POLICE IN SOCIETY

Police In Society

Police In Society

Introduction

In recent years, police actions, particularly police abuse, has come into view of a wide, public and critical eye. This paper will discuss the types of police abuse prevalent today, including the use of firearms and receipt of private information. (Dean, 2001) For these problems, solutions will be discussed, focusing nonpolitical reform, education, and citizen review boards. These measures are necessary to protect ourselves from police taking advantage of their positions as law enforcement officers with greater permissive rights than private citizens. Because of this significant differential, all citizens must take affirmative action from physical brutality, rights violations, and information abuse. (Vila, 2000)

In regard to police abuse, there will be many officers who feel that their job of fighting escalating street crime, gangs, narcotics violations, and other violent crimes is difficult already, and that worrying about excessive policy for abusive behavior will only further decrease their ability tonight crime effectively, efficiently, and safely. Citizens, however, have been caught up in this gung-ho attitude and police are more and more often crossing the line of investigation and interrogation with abusive behavior. This abuse must be monitored so that police do not forget who they reserving--not themselves, but the public. This means that even the criminals, who are a part of the public, have certain rights, particularly, civil rights. (Dean, 2001)

All citizens must be aware of these rights to protect themselves against over-aggressive officers who take advantage of their position as badge and gun holders to intimidate and abuse civilians for personal or departmental goals. Such conflicts have significant implications on departmental and administrative policy procedures. One of the main police abuse problems is physical brutality. The policy should restrict physical force to the narrowest possible range of specific situations. (Vila, 2000) For instance, not only should officers use brutality in very limited situations, to help curtail unwarranted use, but policies should require officers to file a written report after any use of physical force, regardless of how seemingly insignificant. That report should then be automatically reviewed by superior officers. (Robinson, 1993)

Police Has Affected Society

The police officer stands at the top of the criminal justice system in a nation where crime rates are high and where the demands for illegal goods and services are widespread. These conditions create a situation in which the police officer is confronted with opportunity to accept a large number of favors or grants. Police corruption occurs in many forms and observers of police behavior agree that it falls into nine specific areas. Drug related police corruption differs from other types of police corruption. In addition to protecting criminals or ignoring their activities, officers involved in drug related corruption were more likely to be involved in stealing drugs and/or money from drug dealers, selling drugs, lying under oath about illegal searches, and other crimes.

There is probably no more important influence on performance in a police organization than its leadership. It is important that police leaders demonstrate their own acts and words and ...