Section 1: Introduction
The issue
Law enforcement officers have a crucial role in keeping the peace, safeguarding the public, and thwarting criminal activity. Yet, in recent years, worries about police corruption, power abuse, and criminal behavior have increased. Problems like these may lead to a decline in public confidence in law enforcement, a weakened criminal justice system, and even abuses of basic human rights.
Background of the issue
Law enforcement officers are the ones that patrol our streets, investigate crimes, and make arrests. It is their job to enforce the laws of the land and ensure the safety of society. However, corruption within law enforcement agencies undermines public confidence in an agency responsible for keeping us safe from crime and abuse of power. Reports show that police officers violate the rights of citizens by using excessive force, falsifying records, and making improper arrests for trivial offenses. Due in large part to the proliferation of social media and the ensuing scrutiny of police officers’ behavior, police misconduct has received a lot of media coverage as of late. Cases of police violence and corruption have been widely publicized in the media, prompting demands for more accountability, transparency, and change in the criminal justice system. Although it has been a common practice for law enforcement agencies to keep this type of illegal activity under wraps, Gottschalk’s (2018) studies suggest many cases of misconduct, such as drug trafficking, bribery, and sexual harassment. In addition to these crimes, police officers have also been involved in improper arrests, including those resulting from racial profiling and illegal searches. Even though excessive force and other misconduct are not new to this agency, the present climate of corruption is at an all-time high.
Scope and Aim Structure/Flow of the Essay
By a review of the relevant literature, the author hopes to isolate relevant themes and develop conclusions about the root causes of police misconduct, abuse of authority, and corruption. The paper will first address the reasons why police officers may commit acts of misconduct. It will then analyze the existence and prevalence of corruption within law enforcement agencies. The final section will examine the issue critically and make recommendations for law enforcement agencies to ensure that they are not corrupted by or become a perpetrator of corrupt practices.
Section 2: Literature review and research finding
The reasons for police deviation, abuse of authority, and corruption must be understood from a theoretical, legal, and empirical standpoint. Below is a summary of three academic publications that have been thoroughly evaluated by experts in the field and that provide light on the topic at hand.
The first piece discusses the need for organizational justice in reducing police misbehavior and is written by Clinkinbeard, Solomon & Rief (2021). The authors contend that officers are less likely to participate in misbehavior when they see their department as fair and equitable. Overzealous use of force, corruption, and abuse of authority were all shown to be more common among police personnel who felt there was a lack of organizational justice. Many theoretical frameworks have been put out to explain police deviance, power abuse, and corruption in the huge and intricate body of published work on the topic. Porter (2013), for instance, has contended that human issues, including character flaws, emotional instability, and occupational constraints,, play a role in police misconduct. Organizational culture, a lack of accountability, and insufficient training have been listed as other possible factors that may contribute to misconduct. Donner’s (2019) theorist, for instance, has argued that the monopoly on the use of force by law enforcement agencies fosters misuse of power. Commonly known as personal police deviance, this type of misconduct is also influenced by “self-controlled responding,”,” or competence and incompetence at decision making. A lack of accountability has also been proposed as a factor in police deviance. For instance, this can be seen within the military, a profession where commanders may not be held accountable for their decisions. Civilian agencies however have far more power than their military counterparts, making it easier for them to misuse their authority.
In his second piece, Fridell, Maskaly & Donner (2021) examines the moral and legal complications of police misbehavior. The author claims that cops should be held to a higher standard of behavior because of the authority and power they are given. According to the results, police misbehavior is exacerbated by the absence of uniform policies and procedures among law enforcement. Furthermore, nature of the profession may make police officers more susceptible to misconduct (Vadera & Aguilera, 2015). For instance, this can be seen in the relationship between treatment (force) and response (crime) in policing. More specifically, Vadera & Aguilera argues that police officers may be prone to committing deviant acts in an effort to relieve stress. However, this can be seen within the stress-strain model, where police officers are exposed to high levels of stress and strain, hence, these factors may contribute to police deviance. Another theory that has been put forward is that of organizational deviance, which emphasizes the impact of organizations on police power abuse (Agbiboa, 2015). Therefore, this type of model draws attention to how the structure and culture of an organization affect law enforcement officers’ deviant behaviors.
