Police Victimization: A Threat to Life

Abstract

This is a phenomenological study of the victims' views of police misconduct. In data collection, phenomenological interviewing was employed to capture the phenomenon's essence. This study was conducted in Cebu City, Philippines, where the participants were those victims who had experienced police misconduct. These were ten participants who were selected through purposive convenient sampling. The study utilized an interview Guide to elicit in-depth responses from the participants. Extensive interviews were conducted to establish the three stages necessary for data gathering in the survey. The research aimed to explore several areas: the participants' adverse encounters with police misconduct, how they managed these experiences, and the effects of police misconduct on both the participants and their families. Results revealed two themes regarding the participants' negative experiences of police misconduct: Sadists in Uniform: A Deep Threat and Bill of Rights: Gone with the Wind. In coping with the experiences of police misconduct, there were two themes: Silent Outcry for Justice, Keeping in Silence Outcry for Justice, and Forgetting the Pain and Moving On. Regarding the impact of police misconduct on the lives of the participants and their families, two (2) themes emerged: On the Verge of Distrust and Loss of Confidence and Not Being Protected but Disparaged and Prosecuted. It was recommended that police-community relations should be strengthened. This caters to information dissemination in the community, and it is a tool to establish rapport by winning again the trust and confidence of the community. And observance of the rule of law by the police officers greatly affects every common dweller in the community; if these law enforcers respect human dignity and uphold the law of the land, there will be no more police victimization.