It is usually recommended that any career use honesty as a quality, but it is extremely important that criminal justice professionals have honesty as well. Law enforcement is occasionally known for being corrupt, and it is so important for our law enforcement officers to be truthful on all applications, reports, and everyday work. This provides for more efficient and trustworthy public servants. The most important reason for honesty is simply to ensure that the innocent stay that way and are not caught in the lies of the accusers. Criminal justice professionals play an important role in the court system, and if they lie on accusations and evidence, the innocent become victims of the dishonesty.
Use of force is a very important part of an officer’s ability to keep themselves and the public safe, but is also very controversial. The first thing anyone should try, if not in immediate danger, is to verbally diffuse a situation. If an officer can use words to get compliance from a criminal, then he or she won’t have to worry about defending their actions in court. There are no ethical issues involved with this level of the continuum. The use of restraint holds and chokes is a very dangerous thing if used improperly, but has many advantages when done correctly.
Professional behavior is needed when using ethical behavior. For example an officer sees a man drunk in public the ethical thing would be to arrest him. The professional way to do it is by following protocol on how to manage the situation. Without ethical and professional behavior the law would have little meaning because the way the law would be applied would be unreliable. Criminal justice administrators make important decisions daily, which can have profound effects on our lives (Gleason, 2006).
(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.
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.
Additionally, I feel that there needs to be a detailed manual that outlines consequences and plans of action for incidents that occur, so there is a set standard. I don’t think there needs to be additional SOP’s developed, since I am a supporter of the mainframe of police procedure as a whole and think the majority of the public’s concern comes from ignorance and fear of what to them is the unknown. I think the main key to what would be considered successful as far as the public’s view of police accountability is working to make the public feel “ok” about how things are being done. Similar to the concept of community policing such as the foot patrol experiment in Newark; it may not make a huge difference in stats, but the perception by the public can have a huge impact on a community and how it relates to its police department. To begin, a community collaborative board would have to be developed.
They possess outstanding habits of character and are truly trustworthy. They take pride in their work and have peace of mind knowing what they stand for. The mission of police is to safeguard lives and to protect the property of the people they serve. The government has a system of checks and balances so that no single part of the government could have uncontrolled power. To have controlled power they must have order, which is why laws exist.
The prosecution must without a reasonable doubt prove the defendant is responsible for committing the crime. And in doing so must remain within the regulations of the courts. Sometimes the prosecution’s personal, ethical. Organizational, or political beliefs can becomea driving force into a trail which can have negative effects on the courts when misconduct occurs or mistakes are made. When misconduct or mistakes are made it can have very damaging effects on individuals and their lives, but also to the credibility of the criminal justice system.
It protects the guilty rather than the victims. This rule basically states that evidence obtained illegally cannot be used in a criminal trial. The basis of this rule is supposed to prevent the police and other sections of the government from illegally searching or violating our homes and our privacy. When all it really does is prevents the truth from surfacing and help criminals go free. After researching both sides of this issue, in no way am I stating that I don’t understand the determination of the opposing side to keep this rule.
Police officers have a duty to serve and protect and that type of job description can only affect the community in a positive way. We see the way that people can affect their community in the reading by Psychology Professor Howard Gardner et al, “Good Work in Difficult Times.” This essay describes people who do good work and it not only shares the value systems of people who do good work but it shares how that carries over into the community. Additionally, this reading discusses standards, by which professionals ought to adhere too. Being a police officer does not come without challenges that can cause problems with community relations. One of the many challenges, both past and present, facing police departments is police corruption.