I Swear to Preserve Life by Olga Rubio

Many things are clear when it comes to law enforcement. For example, it is clear that as
a society we need agencies like our police departments to uphold the law. It is clear that these
agencies are put in to place to serve and protect our communities. For most of us, when we hear
a police car siren, it is clear that something has gone wrong and that help is on the way. It is also
clear from police department websites that police departments all over the country hold
preservation of life in high regard. We know this because like the El Paso Police Department
(2015), many other police departments in our nation list the preservation of life at the top of their
values and goals.
What is not so clear is why despite their stated objective of preserving life, police officers
so often are seen taking the lives of unarmed suspects. Some say the deaths are unfortunate but
were necessary in order to up hold the law. Some call it self-defense. Others say the deaths are
race related. Still others, believe that the deaths were a direct result of abuse of power by law
enforcement. Excessive force is the common term used by the media to describe many of these
cases. While the force used in many of these cases appears to be excessive, there are no concrete
guidelines to explain what constitutes excessive force. Moreover, according to The National
Institute of Justice, There is no single, universally agreed-upon definition of use of force (Programs,
2015). Here is where the problem lies. Without a clear definition of use of force, police departments
cannot begin to define what excessive use of force is.
It is in this ambiguity that officers can justify using excessive force. For this reason, it is
imperative that law enforcement as a whole agree to a universal definition of use of force. Once we have
arrived at a clear definition, we can begin to define excessive force in a concrete manner. Moreover, the
definitions that we arrive at must stem from law enforcements core value to preserve life. By clearly
defining use of force we are setting a concrete foundation where many other definitions can be concretely
built. Through these definitions we will be able to set clear guidelines for officers that ensure that they
stay true to their top value of preserving life.
In conclusion, we as a nation depend on law enforcement to keep our communities safe. We
cannot afford to allow incidents of excessive force to erode the trust that we place in law enforcement.
For these reasons, it is imperative that we clearly define the use of force and furthermore excessive force
so that officers are clear as to what can and cannot be done during civilian encounters. Moreover,
preservation of life must be at the forefront of every encounter.

References
Paso, T. C. (2015). Police Department. Retrieved from Home:
https://www.elpasotexas.gov/police-department
Programs, o. o. (2015, April 15). Police Use of Force. Retrieved from National
Institute of Justice: http://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/officersafety/use-of-force/pages/welcome.aspx