Law enforcement leaders must be continually vigilant to ensure that the actions of their officers do not violate civil rights and do not compromise public support. The individual officer is granted a tremendous amount of authority and discretion to enforce the law. Their ultimate duty is to protect individual rights from being infringed upon by others in the community. They must never consider themselves above the law while executing their responsibility to enforce the law. This commitment is what distinguishes police in constitutionally based, democratic societies like ours from police in nondemocratic countries, where they are perceived as oppressive agents of a government whose main purpose is to restrict, rather than protect, the rights of civilians (International Association of Chiefs of Police, 2006).
Although police officers take an oath to protect and serve citizens in our society. we have some officers that our corrupt and willing do anything just to protect themselves from being exposed from their unethical behavior. In 1994 three officers from New Orleans police department committed an unspeakable crime murder for hire and a violent drug gang. The killing of Kim grove was thirty-two years old and was gunned down by police officer that were there to protect her instead they killed her.
July 7, 2016 was already an unusual day and night for the officers of the Dallas Police Department in Texas. Dallas, like more than a dozen other major cities in the U.S., was home to a massive Black Lives Matter protest to denounce the shooting of two unarmed black men by police. Officers were having to deal with enormous crowds, heckling, and mid-summer heat. They had no way of knowing what was to come next. A lone wolf, with an extreme hatred of police officers, was about to inflict the worst casualty rate on a police force since the September 11th terrorist
Police brutality and office involved shootings have sparked national debate and created a strain between police officers and citizens. Recently, there have been more home videos that display acts of aggression by police officers. These police officers often use excessive forces or a condescending tone towards people of color which is why there needs to be a better way to mend police and civilian relationship. People should be able to trust the police in their communities rather than fear them.
Policemen are supposed to “serve and protect.” Lately that motto has lost its significance and meaning. The public and the news media no longer respect the occupation. Policemen nowadays are accused of not doing their jobs properly and instead of serving their communities, outright ignore or harm ordinary civilians. Terms like “police brutality” have become rather popular and there appears to be no shortage of new articles scrutinizing the police. This paper will focus on the soured relation between Houstonians and the Houston Police Department (HPD). Of interest is the reasoning behind why a good chunk of Houston’s denizens despise HPD officers. Thus, this paper will take a closer look at some of the questionable actions committed by HPD’s
Law Enforcement officers have one of the most critical jobs in the United States. Their lives are always on the line and they are of high regards. This means they cannot fail! The results of their jobs do not only depend on their actions but also on the people. What this means is the community has a huge role when it comes to solving crime. Though many people may not believe it, they are the key to a successful crime prevention community. The people of the United States don’t really understand both the positive and negative effects that community policing actually brings. Some may say it is very dangerous based on their experiences. Others may say it’s the best way to do away with crime. Today the two will be compared and put to test by true officers serving our country. The facts will be stated and questions will be answered. Let’s take a look at what community policing is really all about!
Within the past year, law enforcement officers across the nation have come under intense scrutiny for police encounters that have resulted in the use of force and police involved shootings. Every time a person of color is killed by a police officer, the media broadcasts the shooting nationwide, inciting hate, anger and racism. Nothing productive is achieved when the media focuses on officers killing people of color. Instead, trust, faith and respect is lost from the public, and law enforcement officers are feared. People fear that when they encounter the police, they will be shot because of who they are. Sadly, all officers across the nation deal with the harsh scrutiny that has resulted from the actions of few. Majority of officers are good, hard working individuals who would put their life on the line to save and protect human life. Yet, on a daily basis, officers across the nation are disrespected and hated, simply for the job they do and who they represent. Despite recent events, police brutality is not an issue; law enforcement officers are still deserving of the public’s trust and this trust can be rectified with the understanding of use of force, increased community policing and continued use of force training for officers.
Police-citizen violence and related concerns are prime topics of conversation wherever law enforcement professionals gather to discuss problems. Many police departments have made reviewing their use of force a top priority. And major civil rights organizations have made a priority of responding to police use of deadly force. When a law enforcement agency practices racial profiling, it gives the wrong impression that whites are considered to be law abiding citizens while blacks and Latinos are considered to be criminals. Racial profiling policies set up law enforcement agencies as enemies of communities that they serve. Unlike racial profiling, community policing has consistently been shown to work. The better the relationship between residents and police, the more likely residents are to report crimes, come forward as witnesses, and otherwise cooperate in police
My heart goes out to the families of the innocent unsuspecting people who were murdered and also for the families of the police officers who were gunned down in the line of duty. This loss of life is senseless.
Dallas Police Chief David Brown said this morning in a news conference that "they are heartbroken" and that we must work "to bring our city together and our country together to heal wounds, not create them." When I spoke to our Police Chief Eddie Salame this morning, he said that our police officers are in grief for their family of police officers and that they are hurting, working to protect us, and worried about their own safety all at the same time.
The role of police in their communities and society as a whole, is an interesting and unique position. They are citizens that are responsible for policing fellow, equal citizens and are the extensive arm of the government. Police are required to enforce laws set by the state, regardless of the effectiveness or rationality of the laws and any negative consequences they cause. These consequences often result in racial disparities in the criminal justice system between blacks and whites or an unequal concentration of poor Americans in police interactions. With such apparent injustices, it
Over the last 2-3 years’, police brutality and nation retaliation is all over the news. According to the Washington post, police have fatally shot nearly 1000 people in 2015. (Kindy, Fisher, Tate, & Jenkins, 2015). It was stated in the post, “A single bullet fired at the adrenaline-charged apex of a chase can end a life, wreck a career, spark a riot, spike racial tensions and alter the politics of the nation.” (Kindy et al.,2015). Every time a person is killed by police it takes a toll on the whole nation, from California to the tip of Maine. Generally Speaking, police Brutality has reached an all-time high in the last couple of years. Police officers, the victims’ family, and the bystanders, all play a part in these tragedies, and honestly no one is going about this correctly.
Studies have shown a $98-billion-dollar short fall in funding over the last 5 years for first responders. As the government continually chooses to make budget cuts in this department. Not only do first responders take a big hit financially, but also due to finances manage to be short staffed the majority of the time. Not only have they managed to take financial misfortunes, but to add insult to injury not getting paid for the extra duties they tend to. Trusting these people with our lives every single day. Dispatchers having the proper training to deal in high stress situations whether someone is having a heart attack, choking or contemplating suicide, they must remain calm in stabilizing the situation. Also, police officers choosing to walk into dangerous situations of criminals shooting or someone fighting for their life. We must make sure that these people are properly compensated in hopes that they will not lack in their job
There is a perception of distrust between law enforcement and the community. This distrust stems directly from the dangerous words police use when communicating with the community. (Willis, 2015, p.) Simply choosing better words can help build relationships between law enforcement and the community. It is necessary for law enforcement to have trust with their community. There are many things that hinge on the police-community relationships, the ability of law enforcement to perform their duties, are the most important. Law enforcement must be willing to rely on the public to observe the law. They must always demonstrate absolute impartiality to the law.
I find discomfort in the fact that those who have lost their lives to police officers will not be given the same fighting chance as their white counter parts for their freedom from whatever wrong doing they might have done. I know not all police officers are the same as the ones portrayed on the news, but still a part of me fears for my brothers and myself becoming a part of the extended list of individuals who have lost their lives to police brutality. Living in a state with a history of high racial tension doesn’t make the fear any better to deal with. This is a serious issue that needs reforming and that will not happen until we all bind together to do