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Police Misconduct
Offensive or inappropriate behavior on the part of police officers in the discharge of their official duties as law enforcement officials. Police misconduct may include the use of excessive force, arrests under false pretenses, mistreatment of individuals on the basis of sociodemographic characteristics, and other similar acts. Police misconduct is defined as an abuse of power, generally toward a more vulnerable target. Corruption is also considered to be a form of police misconduct. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of reported cases involving police brutality, some of which have resulted in the death of the victims. Various federal laws have been enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice to address the issue of police misconduct.