Category: Police

The City of Baltimore Police Department

The Baltimore Police Department is one of the largest municipal police forces in the US, and its website is the most user-friendly and visually appealing out of the three websites analyzed (About Us, 2014, para. 1). The website has a navigation bar on top, which provides access to pages such as About Us, News, Contact Us, and others. The navigation is two-step: if the visitor clicks on Contact Us, a sub-menu appears with links to Email Directory, Facebook Updates, Email Alerts, and other relevant pages. There is a search bar on top of the page, which helps to quickly find information buried under the two-step navigation bar. There is a hamburger icon next to the search bar which opens a menu with links to the official City of Baltimore website.

On the front page, there is a row of colorful buttons that let the visitor instantly file or request a police report, provide feedback, access frequently asked questions, or contact their district. Color is used to help focus the viewers attention on these elements and makes it easy for visitors to get assistance (Cannon, 2012, para. 11). Below these buttons, there are links to social media accounts. The Baltimore Police Department chooses clean, readable fonts which are of adequate size, and the icons are fairly big and accurately represent their purpose. All in all, the website is well-designed, and the choice of fonts, colors, and icons pose no difficulties for people with a poor vision on the desktop. Although the website provides a lot of information, the simple two-step navigation, and clean design makes it easy to navigate. Some of the essential information, such as the departments address and emergency and non-emergency phone numbers is duplicated at the bottom of the page.

The Baltimore Police Department website is available in six different languages courtesy of Google Translate. Although this fact does make the website more victim-friendly, the quality of the automatic translation is sub-par. When the visitor attempts to change the language, a pop-up appears with a disclaimer that the translation may not be accurate. In addition, certain buttons with rendered text are not translated at all. In order to serve visitors who speak different languages better, all buttons on the website should be translated in accordance with the selected language.

The website has a mobile version, which loads fast and retains most of the functionality of the website. The mobile version generally scales down well, but some compromises are evident, and certain areas need improvement. The navigation bar is collapsed on mobile, thus adding another hamburger icon next to the one with links to the official City of Baltimore website. Two identical icons create ambiguity, and it might have been a better solution to put the links to the official City of Baltimore website at the bottom of the page. The buttons that let the visitor instantly file or request a police report, provide feedback, etc. have pre-rendered text which is tiny on mobile. The icons could be removed, and bigger text could be used on mobile instead.

Overall, in both content and technical aspects the Baltimore Police Department website is able to provide relevant information to the victims of crime and offers useful services such as the ability to file a report online.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department

The Anne Arundel County Police Department website provides information for both the victims of crime and those seeking job opportunities. In addition, it offers such functionality as filing a report online. The layout of the website does not make it easy for the visitors to do that, however. Upon loading the website, the visitor is presented with a plethora of choices: there is a navigation sidebar on the left, a navigation bar on the top with a search bar, and another sidebar on the right with links to Online Crime Reporting and Police Rules and Regulations. It is not clear why these two links are grouped together, or why are they not in the sidebar on the left. Crime reporting form should be put front and center and color coded, instead of presenting it as a text link together with the link to police regulations.

The sidebar on the left which has links to such pages as About Us, Crime Information, Services and Programs and others. Below the sidebar, some important information, such as the departments address and a phone number is provided in a very small font. There is no indication whether the number is for emergencies only and the font size might be an obstacle for the elderly or people with poor vision. The information provided on the website is current and the texts are well-written. The font used for texts throughout the site is legible and appropriate imagery is used where necessary. The phone numbers of different districts are provided on the bottom of the front page. On the right, there are the latest social networks posts. Although the website is fairly functional, certain information is missing. There is no FAQ page, and there is no way for the visitors to give feedback. In addition, the website is available in English language only, which is a major barrier for the visitors since 21% of the US population speak languages other than English at home (Ryan, 2013, p. 2). Even automatic translation could significantly improve the sites accessibility.

The mobile version loads much faster and provides the same functionality as the desktop version. On mobile, both the top navigation bar and the sidebar are collapsed into two menu buttons, which creates ambiguity. In addition, the search bar disappears into one of the menus. Online Crime Reporting is moved to the bottom of the page on mobile, making it more difficult to find. These areas are in the need of improvement.

Although the Anne Arundel County Police Department website provides the necessary information for the victims, the website is not very victim-friendly. Such pages as FAQ and feedback page, bigger fonts and the ability to choose different languages could be added to serve victims better.

The City of Bowie Police Department

The Bowie Police Department website aims not only to provide information for the crime victims assistance but offers services to prevent crime. There is a navigation bar on the left and the top links are crime prevention and theft from auto prevention tips, followed by crime reports, information wanted and other relevant pages. When the mouse hovers over certain links on the sidebar, a sub-menu appears. This solution helps the visitor to quickly navigate to a specific page. In addition, there is a search bar on top. The Bowie Police Department website is the only website that provides text-to-speech service for all texts. This service greatly improves the accessibility for visually impaired and the elderly.

The website provides a lot of crime prevention tips and information not found on the other two websites, such as ATM safety tips and sex offenders list. The visitors can report suspicious activity or submit a tip about a crime. However, there is no way for the victims to file and print a report. The contact information is presented on the right and includes Twitter handles of the police chief and deputy police chief, emergency, non-emergency and administrative phone numbers, and working hours of the department. The website, however, does not offer the ability to choose a different language, which renders it mostly useless for non-English speaking visitors. Although the design is functional, is looks dated and not professional, especially compared to the other two websites.

The biggest barrier for victims who want to use this department services is the lack of a mobile version. It is a major obstacle since more and more people browse the web on their mobile devices (Gube, 2010, para. 3). When the website is accessed via a mobile device, the same desktop version is shown, the texts are small and illegible; the navigation is a chore due to the inability to open sub-links and small font on the sidebar. The entire website does not fit into the mobile screen, obscuring most of the body of the page. In addition, navigation is slow due to loading speeds on mobile networks and the lack of proper optimization. It would be very difficult for the victim to navigate the website on a mobile device, so a proper mobile-friendly version of the website is necessary.

The Bowie Police Department website has more content and some nice accessibility features. However, the directions are not translated into different languages, and the lack of a mobile version makes navigation a chore. Such important service as the ability to file a report online is missing. These are the areas that should be improved.

References

About Us (2014). Web.

Cannon, T. (2012).An Introduction to Color Theory for Web Designers. Web.

Gube, J. (2010). 8 Tools For Easily Creating a Mobile Version of Your Website. Web.

Ryan, C. (2013). Language Use in the United States: 2011. Web.

The City of Baltimore Police Department

The Baltimore Police Department is one of the largest municipal police forces in the US, and its website is the most user-friendly and visually appealing out of the three websites analyzed (About Us, 2014, para. 1). The website has a navigation bar on top, which provides access to pages such as About Us, News, Contact Us, and others. The navigation is two-step: if the visitor clicks on Contact Us, a sub-menu appears with links to Email Directory, Facebook Updates, Email Alerts, and other relevant pages. There is a search bar on top of the page, which helps to quickly find information buried under the two-step navigation bar. There is a hamburger icon next to the search bar which opens a menu with links to the official City of Baltimore website.

On the front page, there is a row of colorful buttons that let the visitor instantly file or request a police report, provide feedback, access frequently asked questions, or contact their district. Color is used to help focus the viewers attention on these elements and makes it easy for visitors to get assistance (Cannon, 2012, para. 11). Below these buttons, there are links to social media accounts. The Baltimore Police Department chooses clean, readable fonts which are of adequate size, and the icons are fairly big and accurately represent their purpose. All in all, the website is well-designed, and the choice of fonts, colors, and icons pose no difficulties for people with a poor vision on the desktop. Although the website provides a lot of information, the simple two-step navigation, and clean design makes it easy to navigate. Some of the essential information, such as the departments address and emergency and non-emergency phone numbers is duplicated at the bottom of the page.

