Police Use of Force in Public Perception
Problem
A police officer has the right to use physical force, special means and firearms. However, the public often interprets the use of force in two ways. In this regard, this article reveals the influence of police storytelling as evidence of the use of force as a necessary defense.
Despite the fact that the problem is formulated quite smoothly and it is difficult for the reader to understand the essence of the work, the authors managed to justify the relevance of the paper. Moreover, from the problem statement, it is possible to identify the object of work – a policeman who was forced to use physical force during detention.
Review of Literature
Among the literature under study, there are both works in which police stories are presented and works commenting on them. First, the authors provide a general description of the work with police stories, then analyze them from the point of view of comment articles.
Objectives
The work is aimed at (a) studying the influence of police stories on the perception of a police officer by the public; (b) establishing a portrait of the narrator of police stories and the target audience.
The formulation of research objectives is characterized by clarity, literacy and consistency. The presented tasks represent two consecutive logically related questions. However, the goals set by the authors are not presented in a scientific style.
Hypothesis
The authors hypothesize that the primary importance in answering the selected objects will be the place of action of events occurring in police stories. Therefore, the scenes unfolding in the dining room and the official car will be different in effect on the reader.
The hypothesis chosen by the authors is based on goals and objectives, as well as the object and subject of research, strengthening them. It contains the keywords that underline the topic of the paper. It is formulated correctly and lacks obvious facts or vague and controversial concepts.
Methodology
The methodology of the study was an analysis of the scientific base of police stories. Two works with different locations were selected for detailed consideration. Further, the authors summarized the data obtained using previous studies on this topic as an empirical basis.
The conceptual apparatus chosen by the authors in the methodology was within the framework of the scientific theory they used. The researchers strictly followed the formulations chosen by the authors recognized in the scientific community. In general, the methodology fully corresponded to the goals and methods of the study.
Findings
The location of the action actually turned out to be a prerequisite for the plot unfolding of the events depicted in the police story. Spatial localization gives the events a plot pattern (Mullinix et al., 2021); a specific environment serves as the ground for specific events.
Hypothesis one: Scenes of police stories, the predominant part of which is the dining room, have both an impact and an evaluation function on the reader. Such scenes demonstrate at what stage the investigation is developing, what is the cohesion of the police group and what is the nature of the relationship between its members.
Hypothesis two: Scenes in police stories, where the predominant part takes place in a car, present police officers as authorities of public justice. Police officers act as individuals with non-standard thinking, decisive in their actions and deeds.
Hypothesis three: The concept of space in police stories is applicable not only to the material world. It also affects the mental processes of perception, awareness, behavior, and social contact of both the reader and the characters themselves. The environment significantly influences the course of events, including determining the characteristics of the actors.
The findings fully reflect the outcome of the work; they record conclusions on the issues investigated in the paper. This section also contains the author’s reasoned opinion regarding the advantages and problems disclosed in the study.
Summary
At the stage of material processing, a logical connection between all structural elements and a strict sequence of information submission was observed. Each hypothesis was first investigated separately, and then a parallel was drawn and a comparative analysis was carried out. As a result, the methodology proved to be successful, and in the course of the study, the authors answered all the questions they posed.
Conclusions
The authors come to the conclusion that police stories are a way of communicating with the public and transmitting information about the specifics of the work of law enforcement agencies. Each of the two locations described in the paper is designed to help reveal the personal characteristics of the characters.
In conclusion, all the problems solved in work are outlined with rational and well-considered ways to regulate them. In addition, the authors also revealed the expected effect of the results obtained during the paper.
Recommendations
“Stories do have consequences for imparting upon newer officers the values and acceptable perspectives for members of the police community” (Schaefer & Tewksbury, 2018, p. 51).
This work focused on how police stories affect the public and the formation of the image of a law enforcement officer as an ordinary citizen. Further research can be done by examining the impact of police stories on the police themselves.
Bibliography
Mullinix, K. J., Bolsen, T., & Norris, R. J. (2021). The feedback effects of controversial police use of force. Political Behavior, 43(2), 881-898.
Schaefer, B. P., & Tewksbury, R. (2018). The reliability of police use-of-force: How police tell stories of critical incidents in different contexts. British Journal of Criminology, 58(10), 37-53.