Peel's Principles In The Law Enforcement Profession

634 Words3 Pages

It was challenging to choose one of Peel’s Principles because they all hold significant amounts of value to the law enforcement profession. However, I believe that the seventh principle which references “the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen, in the interest of the community welfare and existence” (Cronkhite, p. 250, 2013). That statement encompasses concepts that as a police officer if you pattern yourself around or try to accomplish on every tour of duty and throughout your career you will be truly satisfied with the decision that you made to become a police officer. My interpretation begins …show more content…

As a police officer, we must remember that the public will relate more to an individual who acts human and not as a robot. As a police officer, we must not forget that we are people as well. An individual may respond to you differently if can draw an association or can relate to you as a sibling or possibly a parental figure. Also as an officer, there nothing wrong making the same connection with the public as well. In some instances, it will hurt to look a situation from their perspective. It is crucial for citizens to understand police officers are members of the community that want to provide a safe environment for all individuals equally and fairly. This principle is vital in 2018 as the landscape of policing progress to more of a community-oriented perspective as law enforcement refocuses on reestablishing a trust that was lost on account of negligent policing in previous …show more content…

Compassion is not to be confused with empathy. It is a broader term which refers to the understanding of another’s pain and the desire to somehow alleviate that pain (Compassion, n.d). It is those moments in a officers day were doing the right thing, is merely giving someone a break. When an officer shows compassion, it does not mean that they are soft on crime or they do not want to do their job. Sometimes it is just showing people that you are human as well (Barfield, 2018). As police officers we must realize that the only thing that separates us from the criminals is a few bad decisions. Also as an officer, we must remember that respect is earned. The badge and gun do not mean that the public will automatically respect you. The uniform and authority does not give me the right to disrespect anyone. An officer should show the utmost respect to the citizens unless there is reason to do otherwise. All individuals are afforded specific rights which are outlined in the Constitution. You can be an excellent police officer if you are a good person first. If you are a terrible person, you will be an even worst police