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Relevance of professionalism in policing
Problem with policing during political era
Peels principles for police reform
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Even with the increased training and accountability that came with the Peelian model of policing, the next sixty years of policing were dominated by politics. Policing was one large part of the political patronage system, a system where political candidates would reward those citizens who provided support during the election (Roberg et al. 2012). After elections, public officials rewarded individuals by providing them with police jobs. As a result of political pressure, the police were now used as a tool in the political machine’s fight to maintain control (Roberg et al. 2012). The character of police departments would frequently change after every new election. By the turn of the twentieth century, criticism was developing over the ineffective and illegitimate character of local police departments. During this time period, the Progressive Era, many changes were taking place in America. Urbanization was bringing many people to large, increasingly industrial cities of the day. City officials were required to redesign many facets of urban life as cities continued to grow. This atmosphere of reform was also carried over into policing. Roberg et al. argues that the 1920s to 1960s were “probably the most significant period in the development of policing in the United States” (2012). During this time period, the foundations of professionalization were laid down. The reform model of policing dominated police work during this time period (Roberg et al. 2012). This model was characterized by a commitment to base the police-community relationship on law and police policy. It was now understood that police action should not be influenced by politics or personal opinions. To avoid this, police departments were now efficiently and centrally m... ... middle of paper ... ...overty, and psychological issues. By recognizing different situations sooner, they are able to execute the most appropriate course of action quickly. Supporters of police professionalization want to raise police education requirements as the solution. Many support raising the education requirement to a four year degree. Over half of the police officers in Minnesota already have four year degrees. Additionally, some police departments already have strict education requirements, like Arlington, Texas. The Arlington, Texas Police Department has instituted a set of strict hiring standards including the possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college by every single police officer (Arlington Police Department 2013). This is quite unique, especially for the state of Texas, which only requires a high school diploma or GED for police licensure.
One of the most disturbing trends in American policing in recent years has been the militarization of police weaponry and tactics. In his new book, “The Rise of the Warrior Cop”, author Radley Balko traces the roots of American law enforcement from the constables of colonial times to present day SWAT teams and special response units. With the high controversy surrounding the “war on drugs” and the “war on terrorism,” policymakers have signed off on a dangerously aggressive style of policing that too often leads to unnecessary deaths and injuries. Some people say that modern law enforcement is on a collision course with our Bill of Rights and is unconstitutional. In the book “ Rise of the Warrior Cop” the author talks about how modern day policing are adapting mostly all military tactic. These wars are more than just metaphors designed to rally public support and secure all the money they can to support these programs. They change the way we think about what the police do. Wars mean shooting first and asking questions later. Wars require military tactics and weaponry. Wars mean civilian casualties. Are we at war with our own people?
The influence of higher education on police officer habits would surprise many according to Matthew D. Bostrom, D.P.A of the Saint Paul Police Department in “Police Chief Magazine-The Professional Voice of Law Enforcement”. Although a degree is required for some agencies and considered ideal for any person looking to join the law enforcement field, surveys show otherwise says Bostrom. According to a study conducted in St. Paul, Minnesota there were more on-duty vehicle collisions by officers with formal education beyond high school than those who only obtained a high school diploma. The article also shows figures indicating more disciplinary actions towards officers with college degrees and a significant difference in those of officers with high school diplomas only. The measurements of work habits shown indicate that perhaps a college degree in general is not necessary to be an effective police officer. Traffic Officer James Dunn of the California Highway Patrol in an interview said, “a degree can be beneficial, but some people are very eloquent and knowledgeable even without attending college-a person can learn the specific duties of any job, but college does not teach you the responsibilities of being a police officer. You learn that by hands-on training”. Although a degree is helpful, Officer Dunn admits that he has been very successful in the law
Although, it has also been criticized for been incompatible with the community, inflexible and undermining some goals of policing, it is still acknowledged as an important organizational development in policing during the latter half of the 20th century (BJA, police executive research
The Oakland Police Department (OPD) presides over one of the most crime-ridden areas in the nation. Policing Oakland is a challenging task by any measure and there have been many allegations that officers have employed inappropriate policing tactics. (Guardian article). After a gang of rogue police officers in the 1990s was accused of framing and beating suspects, the department was placed on a court-ordered monitor by a district judge. As part of a Negotiated Settlement Agreement, OPD is required to complete a list of “tasks”. The department has received other independent recommendations for reforms. There was a clear lack of accountability in the departments past, which created the impetus for reform. For the purposes of this paper, accountability entails establishing expectations, verifying performance, assessing blame, and sorting responsibility (Romzek 241). In this paper I ask, “Will accountability related reforms be institutionalized?” I evaluate the need for these reforms and use two applicable tasks to analyze reform success. I argue accountability-based reforms has penetrated the police culture and will be institutionalized because of internal support and decentralization, which improve collaboration and present an opportunity to engage with the community.
