The media in our country write stories everyday about police. More often than not, these stories are not thanking them for a job well done. Police are often free game to the criticism of the media. The newspapers in America are the biggest second guessers in our country. When the police have to use deadly force, the media will write a story about the shooting being unnecessary. Members of the media do not understand that the police never want to shoot a suspect. However, situations occur where the only available option is to shoot the suspect. Arrests are even worse than shootings. Several times when a suspect is arrested, the media makes him look like the victim. The facts of cases are exaggerated in order to sell papers. This usually is done at the expense of the police. For example, the Boston Globe editors assign reporters to different stories. The editors even tell the reporters what

However, guns are not the only "weapons' an officer has. Patrol cars often have helped police get a suspect into custody. A patrol car can often be used to ram the vehicle of a fleeing suspect. When high speed chases occur, officer will try to end the chase as soon as possible. If ramming a car is required to make it stop, then it must be done to protect innocent lives. Studies show that seven out of ten pursuits end in an accident. Also, one out of five end in death (Alpert and Fridell, 99 ). Police departments have pursuit policies that determine which actions to take. The greater the possible risk, the higher the need to end the pursuit. For example if a high-speed chase is heading toward a congested area, then the police need to prevent a possible innocent person from becoming a victim. These means of prevention must be done with "due regard" to the lives and property of those not involved ( Alpert and Fridell, 134 ). In some cases the fleeing vehicle was rammed and unfortunately the driver was killed. The ending is sad but if it saved the lives of innocent people, then it was worth it.

Where does an officer draw the line between medium force and deadly force? That question has no definite answer because each situation is different. To understand how an officer decides how to handle each situation, one must see first hand what an officer goes through. The biggest factor is the safety of the officer. Police officers have to enforce the laws of our country. However, the legal system in our country is giving all the rights to the criminals. For example, why is it procedure for an officer to take leave after a shooting? Mounted cameras on the dashboards of police cars have been the biggest asset in the defense of police. In court the jury is able to see a video and make a decision on the use of force. The video could possibly show the suspect swinging at an officer, or cooperating with the officer. Before the cameras the court cases basically consisted of "he said, she said" evidence. Without proof either side was fighting an uphill battle. The toughest cases were the ones where officers were accused of excessive force.

Police are trained to maintain law and order. They also have procedures they must follow for most situations. Upon hiring, a new cadet must go through training at the local police academy. For up to 10 weeks the cadet will learn everything from making an arrest, to self-defense. The laws of the states and nation are the biggest area of focus for cadets at the academy. While in the academy the cadets study and have tests on the material they are learning. Proper procedure for arrest, car chases, and uncooperative criminals are also studied in the academy.

Male officers have to be more cautious when using force. A 250 pound officer will have a lot of questions to answer if he shoots and k

Some common words found in the essay are:
Police Department, Alpert Fridell, Police Force, Perry Anson, Los Angeles, Boston Globe, Perry Harlem, deadly force, officer shooting, police officers, coercive authority, police officer, officer draw, trained maintain law, innocent person, helpful tool, helped police, lives innocent, serve protect public, helpful tool police,
Approximate Word count = 1931
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)