There are many pros and cons when it comes to the use of police force. The use of force is strictly a part of the job requirement of protecting and serving our community. It is the everyday battles that force police to make decisions that may seem a bit harsh at times. The use of force is only acceptable under certain circumstances and should only be used when absolutely needed. There are cases when civilians are saved by the use of police force, and there are cases when innocent people are hurt or even killed by the use of police force.
One advantage of police using force is the authority of law over any unlawful abiding citizen. The police have the authority to stop a crime before it occurs and that helps prevent crime in the first place.
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I think authority and strict police encounters are a great thing that helps offenders realize the consequences of their actions. Sometimes the only way to get an offender under control is to use unarmed physical force or force using non-lethal weapons.
Every day, police officers encounter countless hours of training to defuse situations that can be violent. In Philadelphia, every officer gets 40 hours of this reality training to learn tactics other than lethal force…even when suspects are armed and dangerous (PBS, 2016). The public has a misconception that deadly force is the same thing as excessive force. They can be similar if the police use deadly force to a point where every officer discharges their entire magazine on person when the threat has been eliminated. Officers receive hours of training on how to shoot a gun, but sometime receive little instruction on how to determine when to use the gun. Training starts in the Police Academy, and continues throughout their careers. There are officers who teach and train the departments every month. Military units also go through the same training. Sacramento County Sherriff K9 officer Bob Pomerson said “officers go through training every day. It’s not just