The police personality fosters and “us vs. them” mentality that cops are always the good guys and everyone else is a potential bad guy (The Brotherhood). There is a subculture in Police work that in some cases can carry severe penalties towards officer’s if they were to “rat” on another officer. This subculture code of “Don’t give up another cop” has been described as the code of silence, or the blue curtain of secrecy (Pollock 119). In this subculture police officers are often ostracized or deemed unfaithful to the badge if they were to turn on another officer and testify against them during an investigation. Police officers must trust other officers to back them up in a struggle that could potentially be a life or death situation.
(n.d.) Retrieved from http://definitions.uslegal.com/p/police-brutality/) Police brutality has been an issue in the past and it continues today. Police brutality is not only physical harm but it’s also psychological harm. We need to analyze how much police brutality really goes on out there. We also need to be aware of how often police brutality goes on, and how we as citizens can minimize it by reporting it when we see it or if it happens to us. We know that police officers use excessive force, and they also use their authority to verbally abuse people.
Police officers use extreme measures when it is unnecessary causing a major concern in today’s society, this misconduct should be addressed. Police brutality is when a police officer beats a person or criminal for no reason and is not being threatened. It also happens not only physically but verbally. Police can not use more force than necessary; they should not hit, rough up, or otherwise hurt a person who is unharmed, acts in a non-threatening manner, and follows all directions.(Sieminiski). The excessive use of force by police officers continues because of overwhelming barrier to accountability.
We must be sure that finding those answers are done ethically from the crime scene to trial. The Investigator Ethical Considerations From the moment the investigator gets a case professionalism, knowledge of laws and procedure is what has to be followed. If at any time the investigator became biased and used emotion instead of just facts of the case could be compromised. Remaining unbiased in either homicide or rape can be extremely difficult for even the most ethical investigators. Handling evidence properly is one of the most crucial points of any investigation.
Thomas A. Diemer CRM-350-CL02 December 5, 2010 WORD COUNT = 1109 Police Perjury: A Tangled Web of Lies Under Oath “Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” the oath that every witness agrees to comply with prior to speaking in a court of law. It is the rule of engagement, the most basic principle of the judicial system’s search for the truth. This Oath takes on greater significance when the witness is a police officer and he or she is “testi-lying” instead of testifying. Police officers are the most visible representatives of the government and the criminal justice system. They symbolize the rule of law.
Police Brutality Role of a Police Officer The role of a police officer is to keep law in human society. They make sure that they keep criminals off the streets and they make sure that the people keep the speed limits everywhere they go. They have the rights to write tickets, citations, and even arrest people that are taking drastic measures. They are to report to calls such as 911 when criminal activity occurs in neighborhoods and other public areas. They have a few more rights than regular citizens, but they also have laws and rights they have to follow, there only job is to enforce laws in a well mannered civil way unless they feel harmed or in danger.
One of the many challenges, both past and present, facing police departments is police corruption. To further explore the topic of corruption we look the reading entitled, “The Code of Silence” written by senior research experts in the field of criminology and crime prevention, Joycelyn Pollock, Juha Kaariainen, Ahti Laitinen, and Tomi Lintonen, who concede that the most prevalent form of corruption facing our police departments and police administrators is The Blue Wall of Silence. The Blue Wall of Silence is the name used to explain the unity exhibited by police officers in an attempt to limit their co-operation when a police official is accused in the line of duty. Even though the
Police brutality is abuse by law enforcement, where a police officer feels that because he/she has a badge and a gun therefore it puts them above the law and they can use unnecessary force against another individual. Racial profiling is the tactic of stopping someone because of his or her skin color. Racial profiling mainly targets young Black and Latino men and is believed to be a justified form of law enforcement. the 1991 beating of Rodney King highlights abuse as one of the most pressing civil rights issues in the United States. It demonstrates that racism is still very real and that people continue to be treated based on the color of their skin.
Secondly, this group shares a common way of life. They share similar dangers, setbacks, and rewards that outsiders rarely see outside of the movies. Thirdly, these dangers foster an "us against them" mentality not just against criminals but politicians, bureaucrats and concerned citizens who are perceived as impediments to enforcing the law. Police administrators and the law specify the broad parameters within which officers operate, but the police subculture tells them how to go about their tasks, how hard to work, what kinds of relationships to have with their fellow officers and other categories of people with whom they interact, and how they should feel about police administrators, judges, laws, and the requirements and restrictions they impose. The effects of formal pressures and the pressures generated by the police subculture often lead police officers to experience a great deal of stress in their occupational, social, and family lives which can result in cynicism, burnout, and retirement, as well as other of physical and emotional ailments (Miller 45).
After reading the report, I chose Glen Woodall. I found this case to be very interesting, as situations like this happen all the time. Wrongful convictions,not only hurt the one that's being accused, but it hurts the person's family as well. In the eye of the public, if your arrested for a crime, then your an outsider, no matter how you may have contributed to your community. But a lot of people remain steadfast in their innocence.