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Christian Reynolds
Mrs. DeBock
English 4
23 February 2016
Essential Question: How can police brutality rates be decreased or prevented altogether?
Working Thesis: Police brutality rates need to be decreased so that trust can be restored in law
enforcement.
Refined Thesis: With police brutality rates increasing, the population has lost its trust in law
enforcement, hindering their ability to fully protect the population.
Annotated Bibliography
Auerbach, Michael. Point: Police Brutality is Over-Sensationalized. HCS Smart Search. Web.
16 Feb. 2016.
The article Point: Police Brutality is Over-Sensationalized. shows the opposite side of
the story, backing up police officers actions. It talks about how stressful situations get for
officers and how this can lead to what some would call excessive force. Another topic it touches
on is how this reflects poorly on the police force and builds up distrust from the community, even
if the allegations are untrue. Finally, the article touches on how the rates of police brutality are
already lower than most think. This article was chosen because it shows the opposite side of the
story. Instead of defending the so called victims, it shows that things are not always what they
seem and that police officers should not always be accused so easily for what they do.

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DiLascio, Tracey. Counterpoint: Accusations of Police Brutality. HCS Smart Search. Web.
16 Feb. 2016.
The article Counterpoint: Accusations of Police Brutality. talks about how the police
are supposed to defend the city from crime in a way that makes the citizens feel safe. It also
states that gender and sexual orientation sometimes play a role in excessive force. The article
goes on to list several severe incidents and cases involving police brutality. Finally the article
talks about how police brutality can be prevented. It talks about safety checks and how police
need to be cooperated with more in high crime neighborhoods. This article was chosen because it
gives specific examples of police brutality and how it could potentially be prevented or reduced.
Emery, Richard D. "Video Cameras Curtail Police Brutality." HCS Smart Search. Web. 16 Feb.
2016.
The article Video Cameras Curtail Police Brutality. shows how if cameras were used it
would cut down on excessive force rates. It goes on to say that it is not an invasion of privacy if
you place them in the public areas of the precincts and in police cars to record what goes on
during the situations they are in and helps decide whether it is considered brutality or reasonable
force. This article was chosen because it gives a clear way to reduce police brutality rates. It
gives reasonable evidence as to why this does not invade the officers privacy and how it helps
fight police brutality and lower the rates. If there were cameras watching the officers, they may
be less likely to do it.
Walter, Andrew. Police Brutality: An Overview. HCS Smart Search. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.

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The article Police Brutality: An Overview. starts out by explaining what police
brutality is and how it has been caught more often in recent years. It goes on to explain the
history of police brutality and how it has been around since any form of government that had a
police force or military, and how there have always been officers who abuse their power at some
point or another. The article also states that most officers never go a day in their entire career
where they use excessive force in a situation, so all police officers should not be judged based on
the actions of a few. Another topic discussed is how excessive force is handled today and the
steps involved in reducing brutality. Finally it talks about how the Judicial System is not doing
its best to prosecute police brutality and reduce the rates that it could be doing. This article was
chosen because it covers the history of brutality and how it is handled today through courts and
through technology.

Los Angeles Police Department Manual. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.

This book is the manual that the Los Angeles Police Department uses for all officers and
shows the rules and guidelines that they must follow. It covers everything the officers must know
and how to handle situations. This book was chosen as a source because it shows how the police
are trained and gives their side of the story when it comes to what is considered excessive or
reasonable force to detain a suspect. It also opens ways that police could be trained differently to
avoid situations that could be considered brutality.