Philadelphia Police Department Essay

Abstract

There are many changes recommended for the Philadelphia Police Department. However, there are limitations to these suggestions due to lack of resources, funding, legal support and so forth. This paper will analyze several changes that would be extremely beneficial to law enforcement departments and the community overall. Changes such as longer academy training, mental health resources for officers, monthly community events and an increase in staff rate per department. This paper will review why these changes will be beneficial and the negative consequences that may come with them. Keywords: changes, police department, positive, negative, community, impact

The police academy is the foundation that

The concern with the training is the length of duration. According to the PPD (Philadelphia Police Department), the length of training for the police academy will last 38 weeks (about 8 and a half months). This period is not long enough for an individual to fully grasp what it takes to be a true law enforcement officer. On the bright side, prior to reaching the offer into the academy, there are several different requirements to pass. Unfortunately, according to the BBC, the U.S has the shortest amount of training hours compared to other locations such as Finland, Australia, Germany, and England QUOTE. In relation to longer training hours, the techniques being taught should also be changed. More focus towards deescalating situations without weapons. Teaching individuals on being quick thinkers without escalating to gun violence. According to a study by the US Bureau of Justice, police academies spend 71 hours (about 3 days) for gun training and 21 hours on deescalating situations. Creating a longer academy service will ensure that all candidates graduating from the academy fully grasped all aspects of being a police officer.

This will be a great step in repairing the broken relationship between the Philadelphia Police Department and the community. Events such as neighborhood cleanup, meet and greet with K9’s, and community cookouts. These events should be held in low-income neighborhoods such as North Philadelphia. Actions such as this will build trust between the two communities. Also, considering the police are seen as the outsiders or the ‘warriors,’ being normal individuals in the community event will change the perspectives people have on officers and vice versa. A closer bond will be formed to where society will begin to trust that majority officers have good intentions. Creating mandatory community events will prove to society that police do have a sense of care and acknowledgement towards their community. It will be a fun, safe environment that will have a long-term effect on society and police relationships. The negative aspect of this may be the willingness to commit to this task consistently and perform normal officer duties. Law enforcement departments limited to staff may not be flexible to create these events. Also, this can put officers in harm's way. When a team of officers are given the task of being present in their community in a sociable manner such as a park cleanup, they may have their guard down, making it a liability for their