During the Reform Era, the crime control model was established and the police departments became centralized. The police relationship with the community became professional and officers were distant and gave the impression they were non-approachable and did not care for building an intimate relationship with the citizens and businesses in their jurisdictions. The police relationship with the community deteriorated during this era with officers not as approachable as they once were when they were patrolling on foot. The community started mistrusting their local
The average United States police officer is presented with great power that could greatly impact very citizens that they serve. The officer is at liberty to use their authority to detain citizens, search their belongings, use physical force against them or deprive them of their normal liberties (Moll, 2006). Based on that fact, it is expected of the individual to conduct themselves in a manner that is worthy of such power. So the question that has plagued citizens and governing officials alike is; how can we determine if an individual will exercise those liberties responsibly? How do we teach individuals to police responsibly? How do we retain those that are proficient officers? In order to produce effective and responsible police officers, special attention must be given to the recruitment, training, and retention of qualified individuals.
The article Police and Higher Education: Where are We Now by Roy Roberg and Scott Bonn discuss and review past articles and ideas about whether or not police officers should be required to have earned a college degree in order to qualify a position in law enforcement within the United States. The first person who believed in the idea that police officers should be required to hold a college degree in order to be qualified for a position was August Vollmer. August Vollmer was “the father of American police professionalism” (Walker & Katz, 2011). Vollmer is best known for being a supporter of higher education within law enforcement. However, many officers and high ranking officials did not believe in the concept of needing to obtain a college degree in order to protect their community. A majority of police officers in law enforcement did not have a college degree nor did police departments require it to be considered a position. Moreover, many police departments did not necessitate a high school diploma but rather a general equivalency diploma. The first time that this idea was utilized was during the time of the 1960’s, when, in the early 1960’s, crime was increasing drastically and by the late 1960’s the ghetto riots took place, opening the eyes of those in charge that something needed to change, and change quickly in order to prevent criminal activity and chaos.
This issue of the militarization of police forces and many other issues in criminal justice, such as; mandatory minimum sentences, overcrowded prisons, and bloated criminal justice budgets, have become a bipartisan issue. Jonathan Blanks’s, Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America 's Police Forces, looks at all these issues, but mostly focuses on the militarization of police forces and the rise of the “warrior cop”. Blanks suggests that the rise of the warrior cop began as far back as patrols in ancient Rome, the shire reeves in medieval England, and the slave patrols in the antebellum south (Blanks, 2014). In the past 40 years, there has been a drastic change from police officers patrolling on foot in neighborhoods, to the aggressive teams of police officers serving warrants on...
The professionalization of law enforcement gained prominence from the 1940’s through the 1970’s. It came out of a necessity to improve the capabilities of police. It was believed that the improvement of organizations through better quality personnel, upgraded equipment, and standardized procedures would lead to better departments and that would lead to safer cities. Numerous research studies showed that the move to professionalize law enforcement through a higher standard of efficiency led to a detachment of police from the communities they served. Many departments began to focus on response times and quantities of arrests, etc. This led to a diminished effectiveness of police in meeting the expectations of the communities they
The author focuses on the U.S. Task Force on 21st Century Policing and Police Data Initiative or PDI to determine if it helps to restore trust and the broken relationship between and communities and police officers. The Task Force made by Barack Obama recommended the analysis of department policies, incidents of misconduct, recent stops and arrests, and demographics of the officers. The PDI has tasked 21 cities to comprehend the police behavior and find out what to do to change it. Also PDI was said to have data and information on vehicle stops and shootings by police officers. The use of statistics has a purpose to help rebuild trust and the relationship between and communities and police officers.
The lack of training police officers is causing unnecessary incidents, is it true? Does the lack of Critical thinking, values, Ethics and Understanding the role as a police officer contribute to hire number of incidents? There is a chance that answer to this questions might always be divided, why? Well because officers will tend to defend their side and how the view the problem and the public will also defend their side and how they view the problem, for example most officers would probably say that people do not comply with their orders or the public might outcry because of the use of excessive force, it is most certain that there will never be an agreement on who is wright or wrong. Regardless of the outcome of who is wright
There are some that don’t want police training to be reformed. In the recent election Trump is enforcing stop and frisk and conceal carry. Stop and frisk is when a police suspect a person is dangerous, they can stop and pat down a person. This can be inhumane since officer can discriminate the minority.
American policing has evolved tremendously throughout the century, and each era carried its strengths and weaknesses. The American policing Era are as follow: Political Era: (1837-1910); Reform Era: (1910-1980); and Professional Era: 1980-present” (Perez & Moore, 2012, p. 26). We continue to strive to improve our police organization by continuously learn from our past and present mistakes. Due to the technological revolution, policing in the United States has evolved tremendously with advanced gadgets and software which helped make policing more effective and efficient.
American law enforcement agencies are based off the English models which began in the early 1800’s. In 1829, the English Parliament passed the Metropolitan Police Act (Walker, 1983). Sir Robert Peel who has been credited as the father of modern policing introduced this act to Parliament (Walker, 1983). This act established the London Metropolitan Police which was the model for American policing. This method of policing incorpor...
Police officers have a very reputable job, meaning they must be professional at all times. The job of a police officer is to protect and to serve the public. Since most of their time is spent in the public eye, they are expected to maintain professional behavior. The first step in projecting their professionalism is their dress. They should be dressed neatly,