The Baltimore Police Department website is available in six different languages courtesy of Google Translate. Although this fact does make the website more victim-friendly, the quality of the automatic translation is sub-par. When the visitor attempts to change the language, a pop-up appears with a disclaimer that the translation may not be accurate. In addition, certain buttons with rendered text are not translated at all. In order to serve visitors who speak different languages better, all buttons on the website should be translated in accordance with the selected language.

The website has a mobile version, which loads fast and retains most of the functionality of the website. The mobile version generally scales down well, but some compromises are evident, and certain areas need improvement. The navigation bar is collapsed on mobile, thus adding another hamburger icon next to the one with links to the official City of Baltimore website. Two identical icons create ambiguity, and it might have been a better solution to put the links to the official City of Baltimore website at the bottom of the page. The buttons that let the visitor instantly file or request a police report, provide feedback, etc. have pre-rendered text which is tiny on mobile. The icons could be removed, and bigger text could be used on mobile instead.

Overall, in both content and technical aspects the Baltimore Police Department website is able to provide relevant information to the victims of crime and offers useful services such as the ability to file a report online.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department

The Anne Arundel County Police Department website provides information for both the victims of crime and those seeking job opportunities. In addition, it offers such functionality as filing a report online. The layout of the website does not make it easy for the visitors to do that, however. Upon loading the website, the visitor is presented with a plethora of choices: there is a navigation sidebar on the left, a navigation bar on the top with a search bar, and another sidebar on the right with links to Online Crime Reporting and Police Rules and Regulations. It is not clear why these two links are grouped together, or why are they not in the sidebar on the left. Crime reporting form should be put front and center and color coded, instead of presenting it as a text link together with the link to police regulations.

The sidebar on the left which has links to such pages as About Us, Crime Information, Services and Programs and others. Below the sidebar, some important information, such as the departments address and a phone number is provided in a very small font. There is no indication whether the number is for emergencies only and the font size might be an obstacle for the elderly or people with poor vision. The information provided on the website is current and the texts are well-written. The font used for texts throughout the site is legible and appropriate imagery is used where necessary. The phone numbers of different districts are provided on the bottom of the front page. On the right, there are the latest social networks posts. Although the website is fairly functional, certain information is missing. There is no FAQ page, and there is no way for the visitors to give feedback. In addition, the website is available in English language only, which is a major barrier for the visitors since 21% of the US population speak languages other than English at home (Ryan, 2013, p. 2). Even automatic translation could significantly improve the sites accessibility.

The mobile version loads much faster and provides the same functionality as the desktop version. On mobile, both the top navigation bar and the sidebar are collapsed into two menu buttons, which creates ambiguity. In addition, the search bar disappears into one of the menus. Online Crime Reporting is moved to the bottom of the page on mobile, making it more difficult to find. These areas are in the need of improvement.

Although the Anne Arundel County Police Department website provides the necessary information for the victims, the website is not very victim-friendly. Such pages as FAQ and feedback page, bigger fonts and the ability to choose different languages could be added to serve victims better.

The City of Bowie Police Department

The Bowie Police Department website aims not only to provide information for the crime victims assistance but offers services to prevent crime. There is a navigation bar on the left and the top links are crime prevention and theft from auto prevention tips, followed by crime reports, information wanted and other relevant pages. When the mouse hovers over certain links on the sidebar, a sub-menu appears. This solution helps the visitor to quickly navigate to a specific page. In addition, there is a search bar on top. The Bowie Police Department website is the only website that provides text-to-speech service for all texts. This service greatly improves the accessibility for visually impaired and the elderly.

The website provides a lot of crime prevention tips and information not found on the other two websites, such as ATM safety tips and sex offenders list. The visitors can report suspicious activity or submit a tip about a crime. However, there is no way for the victims to file and print a report. The contact information is presented on the right and includes Twitter handles of the police chief and deputy police chief, emergency, non-emergency and administrative phone numbers, and working hours of the department. The website, however, does not offer the ability to choose a different language, which renders it mostly useless for non-English speaking visitors. Although the design is functional, is looks dated and not professional, especially compared to the other two websites.

The biggest barrier for victims who want to use this department services is the lack of a mobile version. It is a major obstacle since more and more people browse the web on their mobile devices (Gube, 2010, para. 3). When the website is accessed via a mobile device, the same desktop version is shown, the texts are small and illegible; the navigation is a chore due to the inability to open sub-links and small font on the sidebar. The entire website does not fit into the mobile screen, obscuring most of the body of the page. In addition, navigation is slow due to loading speeds on mobile networks and the lack of proper optimization. It would be very difficult for the victim to navigate the website on a mobile device, so a proper mobile-friendly version of the website is necessary.

The Bowie Police Department website has more content and some nice accessibility features. However, the directions are not translated into different languages, and the lack of a mobile version makes navigation a chore. Such important service as the ability to file a report online is missing. These are the areas that should be improved.

References

About Us (2014). Web.

Cannon, T. (2012).An Introduction to Color Theory for Web Designers. Web.

Gube, J. (2010). 8 Tools For Easily Creating a Mobile Version of Your Website. Web.

Ryan, C. (2013). Language Use in the United States: 2011. Web.

The problem of police brutality and unfair treatment of people is often raised in the media and provokes protests among citizens. A striking example is the events in 2020 under the slogan Black lives matter. It is directly related to police brutality and shows that people care about this issue. However, this is far from the only case when the police are biased and unfairly treat people, in particular colored citizens. Usually, this is due to racial prejudice, which is still subject to many officials. The purpose of this paper is to suggest several ways that might help solve this problem.

One of the essential steps for working on this issue is the careful monitoring of the authorities. In particular, ordinary citizens who encounter the police in real life should also join this monitoring (Brunson 2007). First, it will allow gaining multilateral control over the police. People will express their opinions about their work from different angles, which will provide a complete picture. Second, existing police laws and regulations may not always meet the demands of the modern world. Consequently, helping ordinary citizens to change them will be beneficial and make the police as useful as possible.

Another way to tackle the problem of racism and discrimination among police officers is through ongoing training. The ethical standards of society change regularly; however, many police officers are adults who are used to thinking in a certain way. This means that the police training program should include ethical and moral sections explaining interaction with different categories of citizens. Subsequent training and accreditation must become regular to keep police officers actions up to date. Thanks to this, they will better navigate in any situation and interact with people. Their knowledge of sociology and psychology will become beneficial for their work, and they will look at criminal events from a different angle.

To tackle the problem of racism, it is worth introducing regular checks and statistical studies. If they show that the percentage of arrests strongly depends on racial characteristics, it is worth investigating the cause and addressing this issue. In other words, everyone should be treated equally: if people commit crimes, their race does not matter, and they should be punished. Thus, the police should be a security agency, and interaction with them should be fruitful and rewarding.

If they do not consider people equal, then one cannot talk about safety: people of color will consider themselves disadvantaged and will not trust the police. The proper functioning of the police must be regulated by law. Laws should contain clear information about the lawful and illegal actions of law enforcement agencies. The state must be responsible for monitoring police actions so that they take their work as seriously and responsibly as possible.

