An interesting study published by researchers at the State University of New York College at Buffalo looked at the perception of the necessity of force and whether or not it was morally just. Respondents included multiple individuals from within the state’s law enforcement system. The findings were a bit shocking and speak deeply to the culture of excessive force in New York City.
For the purposes of this study, individuals were exposed to several vignettes that depicted objectively different levels of force being used in a variety of situations (including physical blows). They were then asked several questions about the situation and the responses portrayed in them.
While a majority of the participants said that the use of force was not necessary in a majority of the situations, some qualified those answers by suggesting that force was sometimes necessary and the level of force they suggested might be acceptable was highly variable.
Most surprising, perhaps (or maybe not so surprising at all) was that 17% of those who took the survey found that respondents felt that the use of force was acceptable at any level.
When you combine these preconceived notions that the use of force-even excessive force in New York-is not only okay but necessary even for minor offenses with the continued “militarization” of our country’s police forces, it’s not hard to see why we may be suffering from so many civil rights violations. We’ve seen some very controversial things in the past few years in New York City including the use of a stop-and-frisk policy, NYPD officers using banned chokeholds, and even acts of force against minors.
If you’ve been on the receiving end of a police or corrections officer’s use of force, proving your case (and getting the financial compensation you deserve) can be a hard road to hoe in light of these biases, which is precisely why you need an experienced excessive force attorney in New York City on your side. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 right now.