Pros And Cons Of A Police Officer's Oath

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Police officer 's Oath: "On my honor, I will never betray my badge, my integrity, my character, or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. I will always uphold the Constitution, my community and the agency I serve." – theiacp.com

Most everyone wants to feel safe. It is natural to want some type of security. Police officers are those who take it upon themselves to protect those around them. Most of these men and women perform an incredible service for the common man, often risking their lives. However, occasionally, the people who are trusted to maintain peace and safety are the ones responsible for the violence in the world today. In that case, police officers should receive punishment for their wrongdoings and be dealt with accordingly. A newspaper near Cleveland, Ohio released a disturbing article about a North Randall police officer, Kevin Lumpkin. According to the article, Lumpkin received charges for selling weapons to known criminals in the area and is currently in police custody (Heisig 1-5). The officer sold multiple rifles and a bulletproof vest to people who could potentially harm other citizens. This shows that police officers who are not …show more content…

The North Randall paper states,"…Lumpkin, 29, bought firearms for two people in 2012, even though he knew it was illegal for them to own guns…(Heisig 2)" This raises a startling realization that Lumpkin has been committing crimes for almost four years. How – and more importantly – why did Lumpkin escape punishment when caught black-marketing firearms the first time? This is similar to a child stealing a toy. If he gets away with it once, what is preventing him from doing so again? In the police officer 's oath, it says that each officer must hold themselves and others accountable ("What is Law Enforcement?"). The law enforcement should not be so negligent in punishing its own