Racism is a rather complicated issue, and it is necessary to approach its solution from different angles. It can be met almost in every country in the world, and there is a long way to go to get rid of it. Undoubtedly, everyday racism met among various people and police racism are different aspects. However, the police should be the ones people will follow and trust. This should not be influenced by their race, class, gender, or any other characteristics. This arrangement of society will contribute to its prosperity and make it safe. People will feel protected and will know where to seek help.

Reference

Brunson, Rod. 2007. Police Dont Like Black People: African-American Young Mens Accumulated Police Experiences. Criminology & Public Policy 6 (1): 71-101. Web.

Introduction

Equality and its establishment in society is the main area of concern at the moment. In particular, this topic concerns the biased attitude towards people of color among representatives of the protection of law and order. This research will address the problem of discrimination among police officers based on the article James M. Jones titled Killing Fields: Explaining Police Violence Against Persons of Color. Thus, this research will address the problem of discrimination among police officers based on the article James M. Jones titled Killing Fields: Explaining Police Violence Against Persons of Color.

Thesis

Police violence against people of color has a historical context. This behavior has a sociological explanation that allows to better understand the causes and consequences of police violence. The consequences have a significant impact on the victims and communities of color. Moreover, American and European police force have similar patterns of behavior with significant differences.

Summary

The author raises the problem of discrimination and the biased attitude of law enforcement officials regarding black people. First of all, it is noted that this area of concern has deep roots in American society and remains an urgent issue to this day. The author claims that whether it is a desire and need for control of colored minds, maintaining an illegitimate system of expression, or maintaining a cultural self-image of superiority, it has been woven into the society (Jones 872).

Critique

Killing Fields: Explaining Police Violence Against Persons of Color by James M. Jones is an impactful piece of evidence that can help spread awareness about the problem of intolerance and inequality among police officers. Concerning the formal critique of the reasoning, there is no formal mistake in logic of the authors argument. Regarding criticism, and it is also worth noting that the study is based on a large number of scientific papers of a valuable importance, which gives it credibility and relevance.

Analysis

Article Jones is a valuable scientific work that contributes to the conversation about the problem of discrimination against people of color. This is because it provides a large amount of statistical data about the individuals who have experienced violence by police. Thus, the article emphasizes that among the 94 fatal shootings of unarmed persons, 40 percent were Black menseven times the rate for White men (Jones 873). Data shows a disappointing trend regarding the topic being raised and requires public attention to provide justice and equality for all races and nationalities.

There is the predisposition of police officers to show violence against blacks, even in the absence of indisputable evidence (Carbado 125; Jones 873). Therefore, police are more likely to shoot a Black suspect than a White suspect even in the absence of racial differences in criminal activity (Jones 875). Another phenomenon is The Hoodie Effect, which implies what an object is like a hood on a person of color. Among other similar behaviors is shooting black police officers if they were off duty, and justification of violent actions by self-defense.

The influence of mass media also has a particularly detrimental effect. It affects the formation of the negative behavior of people toward representatives of the black community (Ross 12). Another characteristic feature of the behavior of media sources is the dehumanization of the black population and equating them with apes, which in Jones article was called The Gorilla Effect (Jones 877). Thus, this phenomenon implies the detachment of people of color from the concept of being a humans.

Arguments Against the Original Thesis

It is quite difficult to find arguments that would refute the theses presented in Jones work. However, it is possible to refute the thesis about the difference between the European and American systems. Thus, despite the fact that armed violence spreads especially in the United States, police officers in other countries also have access to it. Thus, it is impossible to deny the risk of a representative of the law killing a representative of a racial minority in Europe. In addition, research stated that In 2018, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) showed that only 14% of racist harassment incidents were reported, 37% denounced when suffered police abuse (Rios para. 5).

Conclusion

In conclusion, this work was devoted to the study of the topic of racism, discrimination, and prejudice of law enforcement officials against representatives of racial minorities. The basis for this research was the article by James M. Jones named Killing Fields: Explaining Police Violence Against Persons of Color. Therefore, it was determined that there are specific behavioral patterns that affect the increase in bias among police officers. Thus, the article Jones is valuable for drawing attention to the conversation about the importance of equality and tolerance in all spheres of society.

Works Cited

Anderson, Elizabeth. The Imperative of Integration. Princeton University Press, 2013. Arrests by Offense, Age, and Race. U.S. Department of Justice. Web.

Carbado, Devon W. From Stopping Black People to Killing Black People: The Fourth Amendment Pathways to Police Violence. California Law Review, vol. 105, 2017, p. 125.

Jones, James M. Killing Fields: Explaining Police Violence Against Persons of Color. Journal of Social Issues, vol. 73, no. 4, 2017, pp. 872-883.

Rios, Beatriz. Beyond the US: Police Brutality, Structural Racism are a Problem in Europe too. Euractiv, 2022. Web.

Ross, Anna M., et al. A Systematic Review of the Impact of Media Reports of Severe Mental Illness on Stigma and Discrimination, and Interventions that Aim to Mitigate any Adverse Impact. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, vol. 54, no. 1, 2019, pp. 11-31.

Police violence

The increased incidence of police violence that occurred over the last years has raised interest in the treatment of inmates in the US jails and during arrest procedures (Wihbey & Kille, 2016). Numerous researchers investigated the problem of deaths in custody and found that the incidence of this issue was very high and many of such deaths remained uninvestigated (Pearl, 2015). In fact, Lantigua-Williams (2016) noted that almost 7000 deaths in custody were registered in the US between 2005 and 2015.

Also, according to the data of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (2017), the incidence of various manners of deaths in custody (intoxication, suicide, accidents) rose significantly over the last several years. The US state selected for the report concerning the deaths in custody in California. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (2017) mentioned California among the states with the highest rate of deaths in custody. Criminal justice authorities of this state have compiled a detailed report presenting statistics of deaths in custody. The authors of the report also provided diverse sets of data sorting the incidence of death in custody in the state of California by various features such as the demographic characteristics of the victims, the surrounding circumstances, and manners of death.

As presented in the report by McCrary and Raphael (2015), the largest number of deaths in custody occurred among sentenced inmates  about 400-450 in 2012 and 2013 and less than 400 in 2014. Deaths during the arrest process are the second most common incident, and over 150 deaths of this type were registered every year between 2012 and 2014 (McCrary & Raphael, 2015). Black individuals had the highest rate of arrest-related deaths  3.59 percent, Native Americans had 1.35 percent, Hispanic people  1.11 percent, and whites  0.77 percent. Rates of pre-trial deaths showed a similar pattern, with Black and Native Americans having the highest percentages  4.39 and 2.79 percent, respectively (McCrary & Raphael, 2015). The number of prison deaths was the highest among white inmates (almost 1.70 percent of the prison population); Black inmates had the second-largest rate  0.92 percent (McCrary & Raphael, 2015). Among the leading causes of death in custody there are natural causes (61.39 percent), justifiable homicide by law enforcement (14.35 percent), suicide (10.53 percent), accidents (8.37 percent), and homicide by other inmates (2.75 percent) (McCrary & Raphael, 2015). Such causes of death as intoxications by alcohol and drugs are not mentioned in the report.

Death of multiple individuals

The discussion of excited delirium is focused on its validity as a cause of death of multiple individuals whose arrest was associated with violence and struggle between the affected individual and police officers. Practically, the question is whether this condition that is not recognized by American Psychiatric Association or the World Health Organization is a real health problem or a cover-up used as an excuse for police violence. In my opinion, the deaths of the two individuals discussed in the debate happened due to different causes. In particular, the first subject started showing signs of aggressive behavior before the police arrived to handle him. In fact, his violent and dangerous behavior was the reason why the police were called. The man was difficult to handle due to his very large size and because he was heavily intoxicated by two different types of drugs which were the likely cause of his state.

