All or Nothing, One and Done
Police Brutality is a major issue to minority groups everywhere. The constant risk of being taken advantage of or facing hospitality to the potential, “Peacekeepers,” of the community can be a major fear for a lot of people. There are many examples of law enforcement blaming brutality on Stand Your Ground laws or they “felt threatened,” and people pay the price with their lives. While stopping every officer everywhere from showing hostility is almost impossible, there are ways we can lower the collateral damage. A possible solution for this issue is that All enforcement officers should carry non lethal variants on their weapons. The main issue with weaponry in law enforcement is that there really only is one normalized
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Non-lethal weapons do have a number of disadvantages. On the physical aspect, there are two main detriments to using Non-Lethal weapons, and they all revolve around the force of the weapon. Because Non-lethal weapons are designed to be of smaller impact or force, targets with either a bigger build or better trained muscles can show resistance to these weapons. The reduced force of say rubber rounds, sedative gas, or electric tasers may not be enough force to take down a larger target that needs to be incapacitated. For these weapon’s to be effective against larger targets, force may need to be increased, but that brings up the second issue. Even though force is significantly reduced in non lethal weapons, too much dosage can prove fatal. Inhaling too much sedative gas can send the target into severe comatose. A point-blank shot from a rubber bullet can break bones or rupture organs. Too much voltage from a taser can send the target into a seizure, and too much liquid from a tranquilizer can prove similar effects to the sedative gas. However, the drawbacks extend past physical problems. If the population understands that there is no longer a risk of dying while non-lethal weapons are in play, felons may be braver to commit a crime or threaten bystanders without the fear of dying. Secondly, if an officer is stuck using non-lethal weapons, and a situation calls for lethal force, the officer may be restrained by the reduced force of his or her weapon. Subsequently, knowing that their weapons are non lethal, some “corrupted” officers abusing their power may take advantage of their weapon’s reduced force to take advantage of citizens through police