Above the law: police and the excessive use of force

The acquittal of the four Los Angeles police officers who had been seen by the nation kicking and beating Rodney King on video tape, while 23 other officers looked on, precipitated mob violence and a sustained world-wide outcry against police violence. This study uses this incident and others like it to illustrate the nature of police violence, the extent of its presence in America today, and the possible ways to remedy a problem which is undermining public confidence in police. Skolnick and Fyfe argue that the police should be regarded and should regard themselves as officers deriving their authority from the law, obliged to acknowledge its moral force and constraints. They situate police use of excessive force in its historical perspective and explore the cultural world of policing - how the values and understandings police learn as they assume their jobs affect both attitude and performance.