It was the duty of the officers to subdue the dangerous subject in order to provide medical help for him; however, none of their attempts to stop him from fighting were successful until the subject collapsed and soon stopped breathing. His delusional and aggressive behavior was caused by the abuse of intoxicating substances, one of which was cocaine. There exists medical research that links the set of symptoms known as excited delirium to two more conditions proposing that they may be a spectrum of a single illness (Takeuchi, Ahern, & Henderson, 2011). Practically, the cause of death of this man could be a combination of intoxication that causes delirium, a preexisting medical condition, and the exhausting fight with the police that eventually caused his heart to stop.

The situation with the second individual is very different. Even though there was a struggle during his arrest, the man was not intoxicated with any substances and at some point expressed the desire to cooperate with the police. However, he was tased in his chest multiple times before he died (Sullivan, 2007). Research by Zipes (2007) reviewed the results of several autopsies of subjects who died after being tased in their chests and found that Tasers can cause cardiac arrest in people of various ages and sizes with or without a preexisting heart condition. In that way, I have to conclude that the death of the second subject was caused by the excessive use of force from the side of the police. The fact that in both of these cases, the law enforcement organizations used excited delirium as an explanation of the deaths in custody means that this unrecognized concept of a condition is overused by the law authorities and can serve as a general excuse in most cases of deaths in custody regardless of it being unrealistic.

References

Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2017).Deaths in local jails and state prisons increased for the third consecutive year. Web.

Lantigua-Williams, J. (2016). 7,000 deaths in custody.The Atlantic. Web.

McCrary, J., & Raphael, S. (2015). Deaths in custody in California: 2005 through 2014. Web.

Pearl, M. (2015). How many people die in police custody in America?Web.

Sullivan, L. (2007). Tasers are implicated in excited delirium deaths. Web.

Takeuchi, A., Ahern, T. L., & Henderson, S. O. (2011). Excited delirium. The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 12(1), 77-83.

Wihbey, J., & Kille, L. (2016). Deaths in police custody in the United States: A research review. Web.

Zipes, D. P. (2007). TASER electronic control devices can cause cardiac arrest in humans. Circulation, 129(1), 101-111.

The job of police officers is closely connected with considerations of public health despite the general perception that two specializations have different approaches to reducing violence and ensuring the well-being of communities. There has been limited collaboration between public health researchers and criminologists for improving such outcomes as road traffic safety, substance abuse prevention, or prisoner health. The aim of the current reflection is discussing the encounters of a police officer with public health specialist on a daily basis for determining possible points of collaboration and identifying challenges that require addressing in the future.

To get first-hand information on how the law enforcement interacts with public health, an informal interview was held with a police officer, Mrs. Jones. According to the interviewee, both public health and policing have been complementary professions that addressed the most pressing public well-being challenges. Such issues as the opioid epidemic, human trafficking, sexual assault, suicides, gun violence, injuries related to traffic, intimate partner violence, and many others are all problems that public health professionals and law enforcement address on a daily basis. In particular, there are vast opportunities for both spheres to collaborate for the purpose of violence prevention within communities.

Mrs. Jones was honest and said that there were reoccurring cases in which the collaboration and communication between police officers and public health specialists were ineffective. She mentioned that special levers were needed to change the behaviors of communities, improve their access to important services, and expand the body of knowledge through collaborative research (Greenberg & Frattaroli, 2017). In order to achieve success in this, law enforcement and public health should expand the understanding of each discipline and learn from real-life examples.

Mrs. Jones indicated that there were cases in which public health professionals failed to address the challenge of public endangerment. She described a situation in which a seriously injured patient tried to escape his ward and threatened a nurse with a knife. The healthcare staff in the facility took it upon themselves to calm the patient down, which resulted in one of the nurses being stabbed in the arm. Only after this altercation did the staff call law enforcement. Mrs. Jones said that had the nurses called the police initially, there would have had more chances of managing the situation effectively because of the support of skilled officers.

However, Mrs. Jones also admitted to herself not being very attentive to the collaboration with public health professionals. For example, she had a case of dealing with a road incident witness who was under the influence of a drug substance. The officer tried to ask the witness some questions but he was not cooperative, so she decided to take him to the police station, where the witness experienced a severe mental breakdown. Mrs. Jones said that she should have called for the assistance of medics who would get the witness out of that state and help to collect relevant evidence.

To conclude, there are vast opportunities for collaboration between law enforcement and public health professionals. The lack of communication between them leads to adverse outcomes in terms of preserving the well-being of the public. Therefore, additional efforts are needed to increased the interprofessional teamwork to boost the well-being of the public and develop strategies to eliminate community challenges that arise on a daily basis.

Reference

Greenberg, S., & Frattaroli, S. (2017). What police officers want public health professionals to know. Injury Prevention, 24(3), 178-179.

Introduction

Institutions and public officers should ensure that citizens get high-quality services from the government. The relationship between citizens and police officers has always been unhealthy due to some controversial issues. Citizens and police officers clash on simple issues, and the results of this conflict are always devastating. Deliberate efforts of police officers and the public to promote healthy relationships among them do not seem to work properly; instead, the enmity between these groups seems to escalate. Police officers are justified to use maximum and reasonable force to contain individuals who break the law.

The Suitability of Police Violence

Police are human beings just like other people, and they are supposed to protect their lives at all costs. The United States Constitution supports the use of all available alternatives to protect ones life in case it is at risk. There is no known level of influence that can prevent an armed criminal from shooting a police officer when the individual is confronted. For instance, many instances of police shootings occur after armed criminals threaten their lives.

Police officers are also trained to understand the psychology of criminals and predict their outcomes alongside ensuring that their lives are not at risk. Police officers may be compelled to use violence to protect themselves. In fact, using violence is part of policing. According to Gottschalk, policing, therefore, has at its heart the notion of service to the community in which it operates, even if at times force may be a legally allowed option& (222).

The United States Department of Justice argues that officers who promote law enforcement face danger in their daily responsibilities, especially when dealing with dangerous or unpredictable situations. They hardly have time to assess and determine an appropriate response; therefore, they use their professional skills to respond to the appropriate action that may include some level of force (Fyfe 409).

Second, police violence enables criminals to comply and work with offices thus preventing risky situations from happening. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights argues that police officers are legally entitled to use force to protect the public, apprehend criminals and avoid risking their lives. The International Association of Police Chiefs supported the use of physical, chemical, electronic impacts and firearms as necessary and acceptable force that may be used to bring unwilling suspects into compliance. For instance, protecting crowd marching towards government buildings and road blockades cannot be contained by using dialog. These crowds are usually charged and cannot rescind their quests unless police officers use violence to disperse them.

Last, most police officers use violence because of the negative experience from members of the public (Gottschalk 222). The recent Baltimore protests that were sparked by the death of Freddie Gray led to 15 police officers being injured, and six of them were hospitalized in critical condition. Baltimore Police Commissioner claimed that the demonstrators enjoyed throwing cinder blocks, stones, bricks and other objects at police officers to provoke them to lob teargas canisters at them.

The last two decades have recorded the worst atrocities committed on police officers resulting in the death of 2, 417 law enforcers. Protestors provoke and corner police officers with the intention of injuring or killing them to teach their colleagues a lesson. Law enforcement officers act on provocation and are compelled to use excess force that is proportional to the provocation from protestors side.

