Rixton Case Summary

In this essay a discussion will be explored about the benefits and problems associated with police use of discretion. Which current policing strategies have the most potential for controlling officer discretion and providing accountability, and which have the least, and why is that the case? And finally, how might these issues impact the various concerns facing law enforcement today?

Lack of training and policing standards are closely linked to the myriad problems bedeviling police work, especially in small departments (Brodeur, 2010). All over the country, police departments report cases of officers being caught in uncompromising and unprofessional situations, resulting in disciplinary actions such as redeployment, suspension or sacking. These cases of unprofessionalism have led to questions being asked about policing, occasioned by recurring series of questionable and controversial encounters with police officers (Brodeur, 2010). The consequence of such encounters is increasing public distrust in law enforcement agencies.

This essay discusses the effects of the police organizational culture on a Police officer’s ability to make independent decisions.

When one thinks of police misconduct many not too distant stories might go through our heads. Most adults will remember how they felt when they saw the brutal beating of Rodney King on their local news station; or the outrage they experienced when they heard that the evidence in the OJ Simpson trial had been tampered with. But thanks to new guidelines, procedures and even civilian groups who now “police” the police, instances of police misconduct may soon start seeing a decline.

Policing and the way they operate are truly similar as if they are hand in hand with one another. In order for operations to run smoothly and the department to be functioning as one there has to be proper training and care from the supervisors, administrators and from everyone who works together to understand that they’re a team. Everyone in the police department has to work together instead of against one another just to make sure everyone is doing their jobs by the books with no room for errors.

National studies on police behavior have failed to adequately address the issue of police discretion. Due to the lack of important research data, analysts have developed suggestions on how to improve an individual officer’s discretion by educating the entire department on proper use of discretion. The current suggestions are focused on officers in higher ranks developing an educational program for their department addressing areas of needs they have observed. They are the eyes of the department, and it is there job to know what their officers

Police misconduct and the ‘code of silence’ is a global phenomenon that has been present since the formation of formal police agencies. Police leadership can shape the influence and direction of their departments through recruitment, training, field training officers (mentors), policy, and discipline. Frontline supervisors act as the bridge between the administration and the frontline officers. Supervisors exert some informal influence over officers, but must also serve their superiors and the agency mission. There is no clear cut method to curbing the ‘code of silence’ and agency transparency is needed to appease the public such agencies serve. This is a two way street, the public must respect the authority of said officers and submit to lawful and reasonable request. Police administrators must maintain open lines of communication and trust with their subordinates if the ‘code of silence’ is to ever be weakened.

The issues that our police departments face in today’s society consist of corrupt police departments, publicity, operating expenses, and constant training to meet the guidelines set by court decisions.

Police executives have always had different issues within the police department. Most police executives try to find a quick fix in order to solve the issue of police misconduct. Police misconduct is defined as inappropriate action taken by police officers in relation with their official duties (Police Misconduct Law & Legal Definition, n.d.). In order to solve this issue, one must acknowledge their different challenges, overcome the “code of silence”, and find out the role of organizational culture.

While the Reform Era worked to professionalize police, as society became more complex, so did the role of the police officer. The Community Policing Era was developed as a result of the need to develop cooperation and positive relationships between the police and public. What developed out of this era was an essential element of community policing – public accountability. Police officers became accountable to their supervisors who in turn became accountable to the community. Accountability can be seen as an honest evaluation of achievement based on clearly defined objectives. Many of these objectives are defined by complex community and social problems; as such police officers require the capacity and flexibility to work on them in a variety of styles and employing a variety of strategies.

The main conclusion from this article is that the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) is unconstitutional in its policing. The cases utilized are incidences in the City of Baltimore and the Baltimore City Police Department. The methodology consisted of interviewing various actors within the City of Baltimore and the BPD. The researchers also participated in ride-alongs and heard from people in the wider Baltimore community. Many documents were also reviewed. This source contributes to the debate in that it is like the Macpherson report in its critique of the police and their practices. This source helps me refine my question by making me look at the police department culture of whichever cases I will eventually investigate.

Civilian oversight of law enforcement is a vital element of the democratic society. Effective civilian oversight of police is crucial to guarantee that the police use its power of authority in a way that exhibits respect for the law and individual rights and freedoms. The committee’s responsibility is to maintain a balance between police independence and to complete investigations and maintain order without undue political influence, or influence from any other source while remaining accountable to the public. The belief that civilians do not understand what a police officer faces on a daily basis becomes the crux of most complaints made by

Head of Police Jason Dombkowski emphasizes that the attention on authoritative and regulatory parts of policing, on the formal structure and the effect of police pioneers. While these formal contemplation are vital to a comprehension of the police part, there are two other contributing variables that must be considered in their endeavor to comprehend policing as an occupation: the police subculture and the weights and anxieties of police work. Police executives and the law indicate the expansive parameters inside which officers work, yet the police subculture lets them know how to go about their assignments, how difficult to work, what sorts of connections to have with their kindred officers and different classifications of individuals with

The agreement to improve police-community relations has been identified as one of the most comprehensive and creative plans, calling upon both community members and police to participate in both a structural and cultural manner to the issues discovered (Background, 8). There were objectives that strove to improve the relationships between the two groups by fostering trust and respect as they worked to a common goal of a better community at large. They were also changes in the police system itself to address hiring, monitoring and accountability within the system (Background, 9). These changes were conservative in nature aiming to increase accountability between the groups and also the amount of accountability the officers had to their rules and proceedings. The considered success of these implementations could be attributed to the diversity of those leading the commission. The leaders of the response to the crisis include the Mayor, a prominent African American business and civic leader, and other business, philanthropic and civic leaders (Background, 6). This diversity included a wide range of members that allowed it to reach past the historical tendency of segregation and exclusion of community

Rixton is a small community of 16,000 people and has a police force of 36 officers. (Cordner, 2016). Police Chief Walton Eager came up through the ranks and is a pleasant man, but he has little administrative ability. He promulgates all policy and procedures by tacking notices to a bulletin board already overcrowded with memorabilia dating back several years. He makes no effort to determine whether his officers understand his policies and procedures, and officers feel no need to pay any attention to them. (Cordner, 2016).