Personal Narrative: If I Were A Chief Or Sheriff

Police officers are faced each day with a variety of situation in which they must deal; therefore we should ask ourselves the following questions: Should police officers enforce the law equally in all situations? In what situations should police officers be allowed to not enforce the law? What types of situations would they be required to fully enforce the law? Why does police discretion exist? What are its strengths and weaknesses? And what is the relationship between police discretion and police ethics?

Most people are all grown up when they finally figure out what they want to do with their life. I was 4. I realized what I wanted to be when I attended my very first Rodeo. Even though it was so long ago I can remember that day like it was yesturday. That day got me on the path to my future.

Police officers are faced each day with a vast array of situations with which they must deal. No two situations they encounter are ever the same, even when examines a large number of situations over an extended period of time. The officers are usually in the position of having to make decisions on how to handle a specific matter alone, or with little additional advice and without immediate supervision. This is the heart of police discretion. As we shall find, the exercise of discretion by police has benefits and problems associated with such exercise. The unfettered use of discretion can

The use of force is without a doubt an important aspect in policing. The decision to utilize any type of force comes from a multitude of recourses; department policies, training, situational variables and ethical systems. There are three major categories in which an officers use of force is categorized under; justifiable, excessive and deadly; with a thin line between justifiable and excessive. Cases where excessive force has been used, has lead to injuries, deaths, civil damages, officers convicted and sentenced to jail and police chiefs and elected officials being removed from office (Fyfe, 1988). It is an officer`s discretion in determining when the use of force is justifiable.

There is a life preservation policy that has been ignored more and more lately. Officers are told to do everything possible to refrain from taking life. Unfortunately, however, some decide to take the easy way out. What many people do not know is that other officers are supposed to stop the use of excessive force. In these instances, the officer who is using too much force needs to be turned in to the supervisor to prevent this from being a constant occurrence. Officers are not allowed to choke or strangle, however, videos show some officers doing far worse than that. Things could be handled in a number of different ways such as talking calmly to the civilian, keeping distance, and trying to refrain from being viewed as a threat ("Police Use of Force Project").

Police officers have a significant level of discretion when ethical decision making is incorporated in deciding how to respond to a domestic violence call. For example, officers exercise discretion by deciding how to respond to domestic violence when a situation involves a fellow officer. America is a country in which many believe in privacy within the household and often choose not to be involved in a domestic dispute because families should resolve their own problems. However, discretionary powers abused by an officer are used to dissuade the victim from filing charges against the officer’s colleague. Officers often do not choose to arrest in a domestic dispute because they believe the family, not the justice system, should resolve the

Law enforcement officers have the freedom to make quick decisions on what to do in a particular situation without having to check with their supervisors. Discretion is an important contributor to the integrity of a police officer, and just as much, the compromise of the use of this discretion discredits the integrity of the police officer and the reliability to be an enforcer of the law. The working definition provides a contextual look at the concept of discretion for a law enforcement authority, along with the situations, which may cause a law enforcement officer to act in an unethical manner including issues like the difference in gender and race. Included are the instances where the officers cross the ethical line when dealing with their

The use of non-lethal force is a subject that elicits much debate throughout the United States. There are arguments over what force is, how much should be used to apprehend a suspect (if any) and what types of force should be allowed to be used upon suspects. The ability of police departments to exert control over population of people allows policing to be successful (Dunham & Alpert, 2005). It also aids in helping to legitimize police work (Bittner, 1970). There have also been arguments on whether social conditions contribute to force being used on certain types of suspects and not others.

In today’s society, a common definition of authority is expressed though great respect. However, these authoritative figures earn their title through extensive training and experience that give citizens a reason to show their respect. Officer Encinia is the complete opposite of this example. Trooper Encinia has only been working for the Department of Public Safety at Texas Waller County Jail for a little over a year (Thompson). To make matters more interesting, Encinia was cited in 2014 by the department for “unprofessional conduct”(Reese). Eninia’s incompetency to handle a situation similar to that of Sandra Bland indicates is unqualification to carry the title of a Texas State Trooper. According to Sunny Hostin, CNN’s Legal Analyst, she debates that an officer with the authoritative power, such as the general law enforcement, holds responsibility to de-escalate intense situations. She goes on to point out that “When you have a police encounter, you want to make it as short and sweet as possible. You do want to comply” (Hostin). Some experts say that Encinia provoked Bland trying to exert his power through his unreasonable commands and threats causing her to become furious and act in what people call “in an arrogant manner” (Edwards). If one wants to express their power, it should never be through violent threats or acts, but more so with responsibility and humility in

