"POLICE BRUTALITY IS RISING IN AMERICA IN THIS 21ST CENTURY"

American society is the most policed state in the whole world. The online encyclopedia Wikipedia says this about the American Police Union. "The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) is an organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. It claims a membership of over 325,000 members organized in 2100 locals chapters (lodges), organized into local lodges, state lodges, and the national Grand Lodge. The FOP calls itself "the voice of our nation's law enforcement officers."

The United States of America is the cradle of democracy, human rights, freedom, justice and equality. The oldest democracy in the world. On the other hand, it is also a country of law and order and the most policed nation under the sun in this 21st century. America's police organisation is very localized, extensive in its operations and coverage networks. The police organizations are formed at all levels and they cover varied jurisdiction areas, such as the city police, the campus police, the county police, the state troopers and the Federal Police unit known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Incidents of police brutality are on the rise in America. Cases of police brutalities are reported regularly by our news media with victims either physically injured, molested, permanently disabled, killed in the process or died in a medical facility. The United States Congress passed the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act into law without the needed funding made available. The legislation does not require local police organisations to keep or document records, nor does it criminalize police brutality and excessive use of force as human rights violations.

Ethnic minority groups are major victims of most cases of reported police brutalities in America. Stephen Lendman is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization wrote this about police brutality in America in the Baltimore Chronicle: "evidence shows that racial minorities are systematically victimized, without cause, in public, when driving, at work, at home, in places of worship, and traveling, often violently".

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in its August 2009 annual report titled, "The Persistence of Racial Profiling in the United States" quoted Rep. John Conyers (D. MI) saying "Since (9/11), our nation has engaged in a policy of institutionalized racial and ethnic profiling," although, as an African-American, he knows the problem goes back generations, most recently in the "war on terrorism" against Blacks, Latinos, and Muslims for their faith, ethnicity, activism, leading to arrests, some violently, bogus charges, prosecutions, and imprisonments often compounding the injustice.

ACLU wrote further in its 2009 annual report that "The practice of racial profiling by members of law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels remain a widespread and pervasive problem throughout the United States, impacting the lives of millions of people in African American, Asian, Latino, South Asian and Arab communities".

Brian Airman eHow a contributor to the website eHOW wrote about the ways that American citizens can stop police brutality in America. He recommended that "police brutality can be stopped by you and those in your community. Know your rights and stand up for yourself, even if that means getting an attorney. Document all instances of brutality and collect all evidence and witness information. Be active in your community and participate in protests and educational events. An informed citizen is a safer citizen".

In conclusion, if there are no serious legal consequences against these police officers who intentionally engage in all forms of racial profiling and brutalities against their victims, then these evil and wicked practices will continue to increase yearly and this may eventually destroy the public trust, confidence and respect for our police officers, and the worst cases unaddressed may continue to lead to a complete breakdown of law and order, as well as the destruction of lives and properties in the affected communities.