Police Violence is Wrong and Unacceptable

Blakeley asserts that the assumption that torture is effective for gathering intelligence underpins arguments to legalize torture (379). The author adds that while it is plausible that torture may yield credible intelligence, we cannot conclude with any confidence that this is the usual outcome when torture is used to secure intelligence (379). Most police officers view violent torture of suspects as the easiest and the best approach of managing crowds and criminals. The case of Minnesota children whose dogs were killed by police officers shows that few of them understand the suitability of using excess force in non-violent situations. America has witnessed police shooting unarmed citizens at close range, and this means that law enforcers have limited knowledge on how to manage non-violent situations.

The absence of a proper definition of violence, reason and force make it difficult for police officers to draw a line between enforcing the law and respecting the rights of civilians. In most instances, they do it the wrong way (Gottschalk, Dean and Glomseth 7).

Inmates are also victims of police brutality. In some cases, excess force may involve pulling over a motorist and confiscating his or her driving license while in other instances, a police officer may be justified to pull offenders through their car windows. There is a glaring conflict between the freedom of movement and expression and what police officers consider to be public nuisance and disturbance of law and order. The Supreme Court and other legal institutions should define these terms and give guidelines on how they can be used. Courts throw out cases where civilians press charges against violent police officers because of absence of a proper definition of the concepts involved in defining terms such as necessary and force.

The consequences of misconduct cannot deter police officers from violating the rights and freedoms of citizens. Corruption is stereotypical in New Jersey, and that explains why a third of police officers are convicted, while the number of civilians facing similar charges is more than double. The judicial system believes that police officers are justified to use force and that is why it causes protests in modern societies. It is not easy for police officers to conduct proper investigations knowing that this may put jobs of their colleagues at risk. They work hard to protect the evils of their colleagues because tomorrow they may be the ones under investigations. Gottschalk, Dean and Glomseth observe that indiscriminate and careless use of powers delegated to police officers is a major factor in alienating the public (13).

The government seems to justify police brutality by shifting settlements to taxpayers. City coffers finance settlements to victims of police brutality and this encourages the vice. It is wrong for the government to transfer the responsibility of settlement to taxpayers yet an individual committed the crime. Police violence is a sensitive issue that the government has swept under the carpet to avoid ugly confrontations with relevant stakeholders.

It is illogical to settle victims using money from taxpayers pockets. The fact that police officers do not pay these settlements and the government pays for them means that the latter condones the vice. Therefore, it seems like the government is passing the blame of police brutality to the public and accuses it of failing to educate its members to respect the law and avoid clashes with police officers. This perception is wrong because it paints an ugly picture regarding the role of government in regulating the conduct of its officers.

Lamboo asserts that police officers have the constitutional mandate to protect citizens owing to the powers vested in them (614). Hence, they should be fair enough across all races. The definition of a criminal has sometimes been any young man who is black or Latino and seems to come from a poor or struggling background. It is right for police officers to stop and frisk individuals who are suspected to harbor illegal motives or carry drugs and arms.

However, the statistics collected over the years reveal a striking trend that seems to target African-Americans and Latinos. There has never been an African American woman or an old man arrested of posing threats to the publics security. However, research reveals that most victims of police brutality are African Americans and Latinos who are aged below 35 years. For instance, Florida consists of about 110,000 people and 99, 980 were stopped and frisked between 2008 and 2013 yet none of them was arrested. Police find minority groups as soft target for abuse because they are underrepresented in politics and the judicial system perceives them to be perennial offenders.

The police are to blame for promoting the us versus them mentality that makes people perceive law enforces as enemies and vice-versa. Law enforcement officers are supposed to work with the public through community policing initiatives to ensure there is order. Civilians and police officers are supposed to be friends to ensure criminal activities are thwarted and eliminated within a short time. However, the mentality propagated by police officers makes them perceive civilians as enemies even though they abuse the public in several dimensions. According to Lamboo, police misconduct entails financial, abuse of office, use of force, abuse of legal powers, harassment, neglect of duty, alcohol and drugs (623).

Law enforcement officers are trained to believe that criminals are their greatest enemies and thus they should not take chances with them because it may compromise their responsibilities. The mentality promoted by police officers makes civilians develop a negative attitude towards them. A person stopped by a police officer will start thinking of the mistake he may have committed. Police officers and civilians develop response mechanisms that involve perceiving each other as enemies and whoever gets an opportunity strikes the other especially when victims are tortured (Blakeley 392).

Police violence does not necessarily mean that there should be injuries, shootings or death. Police personnel should demonstrate the highest standards of professionalism when handling offenders. In any case, police reform in many jurisdictions has been effective. Fyfe observes that external pressures from members of the public and civil society groups have gradually brought about a shift towards developing a new police professionalism characterized by three key elements: increased accountability, a greater focus on legitimacy, and moves towards evidence-based practice (411). Such ideals should be practiced in the police force.

Public display of sophisticated arms to intimidate criminals and the heavy presence of armed police officers are also forms of violence. People associate police officers with criminal activities, shootings, injuries, and arrests. There is no adequate amount of intimidation that can foster publics trust to law enforcers.

Conclusion

Police violence may be suitable in cases where lives of officers or the public are at risk. In addition, it can be tolerated if it aims at seeking the cooperation of suspects and influence criminals to comply. However, this practice is wrong because it violates the rights of civilians, promotes racial discrimination and stereotyping. In addition, it encourages corruption and weakens judicial systems abilities to perform their roles properly. It also erodes publics trust on law enforcers and promotes enmity between civilians and law enforcers. Police brutality is wrong and it should be stopped before the matter gets out of hand. Therefore, police officers should stop violating the rights of innocent citizens.

Works Cited

Blakeley, Ruth. Why Torture? Review of International Studies 33.3 (2007): 373-394. Print.

Fyfe, Nicholas. Complex Transition and Uncertain Trajectories. Journal of Workplace Learning 25.6 (2013): 407-420. Print.

Gottschalk, Petter. Conceptual Framework for Police Deviance Applied to Police Crime Court Cases. International Journal of Law and Management 54.3 (2012): 222- 233.Print.

Gottschalk, Petter, Geoff Dean, and Rune Glomseth. Police Misconduct and Crime: Bad Apples or Systems Failure? Journal of Money Laundering Control 15.1 (2012): 6-24.Print.

Lamboo, Terry. Police Misconduct: Accountability of Internal Investigations. The International Journal of Public Sector Management 23.7 (2010): 613-631.Print.

Introduction

Leaders have to coordinate and monitor numerous operations if they are to take their organizations to the next level. The Four Frame Model is a powerful tool that researchers use to analyze how institutions operate and pursue their objectives. The four frames outlined in the framework include structural, political, human resource, and symbolic. This paper uses this model to understand the unique attributes that define small police departments in the United States.

Structural Frame

Government institutions play a significant role in the delivery of public services. Police departments also promote numerous activities that meet the needs of many citizens and their respective communities. In many small police units or units, a bureaucratic hierarchy exists whereby those in power guide and encourage all followers to act diligently and pursue the outlined goals. Analysts can deduce the main goals of such organizations from their mission statements. Many departments focus on the best actions and collaboration processes that can protect citizens and property and minimize crime (Burkus, 2014). They also focus on the best approaches to offer superior services to the greatest number of citizens in their respective communities or regions.

In terms of roles, all police officers receive adequate and timely resources in an attempt to complete their duties much faster. They get appropriate instructions and support to pursue their activities diligently. The issue of collaboration is essential to ensure that various activities, duties, and responsibilities are completed as planned. Stakeholders are also expected to act diligently, present reviews and ideas, and propose strategies for transforming police departments performance (Burkus, 2014). Those at the top design the best models for empowering officers and guiding them to achieve their potential.