The use of force is inevitable in police work. In many situations the lives of o cers or civilians can be taken by not using force when necessary or using it improperly. Many factors come into play when an o cer decides to use force. ese include: is the use of force justi ed, has the o cer been properly trained to use force, and will the department be held liable if the force is used improperly?

the use of excessive force. Many people have witnessed or have become victims of police brutality. In their line of duty, police officers are sometimes faced with threatening circumstances that enable them to make haste decisions when expecting the worst at the same time hope for the best outcome. A police officer is given the power to maintain law and order as well as to take away any right of a citizen when a situation permits (Heydon, 2005). Thus, they have the responsibility to apply the forces in a recommended way. Therefore, police are trained to use the least amount of force necessary to make an arrest by using escalations of force. However, sometimes police exceed the minimum amount required to diffuse an incident or protect them, which leads to misconduct or undue violence when not warranted.

When debating the issue of police use of force, the issue of what actions constitute too much force must also be addressed. Another concern is the possibility of corruption amount officers. When given such great power, the probability of corruption is high. Officers generally do not start out as corrupt, but years of work on the force can create animosity between officers and suspects and lead them to decide to use force more quickly (McEwen, 1996). Many times, officers patrol the streets alone which creates the opportunity for potential abuse of power (McEwen, 1996). Although police officers need to be permitted to exercise some discretion, they also need limits and guidelines to follow when using their powers of discretion (Manning, 1997). The decision to use force should not be taken lightly in that citizen’s lives are at stake. Police should be allowed discretion in decisions to use force; however, this discretion should be limited. In several cases in Arizona, officers have used deadly means of force. In all cases, the officers

In the United States of America, law enforcement has the ability to make their own judgement, while encountering criminals. Although discretion is at all levels of the police department, law enforcement agencies can easily make unlawful decision. Researchers determined that police officers are prohibited from using offensive language or speaking discourteously, abusing their authority, and using unnecessary force (Carroll, Kovath, & Pereira, 2004). Law enforcement officers are expected to respect their community and ensure that all citizens are kept safe. Some police activity can occur in a private view without supervision from the public, which allow police officers to make a reasonable decision. Police often make quick reaction when it comes

On the other hand, preconceived notions could be seen as biasing officers, and play a negative role in the practitioner/client relationship. Either way, schemata theory provides a “general framework for demonstrating the active and reflexive nature of decision making and gives a sense of the large roles that learning, socialization, and experience play” in the decision-making process of criminal justice personnel (Robinson 2000, 604). notes, “officers were to handle these calls with the main goal of settling the parties down and restoring order.” Arrest was to be used only when no other option appeared to be possible. In the late 1990s, police departments began to implement mandatory arrest policies, and today’s policies “make it clear that domestic violence is considered criminal conduct rather than disorderly conduct and they specifically mandate that officers make arrests when probable cause exists in domestic disturbances” (Robinson 2000, 607). This new direction in policy can be viewed in some sense as a liability issue, and officers who once were able to use their discretion on the scene of a domestic violence situation now are told to follow the policy exactly as written, and much in-service training deals specifically with this one issue

Police use of force policies are used by all types of law enforcement officers. There is a concern for a balance of ethical decisions. There are mutual concerns for the rights and lives of civilians and the wellbeing and lives of officers. Upholding excessive stress-free standards for employed law enforcement is detrimental to police use of force mandates. Police organizations can reduce some of the scenarios that cause use of force outcomes. There is a need to find what process can identify potential issues prior to events or actions that cause criminal misconduct by law enforcement. Police training and development needs reassessment. There needs to be an administration of logic and reasoning prior to the use of any force, especially deadly force. Most of the police operations that incite these negative outcomes are avoidable with the implementation of proper training.