Thirdly, Akinlabi (2017) investigate the impact of race and ethnicity on police brutality. The authors contend that African American and Hispanic police officers are more prone to participate in misbehavior than their white colleagues due to their shared racial and cultural backgrounds. The research concluded that discrimination based on race or ethnicity has a role in police brutality. Deviance from the law, misuse of authority, and corruption in law enforcement are all regarded as significant crimes and are penalized by a number of laws. In the United States, for instance, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or religion, while the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects individuals against excessive searches and seizures. Officers are also required to follow the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Code of Ethics, among other standards of conduct and ethics (Donner, 2019). However, despite such laws and ethical codes, there have been cases of police corruption around the world. For instance, in the United States, police officers are regularly involved in excessive force and killings. Some even believe that police brutality is out of control. Like any other profession, however, policing is not immune to corruption and unethical actions. Police officers have been involved in a number of incidents that have fueled public outrage in recent years.
Cops breaking the law, abusing their authority, and being corrupt are problems identified by Gottschalk (2016) to exist in a broad range of countries and regions. Gottschalk (2016) research has shown, for instance, that when police officers feel unappreciated by society or that their employer does not support them, they are more prone to participate in dishonest or corrupt activities. There is evidence from Vadera & Aguilera (2015) studies that show more openness, accountability, and monitoring may help curb police wrongdoing. For instance, South Africa has established a Corruption Monitoring Unit that monitors government officials and provides them with better oversight. There are a number of factors that contribute to police misconduct in the United States. However, these factors include lack of training, poor supervision, and insufficient accountability. Supervisory officers are also considered a factor in misconduct, because they may delegate tasks to subordinates without monitoring them (Agbiboa, 2015). However, this may lead to poor performance and failure to follow laws. The limited autonomy granted to officers due to the nature of their work has been cited as another factor that can contribute to police misconduct. Police officers’ limited autonomy is considered a serious security risk due to the many opportunities they have for misconduct.
Section 3: Critical analysis of the issue
The idea that police misconduct exists can be traced back to ancient times. In his work Santas (2008) “The Republic”, Plato discusses the theory in the form of Socrates and Critias. Socrates is said to have questioned why thieves, for example, would steal from their own community. His colleague Critias claimed that it was because they wanted to get paid somehow, even if it was a little bit of money. However, this indicates that there are rules and laws in place, which criminals try to avoid breaking. Implying that there are rules, Plato argues that the choice to break them is a punishable crime. Furthermore, Kraut (2002) in his “The Politics”, Aristotle uses the example of a slave who steals from his master: if the slave stole for profit, this would be considered an unjust act. If a slave stole out of need, he would be considered just. Aristotle bases this argument on the idea that “justice” is the same in all people. Therefore, since stealing is already a crime, there is nothing unjust about punishing those who break the law.
Individuals, communities, and the criminal justice system as a whole suffer when police deviance, power abuse, and corruption occur. Wrongful arrests, fraudulent convictions, disproportionate use of force, and other violations of civil rights are only some of the possible outcomes of such actions. Nonetheless, Boateng, Hsieh & Pryce (2022) contend that police officers work in an inherently corrupt system because of the difficult and dangerous conditions in which they must operate. Additionally, high-profile incidents of police misconduct in recent decades have generated concern and outrage among the American public.
The fundamental question in the analysis of police misconduct is whether the laws that exist to punish law enforcement officers who break the law are fair or unfair. Bosse & Phillips (2016) contend that these laws target minorities disproportionately. Other questions to consider would be why these laws exist and whether or not police officers should have the same rights as other citizens. However, Gottschalk (2018) oppose that although there is a lot of legislation in place, the legal system does not adequately account for some important factors. For instance, first-hand experience can better help in interpreting what officers go through, and this can influence their likelihood of being tempted by crime.
