The "Helping Hand"

            Police officers are generally thought of as protectors of the people within a nation. In the United States many people have the "just call 911 when you are in danger" thought ingrained in their heads. However, it is questionable to some people the trustworthiness of police officers. This uncertainty ranges from race to race. A survey shows that 59% of white adults have a great deal of confidence in the police, 29% have some confidence, and only 10% have little confidence. On the other hand, the survey shows that 37% of black adults have a great of confidence in the police, 37% have some, and 25% have little or no confidence. The trust in this group of authority figures are different based on the encounters that different people have had with them. Many people believe that police officers are guardians that will even give you directions when you are lost. Others believe that they misuse their authority after occurrence of events like the that happened in St. Louis. The belief in the police also range from country to country. The job of the united states police range from directing traffic to finding a murderer. This increases the trust in the police. In other countries, like Saudi Arabia, the police is thought of as an oppressive force that is not to be reckoned with; they invite fear instead of security. 

Resources:

Mitchell, Bard. "Human Rights in Arab Countries - Discover the Networks." Human Rights in Arab                   Countries - Discover the Networks. 14 Feb. 2005. Web. 11 Oct. 2014.

 Newport, Frank. "Gallup Review: Black and White Attitudes Toward Police." Gallup Review: Black and          White Attitudes Toward Police. 20 Aug. 2014. Web. 11 Oct. 2014.

Rayman, Noah. "St. Louis Police Officer Fatally Shoots Black Man, Sparking Protests." Time. Time, 9             Oct. 2014. Web. 11 Oct. 2014.