Police brutality remains one of the most serious and controversial human rights violations in the United States. Excessive use of force by police officers persists due to enormous barriers to accountability. This fact allows officers who commit human rights violations to escape due punishment and often repeat their crimes. Police or public officials greet each new report of brutality with denials or explanations that the act was an aberration, while the administrative and criminal systems that should discourage these abuses by holding officers accountable instead grant them virtually impunity (Williams 45 ). Investigations find that police brutality is persistent in all cities, and the systems set up to address these abuses have all had similar failures in each city. It has also been found that complainants often face enormous difficulties in pursuing administrative sanctions or criminal proceedings against officers who have committed human rights violations. A national survey was conducted by the Seattle Times and states that seventy percent of all police crimes against the public go unreported (Database of Abusive Police). Despite claims to the contrary by city officials, where abuses have become media scandals, efforts to bring about meaningful reforms have failed. The scenarios are frighteningly similar from city to city. Deficiencies in recruitment, training and management are common to all. The same goes for the fact that officers who repeatedly commit human rights violations tend to be a small minority, but are nevertheless routinely protected by the silence of their colleagues and flawed reporting systems. Another widespread gap is the paucity of meaningful information on abuse trends. Data… halfway through the document… fortunately this means they will never get the full attention of the dominant culture and will remain a stain on American society. Websites Cited: Spotlight on Police Brutality, Retrieved May 2, 2004, from the World Wide Web: http://www.prop1.org/legal/prisons/kinga1.htmShielded from Justice: Police Brutality and Accountability in the United States Excerpt on May 2, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://www.hrw.org/reports98/police/uspo14.htmBooks:Williams, Brent. Shielded from Justice: Police Brutality and Accountability in the United States. New York, Washington, DC: Human Rights Watch, 1998 Burris, John L. Blue vs. Black: Let's End Conflict Between Cops and Minorities New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999 Journal: Chua-Eoan, Howard. "Black and Blue" Time, March 6, 2000: 24-27Cohen, Adam "Gangsta Cop" Time, March 6 2000: 30-34