Problems in Law Enforcement essays

Problems in Law Enforcement essays Throughout the centuries people in law enforcement have encountered common problems. People created rules and regulations (laws) to act as guidelines on how to conduct oneself in a manner which the majority of the population considers normal behavior. Since the first law was written, the law enforcement community, local as well as federal, is confronted with a litany of allegations that officers have violated the public's trust, engaged in criminal acts, abused their authority, violated citizens' civil rights, used excessive force, been disrespectful and arrogant, "doctored" evidence and generally lost credibility with the communities they serve. Over the years, police acts of corruption, violence, robbery and other predatory misconduct have in fact been perpetrated by members of the police community; however, investigation further indicates that such corruption is not systemic but rather is confined to small groups of officers (pockets) or to individuals. It should be noted, with due care and respect, that these investigations have shown that the vast majority of police officers are honest and perform their duties conscientiously a finding that is often overlooked in the midst of media and political "hype." The latter observation does point out that on occasion, law enforcement conduct do reflect some lack of supervision and integrity training, as well as some lack of oversight in departmental internal affairs activities. Moreover, many departments lack mechanisms that would refer early-detected indicators, and proactive models for preventing misconduct and analyzing risk factors are almost nonexistent. In many communities the public perception of police integrity is poor and schisms have arisen between the police and segments of the population. This perception must be repaired if the police community is to gain the cooperation of the citizens. Police image is a vital ingredient in obtaining the public trust. It ...