Mostly all of us stick to a conception that the police are the structure responsible for defending us in case of a threat to our human, political or civil rights. These are people whose duty is to fight against the violence in the world. The paradox is that sometimes their actions are even more aggressive and brutal than expected.
The information mentioned above is not simply a type of gossips or rumors. Video cameras recorded a lot of scenes of police brutality during the interrogation. Without a doubt, the issue cannot be left without public attention because in most cases we can observe the cruel deprivation of human rights. People have always believed in equal justice, which is an important political tenet of society. Consequently, the public scrutiny took this question into consideration.
A sensible idea was expressed by the clergymen, who suggested organizing the oversight board to monitor and control the police behavior. Such committees are not a new trend in the society. In 1967 there was created an organization that had a task of reviewing citizens’ complaints concerning the police brutality. Mostly, they fought against racism. Despite the fact that the oversight board was not so potent to resolve all problems, it helped to check the acts of extreme violence provoked by the police.
While fighting for the human rights, the oversight board proposed by the clergymen would be a great benefit for the society in. In order to effectively perform the tasks, it should consist of qualified people from different spheres because the tasks of this organization should not be limited to monitoring and punishing. The educational program among the police officers is of central importance; subsequently, there must be experts who could give some practical advice for the policemen to improve their work and avoid violence.
The public has always treated every situation from the point of morality. However, the question of morality has always had ambivalent attitudes. Clergymen, who proposed the establishment of such board, would surely like to become active participants of the oversight process. They could help to lead the educational work among the police officers and give lectures on the importance of spiritual development. Moreover, the clergy have always extolled the question of morality, whereas the police actions cannot always be called humane because of certain reasons. This factor may lead to a conflict between these two powerful structures.
The oversight board could be a reliable source of information and compete with the mass media that often misrepresents information. The public always want to be aware of what is happening in the country and can support the oversight board if the latter will manage to win the public’s trust. To succeed in it, they should simply be honest and always strive to deliver actual information. The public support would defend the oversight board from the police threats, which can be very frequent because police have always represented justice system and, therefore, do not want to be controlled by someone else.
Police are the servants of justice. Their high status must not be distorted by their actions all the time. Even a small mistake can ruin the trust of the public and cause conflicts. The past years showed that these public officials hired to fight against the injustice and violence choose the methods that are not compatible with their reputation. Thus, the establishment of the oversight board could help to educate the police officers of a new age and teach them to use more humane methods of struggling against the injustice and analyze their actions. They should be aware of the fact that they may be punished for their actions.