening people in the area. Is he a repeat offender? I wonder about standard Police procedure. How do they usually treat threatening black people? I hope that question gets you thinking.
I can't help but wonder, how should the Police behave? I've never worked in law enforcement, so I have no idea. But that's what gets my brain going; what are popular ideas about Police culture?
Well, Jeremy Bentham says, "it is better to prevent crimes than to punish them." In contrast, the Police are an enforcement body. They were created to wait for crimes to happen and act within the confines of the law. Is there a social institution that serves to prevent crimes?
We need a group not to interpret the law or enforce the law but to solely seek out potential crimes and deter them. I have to keep lawyers out of my mind, but this group needs to understand the law and its interpretation. Also, this group cannot have the power to arrest or use force. On top of that, this entity needs to be incentivized. I'm going to message my temples for a moment.
The United Nations has the International Center for the Prevention of Crime. That may be too broad. The criminal justice system has three entities: the Police, the courts, and corrections. The correctional system. "Corrections" carry out the punishment, treatment, and supervision of persons who have been convicted of crimes. There is an entire system that executes sentences. Two parts of our justice system focus on punishment, and there is nothing to prevent crime.
Is it us? Are we, as citizens, charged with the responsibility to prevent crime? Simply trying to exist in society can be difficult. Citizens have enough to worry about without the burden of preventing crimes. Our criminal preventive entity has to have a sense of social services. However, I have to wonder: what is the best way to prevent crime?
The top 5 most popular crimes are larceny/theft, burglary, motor vehicle theft, and aggravated assault. Money, mental health, and happiness are intrinsically linked to crime prevention. Our preventive entity must have strong powers concerning each one. Sigh. This is bigger than I thought. To be continued...