Police officers must trust other officers to back them up in a struggle that could potentially be a life or death situation. Without mutual trust of other officers one’s life could be put in jeopardy in certain situations. Officers develop a brotherhood with strong bonds of loyalty that ensure they will be there for each other in life and death situations. In essence the code of silence requires that other officers stick together or face consequences from the “brother” they have betrayed. Many times officers are belittled, forced out of the department, or transferred to another precinct.
A police officer tends to be authoritive because of the constant danger he or she is in while on the job. Having this trait will help the officer handle all situations and help the officer pay close attention to what is going on around him or her. Suspicion is more or less a belief or opinion that is solely based on facts but does not require proof. Suspicion is also a feeling of doubt, uncertainty, or slight indication that something is up. An officer tends to be suspicious after working the job for awhile because of the criminal acts that go on.
Or it can be police officers whom like to inflict pain to those because of their feelings on the issue. This happens because there is no order in some of the departments. At least that is what I believe. “Police work is likely to attract at least some individuals who enjoy bullying others or join the force with the intention of exploiting special opportunities to enrich them”. Officers are also very likely to internalize powerful sub cultural norms, a main one being loyalty to other officers.
We know that police officers use excessive force, and they also use their authority to verbally abuse people. So what causes police officers to abuse their authority, and (or) leads to brutality? One of the challenges with this is that not every citizen reports a police brutality, whether they see one happening, heard of one happening from their friends or family or if they themselves were a victim of one. Another challenging issue too is that we know some brutalities are not reported; therefore it makes it harder to measure those versus what is actually reported. Police brutality wouldn’t be an issue if we didn’t have to police our law enforcement officers.
Some officer’s actions have labeled an entire force as racist, rude, and abusive. This ‘bad apple’ theory leads to a community who cannot trust their local law enforcement officers. When a community has distrust in the law, it becomes difficult for those officers to do their jobs. Cooperation is lost, normally compliant citizens question an officers actions, criminals step up their activities, and at this point an officers stress escalates to a level where it has never been before. The behavior, in which a police officer uses his judgment to bring forth the best course of action regarding a situation where an offense has been committed, is the discretion of the officer (Engel, 2003.)
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).
“Professional Courtesy in Policing" Ethics, or moral conduct, are of major importance in the Criminal Justice Field. If the police force condoned unethical behavior, there would be very little, if any, justice being served. But what is unethical behavior and how do we judge moral conduct? Just as we all see this world through different eyes, we come to decisions through different life experiences. Due to the uniquely stressful work environment, Law Enforcement have created an occupational subculture with its own informal code of ethics.
“Impressions of police encounters are influenced by the demeanor as well as the actions of the officer. People pay close attention to the “neutrality of decision making, respectful and polite interpersonal treatment, and … opportunities for input into decisions.” The article from George Thompson, “Phrases Never to Say”, also applies here with Officer Jackson’s use of the phrase “What’s your problems?” which sets up a ‘you vs. me’ battle. “Come here…” - many people fearful of police translate this to mean “I’m in trouble – run or get ready to verbally or physically defend myself”; To others it is an order or demand (ask yourself is there an urgency in having the person come to
If someone has been in a lot of trouble with the law, they probably aren’t going to have very many good things to say about police officers. Where as if somebody is related to or close to a police officer, they might have a better perception. Police-community relations are very important for the police and for the community. The community needs to be able to trust the police and vice-versa. If an individual has a bad experience with a cop, they are going to tell everybody they know and therefore those people might form negative perceptions based off of that.
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.