Furthermore, Police Officers are held to higher standards than others employed in public service because they alone have the power to limit individual freedom. Another effort to increase legitimacy with the citizens of Dallas is the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and the Canons of Police Ethics that provides officers with a philosophical en ethical basis for the Dallas Police Department rules and regulations. The provisions of the Code of Conduct shall be observed by all members of the Department in order to maintain the confidence, respect, and support of the public. Police Legitimacy reflects on how the public perceives officers and what they can do to improve or erode those perceptions. In the city of Dallas, there is about one patrol officer for every thousand citizens, as a result, the impact that every single Dallas Police Officers makes on the citizens that we served represent the Police Department in general.
Police organizations have been evolving over the years, but still there are so many things that have to be address in order to create a better law enforcement institutions. Police misconduct and police brutality have been the center of many confrontations between police officer and society. It is imperative that police organizations change the police subculture that exist among them that protects any wrongdoing from being disclose in order to promote a more efficient service to society. In the process of doing this assignment I learned how cohesive is the relationship between officers that most of the times protect them when they are acting in a misbehave way. It is really impressive to see how one officer was seen as a traitor in the organization because he decided to report police brutality.
Being an officer of the law is a challenging, unique job in which most of its true challenges are largely unknown, such as police deviance and the rotten apple theory, namely noble-cause corruption. Along with this, some under-recognized challenges are “suicide by cop” and the accurate representation of the force continuum, as well as its ties to the Graham v. Connor case and the use of non-lethal force when dealing with suspects. These challenges add a lot to the true narrative of what it takes to be an officer of the law and not only make the job more dangerous but also more stressful for officers – especially when law enforcement takes the blame for things like “suicide by cop” instances. Deviance Within Law Enforcement Police Deviance
This would imply that there is also a misconception view of how even black police officers are seen. The scenario was supposed to be an example of how to stop a person. However, because African Americans are seen as dangerous, the scenario described above does not imply the same idea as it does when there is a white officer pointing a gun towards a black person. The police officer present thought they saw a mugging more than anything else. People in society are not used to seen a black police officer in the streets stopping a white person as indicated by the scenario (Conlon 2).
The Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Code of Conduct is a code or standard of ethics that is be used to set a standard above ordinary morality for Tennessee State Troopers. Failure to comply with this Code of Conduct and any other policies, which may be specific to the employee’s organizational unit, may subject the employee to disciplinary action in accordance with the Department of Human Resources Rules and Regulations. All employees are required to read and sign this Code of Conduct before assuming their job responsibilities ("State of Tennessee _ Code of Conduct," 2016, p. 1). When determining why ethical behavior is important to the criminal justice system, lets first define just what ethics is.
Leaders in the corrections departments are the ones who are advanced in ethical decision making and also has an influence on supporting ethical actions among their squads or units. These leaders should maintain an environment of a higher standard in respect, ethics and morality among all correction officers. In this environment, officers should be aware of ethical issues that are going on rather formal or informal conversations. It’s important to create a positive environment and a trusting relationship among the correction officers so they feel that they can confide in each other about the job or situations that come with this
#1 The occupation I researched and interested in is a police officer. The responsibilities of being a cop are high. You have to uphold the law at all times. Also, people look up to you so you have to act right even when you’re off the job.
Future of Policing With the advancement of technology, many law enforcement agencies are beginning to realize the benefits of using a drone to fight crime. Aerial vehicles give agencies the ability to get to places where it would be costly or dangerous for police officers to go. Drones allow law enforcement personnel to achieve vision of restricted areas through a conventional security camera, to follow any suspect without limitations, and to have GPS tracking. There are certain pros and cons that come with the usage of drone and aerial technology. Another form of technology that law enforcement agencies are taking advantage of is Biometric technology.
All professional careers have problems, some that can be solved and others that cannot. An incredibly challenging job to work in is that of a law enforcement officer. The difficulties of this position stem from the situations an officer can be put through. Some cases can be simple, like a traffic stop. Others can be life-threatening, like a high-speed chase or a shootout with an armed suspect.
However, current police officers will act more professionally, with accountability and ethics, when they believe they are doing so. Rowe (2007) identified that when officers’ discretionary powers are limited, officers felt frustrated due to the perception that their senior officers do not trust them sufficiently to make decisions. It can be translated that when discretion is less limited so does the feeling of professionalism. Therefore, discretion, when professionally delivered will lead to an ethical police service, with ethical decision making. (Neyroud, 2008).
Imagine this: you are in a car on a peaceful ride when all of a sudden you hear yelling. On the side of the road someone is attacking a police officer. The officer is trying to gain control without hurting the person. Two seconds go by and you are too far away from the action. You will never know what happened next.
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
Riding in the car with my lifelong partner, we get a call on the radio stressing they need officers to a local Walmart. When we pull up, there is a crowd of people and in the middle of them are two Older men fighting. One white and one black, the black male was on top of the other hitting him repeatedly. Tackling him instantly, all phones were on us. The police officers; people recording us and screaming at us why we’re hurting him.
Police officers are modern day heroes that are loyal, selfless, and courageous. That shiny badge fastened on a police officer’s uniform is more than just an ornament. It is an emblem of loyalty. An officer promises their loyalty when they raise their right hand while pledging to adhere to the Law Enforcement Oath of Honor. It is their duty to not betray their profession, integrity, character, or the public trust.
‘’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.