Unlike in business organizations, the issue of rules is taken more seriously in every police department or organization. Burkus (2014) indicates that commanders and leaders encourage followers to identify and implement specific changes and practices that can add value to the targeted communities. There are also social links between departments and units, thereby making it easier for workers to share ideas and present their thoughts. With a vertical organizational structure, police officers and law enforcers are expected to follow the outlined code of conduct while communicating with their leaders directly. Groups are encouraged to formulate unique rules and guidelines that can support the delivery of security services within the shortest time possible.

All members of this corporation have their unique responsibilities and obligations. For instance, those at the top of the organizational structure formulate superior approaches that can support the delivery of high-quality services. Leaders also utilize their competencies to address emerging problems and formulate appropriate plans. They use their positions to guide, empower, and direct different teams or groups. Since there are middle-level managers, police officers are encouraged to form teams and identify the best initiatives that resonate with the people-centered policing concept (Othman et al., 2014). Officers can join specific like-minded teams and present their inputs or ideas to support their departments goals.

Due to the existence of proper organizational culture, all individuals at any police department find it easier to take their responsibilities and duties seriously. They solve emerging problems, identify new sources of ideas, and support the intended organizational objectives. Additionally, many leaders encourage their followers to identify and consider projects that are capable of meeting the needs of members of the public in their respective regions (Burkus, 2014). Teams can collaborate and liaise with their counterparts from other divisions. This structural frame analysis shows clearly that many police departments outline the best roles, responsibilities, and goals for all officers, thereby making it easier for them to maintain law and order in all communities across the country.

Human Resource Frame

Leaders of small police departments should involve, guide, and mentor officers efficiently if positive results are to be recorded. Such actions and philosophies have the potential to make many units competitive and successful. Police departments establish human resource (HR) divisions that consider powerful practices and strategies for supporting their long-term and short-term goals. The first issue that all leaders consider is that of culture. This field empowers managers and HR departments to create the best working environments for all police officers (Sulaiman, 2015). They offer appropriate incentives, resources, and guidelines to motivate them. The existing structures, models, and processes support the needs of all police officers and staff members, thereby ensuring that they remain committed and happy about their work.

HR managers achieve this goal by promoting positive relationships among law enforcers. Many departments support the creation of groups and teams that pursue specific projects or activities. Leaders maintain hierarchies in all departments in an attempt to improve communication processes and ensure that orders are executed effectively. Police officers can communicate with their managers indirectly, seek guidance, and offer insights for improving organizational performance (Sulaiman, 2015). The concept of openness encourages workers to share notions with each other in order to make the targeted department successful. The idea of smartness also compels individuals in many police departments or organizations to consider the most appropriate action plans that can deliver positive results.

Collegiality is an idea that different stakeholders in the United States law enforcement take into consideration. As described earlier, police officers, leaders, and departmental heads cooperate since they acknowledge that they have similar responsibilities or goals. They engage in activities that will respond to the growing demands of the communities they serve. They find it easier to address specific challenges, including drug use, crime, robbery, investigation, and emergencies. They also form groups that support the delivery of positive results within the shortest time possible (Sereni-Massinger & Wood, 2016). Adequate resources and rewards are considered to support the concept of collegiality. American police officers receive competitive remunerations and allowances, thereby being ready to collaborate and pursue their goals diligently. The practice also ensures that decisions are made efficiently or seamlessly.

In most cases, police personnel maintains social ties in an attempt to minimize the time taken to launch and complete various projects. The existing culture results in a family-company ambiance that encourages all people to share ideas, support or mentor each other, and propose ideas for promoting community policing (Othman et al., 2014). Recently, many executives have been willing to interact and associate with all officers to improve performance. Such ties continue to guide and empower all workers to present insights for responding to changing community demands.

From this analysis, it is notable that leaders of many police departments in this country understand the unique needs of their security personnel. They support the concept of simple teams to deliver results in a timely manner. The HR department provides relevant recruitment and training services, transportation, career development, and work-life balance to all officers (Burkus, 2014). They also have access to free food, medical insurance cover, friendly working environments, and managed work procedures. Such measures result in constant employee engagement and motivation. Consequently, all workers identify the most appropriate initiatives and practices that can minimize crime cases and maintain order.

Political Frame

Chief officers in charge of police departments influence peoples behaviors and attitudes, formulate goals, and dictate how law and order activities are to be executed. Sereni-Massinger and Wood (2016) indicate that those who have power in such units tend to use their positional authority to control, guide, and empower their followers. Successful chief officers will use their abilities to make superior decisions and promote actions that are in accordance with the established code of conduct for the police. There are also those who are below this leader. These individuals will offer their inputs, address the needs of all followers, and engage in activities that will eventually deliver the intended goals. The existence of a hierarchical leadership structure shows that a chain of command exists to ensure that all activities and operations are completed seamlessly and efficiently.

It is notable that chief officers and their deputies have power and should act in accordance with their bosses wishes. This means that they use their positions to assert authority and compel followers to act diligently in order to promote law and order. The reason why this is the case is that different police departments can be at risk of failing to deliver positive results without a defined source of authority. Leaders consider their prestigious positions to guide and force officers to do what is right (Othman et al., 2014). The most important thing is for police officers to protect against any form of crime, theft, oppression, or torture. They also follow presented orders to respond swiftly to emergencies or security threats. Those who are concerned with traffic offenses will also deliver positive results in accordance with the presented goals. This analysis reveals that the use of this kind of power is something essential in police departments since it seeks to promote law and order in the targeted community. The practice also ensures that public property is protected against theft, arson, or any other form of destruction.

The use of power groups is an evidence-based model for ensuring that outlined goals are recorded within a short period. In many police departments, leaders collaborate and liaise with commanders in disciplined forces or units. They might go a step further to form coalitions that have the potential to deliver the intended objectives. Coordinated initiatives have ensured that these services are available to the greatest number of citizens: assistance to crime victims, law enforcement, maintenance of social or public order, and response to emergencies (Sereni-Massinger & Wood, 2016). With proper guidance and support, officers can patrol assigned areas, arrest those engaging in criminal activities, testify in different court cases, and enforce laws accordingly.

Chief officers go further to appoint leaders who can deliver the intended objectives. They encourage the elected police personnel to form power coalitions to ensure that high-quality and timely security services are available to the greatest number of citizens in the identified communities or regions (Gultekin, 2014). This model is something that continues to support the effectiveness and performance of many police units and departments in the United States. Consequently, the levels of social unrest and criminal offenses have diminished significantly.

Symbolic Frame

Police culture is a field that has attracted the attention of many researchers and organizational theorists. This is the case since officers tend to portray specific norms, rituals, ceremonies, and beliefs that define them. Burkus (2014) goes further to indicate that such attributes have been changing over the years. Before the 1990s, police departments were studied as organizations that promoted autocratic leadership practices and relied on direct orders to achieve their goals (Sereni-Massinger & Wood, 2016). The concept of hyper-masculinity was evident whereby officers engaged in risky behaviors and actions in an attempt to assert their positions in society. Police leaders were also observed to influence the recruitment of juniors using unethical and ineffective decision-making procedures. Within the past two decades, many officers have become more friendly and capable of tackling most of the issues they face from an informed perspective. In terms of norms, individuals are expected to follow existing regulations and commands.

The unique assumptions include the need to act on behalf of the government, remain secretive, and ensure that members of the public are afraid of them. Rituals, ceremonies, and celebrations also form an integral aspect of police culture. This is the case since they usually organize meetings, graduation events, and reward programs. They engage the public in an attempt to achieve the goals of community policing. The leading beliefs include the obligation to be on the frontline, the ability to remain assertive, and the idea that anti-police bias (Sereni-Massinger & Wood, 2016). These cultural aspects are expected to change in the future and make officers more responsible.

