The role of policing in our culture can be categorized in two broad models; crime fighter or public services role. These two models view policing in different ways as seen by society as a whole. The views of policing at stated by Pollack (2017), in with the crime fighter model focus on the “presumption is that criminals (who are different from the rest of us) are the enemy and police officers are the soldiers in a war on crime” (p.116). This view by police and society helps to formulate the style of policing they utilize leaning more towards force and not viewing all members of society as equal. The public servant view of policing described by Pollack (2017) as the “presumptions are different and include the idea that criminals are not so different from us and, in fact, may be our sons and daughters” (p. 116). This approach creates more of a protector for all people mindset with limited use of force and more fair treatment when working the beat.
When it comes to policing there is a huge struggle power struggle between individual rights and public order. You want to keep individual rights, but you also want to keep public order while keeping the public safe. It may seem hard to keep the balance between these two, but doing so is of utter importance. Here are some examples of why it can be hard to balance individual rights and public order when dealing with policing.
The “Peace Officer’s Bill of Rights” provide law enforcement officers many of the same rights and privileges of that of the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights. The officers require more protection to prevent coercion from internal investigations that they could easily face during their career. The peace officers bill of rights stemmed from officers wanting a little greater safeguard that protects them from “perceived arbitrary infringement of their rights (Peak, Gaines, & Glenson, 2009, p. 246).
Policing in this present day is defined as an individual or group of individual who prevent and detect crime within a community. Policing compares in many ways. They all attempt to provide services, keep the peace and reduce crime. Policing has evolved into something much more than what it used to be. Within this essay are the many different perspectives and how ethics were learned. Although it is questionable, that policing in America has different time periods. There is an agreement of three major eras of policing in America. Those three era's are, The Political Era, Reform, and Community Policing.
While it can be interpreted as standing for ones beliefs, a police officer must uphold a high moral code in accordance to the society which is being served. The ethics to which police officers holds themselves, must include the character traits demonstrated in personal life, in addition to operating as public servants. If an officer is deemed untrustworthy at home, they cannot be trusted to work legally within the police department. Honesty within policing is just as important, where failing to admit a mistake can weaken a reputation and call previous cases into question. Although these traits can be trained into an individual, integrity must be developed personally before it can be applied
A modern law enforcement officer is taught to think critically and reflect on expected circumstances to possess some effective skills on leadership. Furthermore, law enforcement officers who has a strong problem solving skills and effective communication skills also develop community policing potentials. Improving a better understanding of leadership allows the public to respect the professionalism that a police officer upholds. Immanuel Kant’s ethical theories believe that an individual has the ability to make rational decision based on the action given to them (Kant 's Ethics, 2002). Immanuel Kant’s ethical theories are to illustrate the importance of duty and moral standards.
Over the past three and a half years I have spent my life studying in school. I have studied for hours and hours about the field of criminal justice; the reason it exists, its history and development, theories that are used to explain topics in criminal justice, and cases that have been monumental in changing the way that criminal justice works. While all of these are great to learn about the field of criminal justice itself cannot be learned from reading textbooks and memorizing theories. This is why I am interested in an internship with the Griffin Police Department. I want to learn how the criminal justice system is in action, how things actually play out outside of the scholastic setting. It is easy to learn about a subject from a book, but it is an entirely different matter to learn about a subject through real life experience. I hope to learn how to serve and protect while implementing the law correctly, especially in today’s world when the level of support for police officers is very low and the level of misconduct cases concerning the police are very high. It is not easy to know what to do in every situation, especially when some reactions are needed with very little or no time to think about. It is one thing to hear about a crime happening and the response that would be best to give, and another thing to need
In the Criminal Justice System of the United States, there has been a disparity affecting African-American communities and minority groups. Minorities perceive themselves as the main targets of police use of force, racial profiling, and a bias culture within law enforcement. The central argument, is that such actions have an impact on the relationship between police officers and the African American community, causing problems in our society. But does history explain why law enforcement has developed a negative relationship with African-Americans? In our democratic era, police officers are considered a walking symbol of safety and protection. The police officer 's authority role, is to “fight crimes, maintain order and provide social services”
Peel’s first principle states the basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder (Dempsey & Forst, 2016). Regardless of the policing era, this principle still applies and is necessary for police department legitimacy. Peel’s second principle states the ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions (Dempsey & Forst, 2016). When the public and police form partnerships they design and implement police action plans that are tailored to the communities needs. Peel’s third principle is police must secure the willing cooperation of the public in voluntary observance of law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public (Dempsey & Forst, 2016). This principle is evident today by statutory laws that are passed to secure and protect the public from harm. For instance, laws that govern speeding are enacted to protect and safeguard the commuting public from reckless acts committed by negligent drivers. Peel’s fourth and sixth principles are related to the use of force administered
Police officers sole purpose in the United States is to protect and serve the county, city municipality, and state government to ensure that the law is being upheld by everybody within them. Peace officers assume a focal part in the law authorization framework. They screen criminal movement, tune in group watches, react to crisis calls, issue tickets, make captures, examine violations and affirm in court as required. It is no secret that the United States inherited much of Great Britain governmental institutions. In the Bible, Jesus says “to whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48).
There are three components that make up the criminal justice system – the police, courts, and correctional facilities – they all work together in order to protect individuals and their rights as a citizen of society to live without the fear of becoming the victim of a crime. Crime, simply put is when a person violates criminal law; the criminal justice system is society’s way of implementing social control. When all three components of the criminal justice work together, it functions almost perfectly.
He emphasizes how unsound tactical decision-making usually accompanies every situation that produces negative or harmful results. Nevertheless, although it is frequently possible for others to identify the officer’s mistake upon review of an incident, Noble explains how this fails to consider the context and complexity of the entire situation. As an example, the author uses the idea of a courtroom judge critically examining the decisions of an officer who was involved in a failed situation. The judge has no insight on how the officer was feeling, what he was thinking, etc… in a dangerous and traumatic situation. Therefore, Noble describes the trouble involved in holding officers liable for an event in which the accuser has never personally experienced. The author concludes by putting less emphasis on blaming police officers and more on the need for departments to implement more realistic training exercises, that will more effectively prepare officers for situations that demand tactical
Police organizational structures are entities of two or more people who cooperate to accomplish an objective. This type of structure must be parallel so that it can be effective in achieving the overall goal of protecting and helping the public. For the past several years police agencies have proceeded through a traditional structure but more recently that structure has started to evolve. Traditional structures are based upon principles such as specialization, hierarchy, chain of command, rules and regulations, and official working capacity. Principles such as this allow the structure to work effectively. However with advancement of the 20th century most police organizations follow a bureaucracy structure with an authoritarian management style.
When it comes to having and being able to maintain a strong moral code, front line patrol officers are the perfect example of what law enforcement requires. To ensure front line patrol officers maintain a strong moral code, they must be able to keep their integrity on and off duty. Officers should have this characteristic before they are hired and should be open for the police academy to repair and strengthen them.
Police deviance is something that isn’t particularly talked about in the open. The reactions to certain actions by the police are either kept under wraps or blown up in the media to a dramatic extent. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the negative side of police deviance and the repercussions that follow. This will allow some light to be shown on the actions of officers that don’t follow the rules that they set out to uphold. If the peacekeepers aren’t keeping the peace, then the reasoning for having a position of power is null.