Aggressive police culture will not change unless officers hold their colleagues accountable. It is important to check in with one another, to recognize the humanity within us. It is okay to become jaded sometimes, but there must be an awareness of how we treat one another, our motives, and particularly an officer’s duty to protect all American citizens. In addition to officers allowing other officers too much discretion, there needs to be a change in the amount of discretion given to police departments as a whole. The political climate of today’s tension has shifted public trust in the police.
“Frequent exposure to media reports of police abuse or corruption is a strong predictor of perceptions of misconduct and supports the belief that is common.” (France-Respers 1). But unfortunately, it also brings me disheartened feelings. Recently, I was on twitter and I stumbled across a video of a young white male who was roughly about twenty to twenty-five years of age who was being handled so aggressively by about six officers while he was NOT resisting.
In the last 10 years, we saw many conflicts between police officers and citizens, which result into dead of innocent people and it was not a good image for police department. One of the issues is that the law enforcement gives the police
These challenges shaped the evolution of police departments, prompting them to adapt, strategize, and reform, constantly reshaping their approach to maintaining the peace. This historical panorama provides an invaluable context for understanding the police departments of today. The twin ideals of authority and service persist, albeit in more complex and plural societies. Today's law enforcement agencies grapple with the same challenges, albeit amplified by technological advances and societal changes.
Police officers have vowed their life to protect and serve. They risk their lives every day for their communities. As the last few years have sped past us, police officers have been very aggressive with the force they use when arresting a suspect, or even people in general. According to a Texas article on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights, “police officers typically use force offensively rather than defensively and do so with at least some degree of premeditation.” (Gross,2013, page 167).
Situation: As a patrol officer, I am only doing my job when I stop a car for running a red light. Unfortunately, the driver of the car happens to be the mayor. I give her a ticket anyway, but the next morning I get a call into the captain’s office and told in no uncertain terms that I screwed up, for there is an informal policy extending “Courtesy” to city politicians. Several nights later, I observe the mayor’s car weaving erratically across lanes and speeding. What would you do?
Many can recall videos of policemen repeatedly bludgeoning the skull of a defenseless man or angrily strangling a neighborhood peacemaker gasping for air. Another many, though a lesser one, remember, if the beating was not too severe, the cracks of police batons on their heads and backs. In today’s United States, reports of police brutality flood police departments by the thousands each month. A mistrust so great in officers has never before been recorded, but this phenomenon is no stranger to American citizens.
When given authority, it can be easy for people to take advantage of their power. The police must be able to use their power with respect and trust to maintain integrity and ethics. Although many police officers remain loyal to their communities, there are some cases where police are known to take advantage of their authority. With these of using authority to conduct racial profiling, it is difficult for communities to feel safe with police authorities. Police integrity can be maintained through the use of accountability of supervisors and peers (National Institute of Justice).
Ethics and the Evolution of Police 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.
Those of the minority community have been exposed, for a vast amount of time, to violence by those in the law enforcement. This variety of violence is a direct depiction of police brutality, which frequently generates death. Certain races, especially the colored skinned, are considered to be accused in criminal activities as a result of their race, notably when there is no valid proof present to affirm these allegations. In any police department in the nation, many of the officer's intentions is to do the ethical thing. However, the remaining will consciously breach the human virtue of the people in the communities they serve.
Many police agencies today have established a code of ethics, or codes of conduct, and it easy to find parallels between Peel’s principles and present policies and
Police Brutality is an ongoing problem and existent concern in the United States and should be resolved immediately. Law enforcement must function as an element that consists of organized and civilized officers. The presence of police brutality is becoming more of an issue as society grows. The problem posed by the illegal exercise of police power is an ongoing reality for individuals of a disfavored race, class, or sexual orientation. Police brutality must be stopped so that police do not forget who they are serving – not themselves, but the public.
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
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
‘’Most officers enter law enforcement with minimal experience in the field or in handling the moral dilemmas that officers typically encounter. They learn how to perform their jobs, as well as recognize the organizational norms, values, and culture, from their peers and supervisors. While supervisors provide direct, formal reinforcement, officers’ peers offer friendship and informal rewards that, in many cases, hold greater influence than official recognition from the agency’’ (Fitch, 2011). Officers who come across situations where they are unsure what is morally and ethically best to do often turn to their peers for assurance and guidance. Good ethical behavior can easily be influenced by officers and those in law enforcement.