There are unique key symbols and artifacts with which different police departments associate. For example, many people consider their uniforms as a sign of social control. This is true since officers are expected to monitor various activities while staying away from members of society. They should always be available to offer the required support and protection. The major artifacts associated with police departments include the presence of a physical working environment, language, dress code, observable ceremonies, and rituals (Othman et al., 2014). These aspects make it easier for people to define and identify police officers and their unique responsibilities.

The core value-driven mission of many police departments focuses on the best approaches that can make them respectable and meaningful to all citizens. The leaders of such organizations guide their officers to provide evidence-based services that can meet the needs of many people. They do so by acquiring and utilizing the right resources, formulating appropriate action plans, and making superior decisions to promote security (Gultekin, 2014). They should also utilize their competencies to monitor suspicious activities and respond in a professional manner.

With such symbolic attributes, police officers should act diligently, show compassion, remain realistic, and apply integrity in order to provide desirable services to all citizens. They have to be aware of the outlined core value-driven missions of their respective departments, form teams and identify emerging trends that can support their activities (Othman et al., 2014). Such measures will make it easier for them to achieve their goals and empower more citizens in the communities they serve.

Conclusion

In conclusion, organizational leaders should be aware of evidence-based structures and cultural attributes that can guide employees to deliver positive results. The paper has revealed that police departments can consider the Four Frame Model to identify existing strengths and address existing gaps. Such a move can empower officers to provide exemplary community policing, crime prevention, property protection, and security services.

References

Burkus, D. (2014). How to tell if your company has a creative culture.Harvard Business Review. Web.

Gultekin, K. (2014). The reform era of policing: How does organizational structure influence organizational culture? European Scientific Journal, 10(8), 508-518.

Othman, R., Omar, N., Azam, A., Ibrahim, S., Farouq, W. A., Rustam, N., & Aris, N. A. (2014). Influence of job satisfaction and codes of ethics on integrity among police officers. Procedia  Social and Behavioral Sciences, 145, 266-276. Web.

Sereni-Massinger, C., & Wood, N. (2016). Improving law enforcement cross cultural competencies through continued education. Journal of Education and Learning, 5(2), 258-264. Web.

Sulaiman, Y. (2015). Exploring the effect of organization culture factors on job satisfaction: A Study of Polis Diraja Malaysia. Journal of Economics and Development Studies, 3(3), 165-168. Web.

The accreditation provided by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) aims to ensure that police department are capable of fulfilling their mission and complying with the national safety and security standards. The paramount benefit of the Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (LEAP) is that it promotes greater accountability and professionalism (Benefits of accreditation, 2016). Based on the continuous review and adjustment, the LEAP promotes the revision of policies to provide the most relevant services to the population. The community-oriented policies enhance community relationships and create the platform for collaboration between citizens and the police. For example, in the case of suspecting something illegal, the citizens are likely to be open to report it and contribute to the investigation. However, as reported by Johnson (2015), accreditation proved to be not associated with officers engagement in community-focused activities.

Professional excellence is an integral benefit of the accreditation as both internal and external aspects are to be evaluated by the CALEA and improved if required. The mentioned organization provides the best opportunities for police officers to grow professionally and be committed to their department, which is achieved through workplace satisfaction, confidence in success, and pride in ones work (Law enforcement, 2019). Access to the practices adopted by other accredited agencies is the related advantage that is useful to design a network of interacting departments. As an example, it is possible to note the consolidation of fire services and police (Wilson & Grammich, 2017). In addition, professional development is accompanied by training and a sophisticated management approach. For instance, increased accountability is regarded as the outcome of the proactive management and resources given to employees. Clearly defined goals and guidelines make sure that police officers become experts on responding to various threats to follow criminal justice principles.

The status of an accredited law enforcement agency facilitates the process of obtaining liability insurance and reducing connected costs. The certification is useful in protecting against lawsuits, while the number of complaints declared by the citizens is likely to decrease (Benefits of accreditation, 2016). Another benefit is associated with the introduction of an internal affairs unit by the accredited police departments. According to Hougland and Wolf (2017), it allowed reducing the number of citizens complaints and improving investigation results. In particular, the use of the Civilian Complaint Review Board proved to be less effective compared to the internal affairs unit method.

The use of evidence-based practices should also be listed, among other issues that positively impact police actions and society as a whole. Instead of the introduction of these practices, the CALEA implies adapting them to the local contexts. For example, the neighborhoods with a high level of minor criminal activity require closer cooperation with the citizens, while drug sale entails punitive measures. The necessary changes may be applied in many agencies without additional challenges on federal and state levels.

Considering the significance of the identified benefits, the role of accreditation for police departments cannot be overestimated. They should be required to receive accreditation to adjust management, promote professional growth, and pay attention to community and government relations. Most importantly, the status of the accredited organizations ensures that the police act in consistency with legal and ethical national standards. The recognition of the success, as well as better public confidence, also points to the need to promote the accreditation for police departments across the US.

Question: What are the ways the police officers can use to communicate with the community members in terms of the standards prescribed by the CALEA?

References

Benefits of accreditation. (2016). Web.

Hougland, S., & Wolf, R. (2017). Accreditation in police agencies: Does external quality assurance reduce citizen complaints? The Police Journal, 90(1), 40-54.

Johnson, R. R. (2015). Examining the effects of agency accreditation on police officer behavior. Public Organization Review, 15(1), 139-155.

Law enforcement.(2019). Web.

Wilson, J. M., & Grammich, C. A. (2017). Consolidation of police and fire services in the United States. International Criminal Justice Review, 27(3), 203-221.

Introduction

Majority of people have always aspired to become police officers for the reason that the job holders are seen to be the public vigor. After securing this position there is a chance of being absorbed in other sectors of the government with a higher job grade. Police officers who work relatively hard usually receive attractive package starting from $45,000.

This is the reason that makes people from diverse culture and orientation post applications in large numbers making the job to be much competitive. Applicants should be aware of what is expected of them while training, a thing that will make them competent law enforcers. Becoming an officer is not an easy task and several measures should be taken into consideration to have an assurance that the job will be secured.

Preparation

Taking in mind that there is wide pool of application from individuals who admire the job, it is always important to prepare in advance to avoid disappointments. Other than having all necessary requirements essential to the force, it is also important for the job seeker to present him/herself in a presentable manner that attracts the police force. The bureau of labor statistics earlier released a report on what the hiring agencies usually require from the potential applicants.

The report revealed that apart from high school certificate that is normally required by some agencies, college degree retain the best consideration especially by federal policing agencies. The bureau further observed that those who hold police science education or military experience stand a better chance of securing a job of their choice in the force (Bumbak, 2010).

Job Experience

Understanding the policies and conceptualizing the job description of a police officer becomes a basic requirement. Those who know nothing about the expectations and how the force operates may have a hard time in coping with the training conditions. Police job sometimes tend to be aggravating and very dangerous (Chaurasia, 2003).

Police officers have a duty to protect the welfare of individuals and ensure that the set law is observed. They should treat every person fairly regardless of social or economic status. The major task that police officers perform while in line of duty is to record complaints and launching of investigations.

Application

For the potential candidate to become an officer two major steps are involved i.e. application and training. Some departments of the force require the applicants to hold a valid driving license or a pledge that the same will be acquired before the start of the official duty.

The procedures in applying include several sets of tests to ascertain high level of fitness, physically and health wise (Bumbak, 2010). The applicants are engaged in several tasks, such as, running and various body tests before getting the approval from hiring agencies of proceeding to the next level.

