Social Stigma In Policing Essay

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There is no doubt that policing practices must evolve with the times and situations. This paper explores a number of circumstances that influence such practices. First, it describes how terrorist activities within the US since the September 11th attacks have changed policing strategy. Specifically, it addresses the issues of how law enforcement agencies at multiple levels have experienced difficulty with data sharing and access, and how such practices influence the civil liberties of individuals within our society. Second, the role of social stigma in policing is addressed in terms of its influences on the vicious cycle of police corruption and police abuse of force. Lastly, the issues of police conscience in assignments and suggestions…show more content…
Both corruption and abuse of force involve the intricacies of power and politics. Police may use their power to act as though they are above the law, and not required to abide by the same laws that govern the behavior of others. This, in turn, creates a slippery slope that leads to the abuse of police force, either directly or indirectly. Of course, neither of these outcomes benefits society at large; however, officers may develop an opinion that their actions, no matter how heinous, are justified if it leads to a desired outcome of enforcing the…show more content…
However, with increasing creativity in terrorist acts, it is becoming necessary to infringe on the basics rights of others. This requires a delicate balance act, open-mindedness, and unfortunately trial-and-error processing. There should continually be increased efforts to involve communities to address such issues from their perspective. Such an approach may have far-reaching implications in considering people’s ideas about civil liberties and identifying the best ways to infringe on such liberties in the most minimal way possible, while also upholding the principles of moral authority, ethics, and civic

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