Police brutality

Lore & Background

The first modern police force is widely regarded as the Metropolitan Police Service in London, established in 1829, though some scholars argue early forms of policing began in the 1500s on Caribbean plantation colonies as slave patrols. Early records suggest labor strikes were the first large-scale incidents of police brutality in the United States, including the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, the Pullman Strike of 1894, the 1912 Lawrence textile strike, the Ludlow massacre of 1914, the Great Steel Strike of 1919, and the Hanapepe massacre of 1924.

The term 'police brutality' was first used in Britain in September 1848 by The Puppet-Show magazine, which wrote: 'Scarcely a week passes without their committing some offence which disgusts everybody but the magistrates... police brutality is becoming one of our most "venerated institutions!"' The first use in the American press was in 1872 when the Chicago Tribune reported the beating of a civilian under arrest. Hubert G. Locke described the term as covering practices from calling a citizen by their first name to death by a policeman's bullet, with the average citizen thinking of the wanton vicious beating of a person in custody.

Sometimes riots, such as the 1992 Los Angeles riots, are a reaction to police brutality. The 1991 beating of Rodney King, an African-American man who was stopped for speeding and resisted arrest, resulted in permanent brain damage, skull fractures, broken teeth, and broken bones after being severely beaten by four white officers. This incident was recorded as one of the worst police brutality cases and spread internationally.

Reader's Guide

Police brutality represents a persistent challenge to the legitimacy of law enforcement and the protection of civil rights. The article notes that marginalized groups often perceive police as oppressors rather than protectors due to statistically disproportionate minority incarcerations. Causes include 'hard on drugs' campaigns that expand police funding and militarization, despite studies showing these efforts are ineffective. A lack of accountability in the legal system, including qualified immunity and withheld body camera footage, can normalize brutality. The 'bad apple paradigm' is considered by some an 'easy way out,' with a Royal Canadian Mounted Police report citing systemic factors such as the Blue Code of Silence, rigid hierarchical command structures, and deficiencies in internal accountability. Studies show some officers develop a sense of being above the law, and psychopathy may make some more inclined to use excessive force. The use of force continuums are not always effective checks. Police brutality can also serve political repression, and some officers engage in vigilantism, believing the legal system is failing. The 1992 Los Angeles riots exemplify how such violence can trigger widespread civil unrest.

Did You Know?

• The term 'police brutality' was first used in Britain in September 1848 by The Puppet-Show magazine.
• The first use of the term in the American press was in 1872 by the Chicago Tribune.
• Early records suggest labor strikes were the first large-scale incidents of police brutality in the United States.
• The 1991 beating of Rodney King, recorded as one of the worst police brutality cases, contributed to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.