The Pros And Cons Of Police Training

The topic of police in general, and the brutal beatings, shootings, and arrests that have occurred over the past couple of years in the United States has hit the media full force, leaving many wondering what actions should be taken to keep the peace. Many question the system as a whole, and the training police officers receive, as well as their mental health. Across the borders, police are trained differently and follow various policies that may seem ridiculous or foreign, however, when comparing and contrasting two police systems, the similarities may be alarming, and the differences may be great, but knowing the strengths and weakness of each different system, can help towards progressing to have a better system and better training for police officers.

A Need for Change: The Importance of Continued Training and Education for Modern Day Police Officers Michael- Criminal Justice Institute

“To Protect and Serve” (Dorobek) is the official motto of the American Police Academy and to do that requires a balanced relationship of trust and support between police officers and the people they serve. In different ways, civilians and police officer’s both have a responsibility to uphold the law. It is a police officer’s responsibility to defend their community. A civilian’s civil duty is to support their police force to ensure they can carry out their job in the safest and most peaceful manner. However, a gap in communication has damaged the relationship between officer’s and the members of the communities they serve. In order to put an end to police brutality and repair the relationship between the American Police Force and the communities they serve, the enforcement of body cameras, new and better methods to train, and special prosecutors in police misconduct investigations are all essential.

In a survey 52% of police officers said it is common for law enforcement officials to disregard the inappropriate conduct of other officers. While 61% of officers claimed they usually do not report serious abuse that they have directly witnessed by colleagues. Yes, we all know that there are always going to be a few corrupt and unethical people within every profession, but these statistics show that within the police officer profession there are far more than a few corrupt and unethical

Mistrust and opposition of law enforcement officers with the communities they serve continues to be a situation that garners much public attention. Allegations of police brutality, over policing, and militarization of the police are prevalent among campus discussions. Activists are calling for reform and accountability of law enforcement agencies. Is there a problem with policing in America?

Statistics from the National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project (NPMSRP), from the months of April 2009 to June 2010 showed that during this time there were 5,986 reports of misconduct. There were also 382 fatalities linked to misconduct, along with settlements and judgements linked to misconduct totaling $347,455,000. 33% of the misconduct cases went through to convictions and 64% of them received prison sentences. Yet these numbers were not enough of a shock to our city and state leaders to take action before situations, such as the riots in Baltimore or Ferguson, occurred. The warnings were there, the numbers and statistics, yet the matter was not handled in a reasonable amount of time. Leaving the public to wonder, if they were all in jeopardy. Would a simple routine check point end in violence? Fearful that any word out of their mouths, or simply the color of their skin, could bring forth such behavior.

Since the beginning of the structured police forces across the United States corruption, misconduct, and claims of brutality by police officers has been a problem. Police officers who were sworn to protect and serve the people of their communities have been instilled with authority over people. Throughout history anyone having some type of power or absolute authority over another has created controversy. This paper will look into the statements and details of concerns dealing with police corruption, misconduct, and brutality of police officers in the United States.

Some police officers would think that enacting a law which demands the use of non-deadly force before using deadly force in a dangerous situation would be a way to endanger their lives. But they should know that choosing to be a police officer is already a danger, and if they are committed with the institution, they will see this solution as a benefit for the country because it will heal the image of the police department that nowadays is damaged due to the acts that they performed. On the other hand, Richard Beary, president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, warned that there isn’t much money to give officers better training in community relations. Although, this can be a disadvantage for the solution, it can be solved by the government, which is able to provide more funds to the Police Department if they take this problem seriously as it is right now. Ms. Rawlings-Blake said: “If there is any place where the federal government and the Justice Department can produce a tangible difference for our officers, it would be to provide more resources in fiscal belt-tightening area.” In this area, police officers learn the broader significance of their role on society. Though not a perfect solution, analysts said, more comprehensive training for police officers is, in the words of Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake,

Each year citizens die in encounters with law enforcement officers. It is reported that “Americans are eight times more likely to be killed by a police officer than by a terrorist” (Rucke, 2013). Although there is no official data base tracking these occurrences it is estimated that between 500 and a 1,000 people are killed by police officers each year. To put this in greater perspective this number equals approximately 5,000 since the 9/11 terror attack which is roughly the same number as U.S. soldiers who have been killed in the line of duty in Iraq (Rucke, 2013). This statistic is justifiably concerning. The cause of police related killings are multifold and cannot be attributed to only one factor. Many deaths may be unavoidable and perhaps, dependent on the situation, necessary. I contend, however, that many of these deaths may very well be preventable.

To begin, with any officer in the field of criminal justice, knowledge is a factor that is extremely important. If an officer is not knowledgeable in a subject, it could come back to them later in the future in the form of a lawsuit. To make sure officers have the precise amount of training the POST program was in the 1950’s according to Schmallegar (184-186). In addition, many state and local agencies will contribute to an officer’s education as well. An ample amount of training is provided to make sure the officer’s training requirements are met. Schmallegar says that “self-defense, human relations, firearms, legal aspects of policing, patrol, criminal investigations, administration, report writing, ethics computers and cultural diversity” are all-important parts of the training (184). Most jobs within a job involved in this field use on the job training to give the trainee more experience (Kazmi).

Corruption and brutality scandals have severely tarnished the public’s faith in the police. From the killings and brutalizing of citizens in New York City to the widespread corruption in the Los Angeles Police Department, more and more law enforcement administrators are faced with the task of reforming police department, with little guidance on how to bring about the necessary changes. This is not the first time in our country’s history that

Police Agencies in modern society are a part of the American fabric to serve and protect the American public. The United States currently have more than 15,000 police agencies, (Walker & Katz, 2011). Police Departments across the United States face similar critical issues policing. All police officers face dangers in the job of policing the dangers can emanate from internal and external origins. Police officers have continued to evolve to serve communities by finding better less than lethal alternatives to weapons used. In addition, police departments have continued to keep up with

The military style police training will have a huge impact on police recruitment because some civilians will shy away from this style of training. This “police corps” military style training can be rough because the instructor will use mass punishment to reinforce rules such as push-ups, they will have to salute, and they will have strict room and locker inspections. There is a lot of other stressful training that will take place, sleep deprivation, high-speed driving day and night, firearms training day and night, self-defense, and classes that will keep the recruit thinking about police situations. This will change the recruit’s perspective of how the police operate on the street. This stressful training will affect the recruit mentally and

Training is an art that requires not the ability to perform tasks, but the capacity to explain how and why things are done. For this reason, many police forces employ civilian trainers or develop internal training departments. According to international policing standards, instructors must be familiar with current training strategies and able to use them to enhance learning. Instruction is deemed so crucial that levels of certification should be established for instructors, valid for a set period. Many police training agencies provide their trainers with newsletters that feature helpful hints and information. Most Civpol officers are not familiar with training techniques, much less up to date with training skills and certifications. Their lack of training experience is compounded by the fact that the target audience may not be familiar with concepts such as human rights and the rule of law. Trainers must be able to explain these topics thoroughly.

The police force has been observed by their respective communities on a small scale, however, the NYPD has recently fell under the spotlight of mass media and the general public due to the unfair treatment of minorities and the lack of discipline many of these officers have. Although it is obvious that policemen suffer a great deal of pressure as well as the threat of danger, policemen should be able to keep their heads on straight when dealing with everyday situations. There are a number of factors involved in this congested discourse. It also leads us to inquire whether there is a lack of training administered by the police department or if the current training is too harsh.