Proctection and the Blue Code of Silence
Many people argue that police brutality results from a corrupt law enforcement system. Police brutality results from internal problems in the government and law enforcement system. The government allows police officers to possess a unique type of power than no other occupations possesses. They allow police officers to use violence and force even if deadly during their encounters with the public. Erwin Chemerinsky argues the Supreme Court has
yet to hold police officers and their governments that employ them accountable
for civil rights violations. Multiple court cases suspecting forms of police brutality resulted in the police officer’s favor. The cases ranged
from victims being wrongfully murdered to prosecutorial misconduct. The court system is structured in a way that makes it impossible
to sue government entities. There are rulings enacted by the Supreme Court such
as, absolute immunity and qualified immunity that protect police officers from
monetary damages. Chemerinsky also reveals that the Supreme Court weakenes accountability. The local government is only held liable if it’s proven that
the city’s or county’s own policy violated the Constitution. Chemerinsky
proclaims, “How many more deaths and how many more riots will it take before
the Supreme Court changes course?”. Police officers also follow the code of silence concept. When some police officers witness their colleagues' misconducts and crimes, they do not report them. Conor Friedersdorf argues that because officers obey the blue code of silence they do not intervene in the misconduct nor report the incident. Therefore, it leads to an increase in the use of excessive force or misconduct because officers begin to feel comfortable. This is an internal issue that the government must engage.