There are many different theories on what motivates police misconduct, misuse of authority, and corruption. Although some say improper police behavior is the consequence of a few bad apples, others say it is systematic and embedded in police culture. It has been argued that if law enforcement agencies were more accountable and transparent, it would help cut down on police misbehavior. Some critics argue that police brutality occurs because agencies lack transparent policies and procedures. Police forces face a difficult balancing act between enforcing laws and protecting the rights of citizens. An example of this is a law that prevents police officers from stopping motorists without permission in order to search their vehicles. Police forces may not have enough training and are reluctant to ask for permission from an officer even if it involves an auto burglary or fugitive search (Porter, 2013). In addition, there is a growing concern that some officers do not always respect the rights of citizens. Nevertheless, police misconduct is difficult to control, as it often occurs in small, local agencies with few resources and high levels of demand for service. There is not a national database for tracking police misconduct and only a few states have a comprehensive database that can identify emerging problems and trends (Gottschalk, 2016). Therefore, if agencies were more transparent about what their officers do, it would help them identify patterns of behavior.
There can be no proper examination of the matter without factoring in the influence that law enforcement authorities have. Police personnel are entrusted with a great deal of responsibility and authority and as such, they should adhere to stricter ethical standards. One issue that leads to police misbehavior is the absence of defined principles and standards among law enforcement bodies. Furthermore, racial/ethnic discrimination, prejudice, and bias are strong indicators of improper police behavior. Police brutality and misconduct in the United States has received a great deal of attention from civil rights groups, media and politicians over the past several decades. The topic is highly politicized and controversial, with critics arguing that police abuse is systemic in nature. Akinlabi (2017) also believe that police are given too much discretionary power in their operations and some measure of independence. Furthermore, there are many factors that can contribute to police misconduct. A common problem is the lack of transparency in the police department as well as a lack of accountability, especially within a small community. In some cases, the community may hold biases against certain ethnicities or religions, and these biases can be passed down to the police department. Bosse & Phillips (2016) suggest that this can lead to suspicion of minorities and improper arrest and detention of people who may or may not have committed a crime. Thus, this lack of transparency leads to the perception that there is no oversight in police departments with accountability for police misconduct.
Furthermore, several strategies have been proposed to combat police deviation, authority abuse, and corruption. Some examples include bettering police training and education, instituting more controls, and being more open and accountable. Furthermore, Vadera & Aguilera (2015) academics have also proposed that policing in the community and working with non-governmental groups may increase the public’s confidence in the police and provide the institution more legitimacy. Additionally, if police officers were more involved with the public and worked to better the quality of life in their communities, there may be fewer incidents of police misconduct overall.
Conclusion
Summary
Ultimately, the public’s trust, social justice, and human rights are all severely compromised when police officers violate the law, misuse their authority, or are corrupt. This article has examined the factors that contribute to police misbehavior, focusing on the underlying theories, legislation, and research results. In general, there is a great deal of effort put in place to help police forces improve overall and hold individual officers accountable for any crimes that they commit. However, the public still must have faith and trust in their police department and officers must respect their communities. Ultimately, police misconduct can be reduced through increased transparency, oversight mechanisms, training programs, and more.
Conclusion and recommendations
In conclusion, police misconduct is a problem that affects both society and the police departments themselves. Police officers are in a position of power, but they must adhere to certain standards and principles. If they do not, then the public’s trust will be severely compromised. Thus, the public’s trust should be kept in mind by policy makers and policemen. Furthermore, law enforcement agencies must engage in training and educational programs to help increase transparency, accountability and supervision. Also, law enforcement agencies should be held accountable for any misconduct they commit. There are some overt forms of police social control that have received much attention in the literature. In particular, there have been numerous policy recommendations in the literature on police use of force and other uses of force not involving the use of weapons or control over a person’s bodily movements or physical space (e.g., handcuffing, shoving, pushing). Greater attention has been paid to the legal standards governing the use of force or the threat that might be used to gain compliance. However, there are also forms of police social control that are covert or carried out through less overt means. This is evident in the literature review where much attention has been placed on racial profiling, traffic stops and searches, drug enforcement, and other uses of force not involving weapons or control over a person’s bodily movements or physical space.
References
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