Four Steps To Curbing Police Misconduct in The United States

Four Steps to Curbing
Police Misconduct in
the United States
INTRODUCTION
Curbing Police Misconduct in the United States of America
is a Herculean task. Most Americans truly believe that
police officers don’t do bad things to people who don’t
deserve it. They truly believe that most police officers are
honest people doing a tough and dangerous job; only to be
unfairly criticized by the “liberal media”, and tainted by few
“bad apples”.
Most Americans also truly believe that since they don’t

commit any crimes other than speeding or an occasional
DUI, that the police are not going to bother them; and, if
they do, that the police will treat them respectfully and
professionally.
Unfortunately, this belief system is the biggest impediment

to curbing police misconduct in America. In that world
view, there is no real “Police Misconduct” problem at all.
Good-citizen types are treated respectfully and
professionally, and those who aren’t treated so nicely must
deserve it.
Sometimes Even Nice Innocent People Really
Are Subjected to Police Outrages
Maybe you’re a black male good-citizen type and you’re
driving a new Mercedes-Benz in the nice neighborhood where
you live. That will get you pulled over often. That is not lefty
propaganda. That is reality. It’s amazing how many license
plate tags get covered-up by mud on Mercedes-Benz autos
driven by black people in nice neighborhoods; even in liberal
California. See, e.g. Beverly Hills while Black’: Race, wealth,
policing collide on Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles Times, November
5, 2021.
Maybe the officer just pats-down all motorists who he stops,

notwithstanding any constitutional prohibition of such
warrantless and suspicion-less searches. This really does
happen. After all, it’s safer but unlawful for an officer to frisk
anyone that he stops, and with many cops, if you appear in
any way to be of semi-questionable character, they are going
to want to frisk you.
The Police Protect Themselves from Their Victims
By Falsely Arresting and Falsely Accusing Them
of Resistance Offenses
If the officer injured the good-citizen type badly enough, the police will
increase the severity of the “resistance offense”, from say
misdemeanor resisting / delaying / obstructing officer (i.e. Cal. Penal
Code § 148(a)(1), “The Boot of the Police State“) if the officer doesn’t
injure you badly, to felony “resisting officer with threat of or use of
violence” (Cal. Penal Code § 69, “The Hammer of Oppression“) if they
beat you up somewhat badly.
If the officer injured the good-citizen type badly enough, the police will
increase the severity of the “resistance offense”, from say
misdemeanor resisting / delaying / obstructing officer (i.e. Cal. Penal
Code § 148(a)(1), “The Boot of the Police State“) if the officer doesn’t
injure you badly, to felony “resisting officer with threat of or use of
violence” (Cal. Penal Code § 69, “The Hammer of Oppression“) if they
beat you up somewhat badly.
Why We Believe That The Police Don’t Do Bad Things
to People Who Don’t Deserve It
We are taught since childhood to believe that the police are here to
“Serve and Protect” us from criminals, and sometimes, from ourselves
(i.e. drug possession). These words are ingrained in our American
psyche. When prospective jurors are asked “Why do you think someone
becomes a police officer“, ninety-five or so out of one-hundred will say:
“To Protect and Serve“.
Moreover, everyone has biases, and none of us can view the world other
than through lenses colored by those biases. Because most Americans
have never been the subject of police outrages, or have never personally
seen such events, most law-abiding Americans see the world through
blue-colored-lenses; confirmation bias toward the police.
When we hear about an altercation between a police officer and a

civilian, we assume that the officer is “in the right“, and that the civilian is
“in the wrong“. It is a natural reaction of most Americans, due to their
confirmation bias toward the police.
Why We Believe That The Courts Protect the
Criminals from the Police
Most Americans, those without a real understanding of the
American Criminal Justice System, see our criminal justice system
as a bunch of hired-gun lawyers and liberal judges, more
concerned with the rights of the accused than those of the victims.
Of course the problem with that mentality, is that the person who
is on trial and is being prosecuted is the only one whose rights and
freedom are in jeopardy.
Moreover, due to popular cop movies like Dirty Harry, the public
has a truly mistaken impression about our laws and our legal
system. For example, most Americans are under the mistaken
impression that the police are somehow legally obligated to “read
you your rights“, your “Miranda Warnings” if they arrest you;
something completely untrue.
All that Miranda v. Arizona, 384 US 436 (1966) held is that if you
are under arrest, if the police question you without first advising
you of your right to counsel and right against self-incrimination,
then the prosecution cannot introduce your answers to their
questions at your criminal trial
About Steering Law Firm
Police Misconduct Attorney, Jerry L. Steering has handled
hundreds of police misconduct civil rights cases and defended
bogus criminal cases since 1984. False arrest, unreasonable
force and malicious prosecution cases are a legal minefield;
make the wrong step and you are out. We know where to step.
Phone Number Email Address Website

(949) 474-1849 jerry@steeringlaw.com https://steeringlaw.com/

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Four Steps to Curbing

Most Americans also truly believe that since they don’t

Unfortunately, this belief system is the biggest impediment

Maybe the officer just pats-down all motorists who he stops,

When we hear about an altercation between a police officer and a

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