Police Academy

Once the potential applicant passes all the tests, he/she is referred to the training academy. The period of training normally take up to six months, which depends on the state or municipality. The trainees are expected to reside in the camp during weekdays while in training.

The activities in these camps encompass classroom education, training on human interaction among others. After the recruits undergoing training successfully, they are expected to leave the academy having passed the physical fitness test. Mostly, the requirements vary with states due to different legal structures in different countries.

The police officers are expected to understand all legal aspects and the training academy normally offer training that focuses on issues relating to law and criminal justice. Subjects in civil rights, legal terminology and penal code are obligatory in the police training.

Special cadets are also equipped with skills in appropriate treatment and questioning of suspects, maintaining the veracity of evidence, and laws connecting to searching and convulsion. After graduation, the officers may opt to carry on other courses such as provision of legal statements, better way of recording witness evidence and how to adhere to evidentiary procedure (Bumbak, 2010).

The municipal police training committee has a duty to equate the police officers with necessary skills so that they perform their duty accordingly.

The committee has divided the training in several sub-systems, basic curriculum municipal police training that give 20 weeks training in classrooms to the new municipal police officers and other new recruits, professional development training for full-time municipal police officers that engage on training of patrol officers, detectives, supervisors and chiefs of police, focused professional developing training, the training last for 3 weeks and it is normally given to veteran officers and lastly, intermittent police officers training, the training take about 120 hours and is normally given to reserve and intermittent and is administered by regional police training organizations.

All these trainings assist the police officers to acquire necessary skills, which help them to deal with law breakers and ensure that legal issues are followed (Johnson, 2007).

Besides successful training, officers health is checked to ensure good health before commencement of any task. The additional requirement that potential officer is expected to produce is certificate of mental health recommended by psychological evaluation.

Facts on Becoming a Police Officer

Police officers duties vary with experience, grade and also the area of operation. This makes it necessary for them to undergo obligatory training. Various police departments set their own requirements of new recruit education. Some city departments prefer minimum of high school education and other college degree.

Those who are college graduates mostly hold criminal justice degree which fit well in their post. The recruits must too pass a written text to establish their abilities (Johnson, 2007). The age limit for applicants mostly range between 20-21 years but varies with countries.

People intending to join law enforcers team must be sure which level they aspire to venture in before training. Police training mostly prepare someone in future career advancing to local or national level.

For a person to secure job at national level, further training is necessary for him/her to get top position in government. If for example a person want to join FBI or homeland security, it is always crucial to be informed of the essential requirements of training in the desired sector. When a person decides to become a police officer, one must choose the line of career he/she want to venture in.

As long as you have completed the school high school or college and above 18 years you can equally apply for the job. The person intending to venture in this field must also have clean records on matters of law; that is, the potential applicant should have a clean criminal record. In police field there are various units as discussed under (Johnson, 2007).

FBI Unit

FBI agent require a person with higher level of education, this means the eligible candidate must hold a bachelors degree or masters degree in criminal justice. In addition the person must have 2-3 working experience for him/her to be considered as eligible for the post. Background information is conducted which include; interviewing, employment history review, and presentation of education certificates.

After that the potential applicants receive an FBI top secret clearance before pronounced suitable for the post. There are several sectors in FBI job which the qualified person may work in; they include law, engineering, computer science, accounting or even military (Bumbak, 2010).

Upon succession on application, the person is sent to the FBI headquarters where he is subjected to 17 weeks training at the FBI academy. The training is conducted to equip the candidate with several skills, such as, firearm usage, technology ability, and survival tactics.

Homeland Security

To be eligible for this post, applicant is required to hold a bachelors or masters degree in homeland security. The course involve training in subjects relating to anti-terrorism, disaster and incident management, securing facilities and other units as required by law.

The main duties of the homeland securities may be to patrol borders, coast guarding, and other secret services. All this depends on the officers willingness to perform the duty efficiently, failure to this trainee get dismissed while in the academy for breaching rules and obligations provided by subordinate (Chaurasia, 2003).

Salary and Outlook

According to the provision by legal criminal justice school, the median salary for any police officer should be at least $45000 annually this commensurate with the skills. Newly employed officer usually begin with lesser amount and it keeps on advancing as they secure new positions.

However, some countries pay their police officers more salaries than this and in most cases the job is so competitive in those countries. Police officers may join police union, which sets their salaries and other benefits after retirement. In additional to normal salary, the hard working officers may opt to work overtime and likewise receive additional cash (Chaurasia, 2003). Career wise the outlook of this job is excellent, and the field keeps on demanding new skills.

Duties

Duties are accorded to police officers depending on various issues. Where the department is relatively small, all officers have an obligation to perform any set of job allocated to them; these include emergency response, patrols, filling paper, and the most important safeguarding community security.

For the larger department the officers specialize on one line of duty. Specialized tasks in these departments include, crime lab operators, data clerks, public relations officers and detectives (Chaurasia, 2003). All these are duties that should be performed by our officers who are entitled to serve the public in general.

Importance of Police Training

Crime Profile

Police officers are law enforcement agencies, thus they have a duty to prevent and detect crime. Due to challenges posed by the crime incidents, it subsequently demands police officers to act accordingly to curb the crime.

Crime rates in different countries have been rising consistently, for example, in India 6, 49,757 cases were reported in 1951 by 1981, the number rose to 13, 85,757, which amount to 113 percent increase. This shows how matters of crime are critical within our set up and the need for crime team to shun down these issues (Chaurasia, 2003).

Training also assists the police to solve social crisis especially in countries that have heterogeneous society with a range of different ethnic groups. The officers should be able to solve issues of prostitution, gabling, delinquency, and sometimes dowry issues. Enforcement of these legislations requires the police personnel to efficiently adopt themselves with this new role. The training is important mode through which this transformation can effectively be brought about.

Democratic Context

The policies of government need to be endorsed and this can be attained by ensuring that there is freedom and order on one hand with the task of economic and social justice on the other. Due to high level of democracy, it consequently leads to emergency of issues such as protests, mass actions, rallying, conflict at large scale and the officers have a duty to act responsibly and tactfully in dealing with these problems without violation of human rights (Chaurasia, 2003).

Changing Police Role

Early reports showed that police officers role included making arrest, preventing the commission of offences and public nuisance, taking charge of unclaimed properties among others (Chaurasia, 2003). The training nowadays has changed some of these roles to current one such as to promote and preserve public order, identification of criminological situations, aid to individuals in danger of physical harms, reduction of opportunities for commission of crime and most importantly traffic regulation and any other duty as provided by law.

Conclusion

For a person to be considered in these attractive police jobs, the potential applicant must uphold to the rules and obligations as provided by law. Correct information should be gathered from various sources to ensure that relevant data is in hand and that policies of different police units are clearly understood.

This normally begins at lower level of basic police officers and continues with sequences of training until the target is reached. Excessive learning is required if your dream is to be achieved by pursuing not only bachelors degree but also masters degree depending on where you want to go.

Police officers should also not forget that their work is to maintain orders and protection of the general public. They should not abuse the powers mandated to them by the state through excess enforcement of law without prior reasons. Public must also obey the rule of law and exercise total restrain to law breaking.

Reference List

Bumbak, A, R. (2010). Dynamic Police Training. New York: CRC Press.

Chaurasia, M. K. (2003). Police Training. Bethesda: Northern Book Centre.

Johnson, B. R. (2007). Crucial Elements of Police Firearms Training. New Orleans: Looseleaf Law Publications.