Police Accountability

Police Accountability

Accountability is an essential element of policing in America and other countries in different parts of the world. When it comes to police accountability, all relevant stakeholders including all the law enforcement agencies should be held responsible for their conducts (Walker & Archbold, 2018). Lawfulness and legitimacy can play an essential role if the country’s police forces are to achieve their goals of reducing the country’s rate of crime and enhancing the overall quality of life of the communities in the country. Lack of legitimacy hinders the development of working partnerships essential in community policing and problem-oriented policing in American society.

For the last couple of decades, there has been a rapid increase in police accountability on the part of experts in the criminal justice system in the US due to the relevant authorities’ desire to reduce instances where law enforcement officers abuse citizens. Reforms have been proposed and adopted with the sole aim of protecting innocent citizens from becoming victims of police brutality and abuse in the country (Walker & Archbold, 2018). For instance, the police’s frequent abuse of people of color is a trying trend that necessitates additional reforms to protect the minority groups from police brutality. The relevant authorities have also come up with early intervention systems that seek to identify police officers who have frequent performance problems like excessive use of force. Such individuals are offered the necessary help to prevent further damage. Americans have also recognized the importance of external oversight agencies in the country. These agencies are actively involved in reviewing citizens’ complaints through which issues are addressed, and the rate of citizen abuse by the police can significantly go down.

Community policing and police accountability

The movement towards community policing has been on the increase in the recent past as law enforcement agencies and the community members search for more effective ways of eradicating crimes in the community. Local security officials like sheriffs are actively involved in assessing what changes in orientation and operations can be essential in benefiting the communities they take care of by enhancing the value of services they provide to the people through which the overall quality of life the people can be improved.  Community policing encompasses a range of practical and philosophical approaches to reduce crimes in a community. The methods adopted by community policing are designed based on the needs of the target groups (Coudert, Butin & Le Métayer, 2015). However, individuals should realize that certain aspects of community policing, like a collaboration between the police and community members, are common to all community policing efforts. In the US, for instance, all issues related to community policing are addressed by the Community Policing Consortium. For instance, the consortium is tasked with developing the conceptual framework for community policing and assisting agencies in implementing community policing.    Through this framework, individuals can get an opportunity to share the successes and frustrations related to community policing. Through this, individuals can develop measures that can be essential in improving community policing functionality in the country.

The responsibility of an individual law enforcement officer is an important issue for professionals in the justice system. Therefore, the justice system gives high priority to ensuring that the responsibility of law enforcement officers is maintained. For instance, police leaders worry about increased police brutality and abuse of the office by the same individuals (Coudert, Butin & Le Métayer, 2015). As a result, the US’s justice system has come up with strategies that can ensure that officers found culpable of excessive police force are held responsible for their actions.

Command and control systems

The command and control systems can play an essential role in strengthening the police’s ability to respond to civil disturbances and riots that previously required large police numbers to contain the situation.  Also, command and control systems can play an essential role in resolving a range of inherent tensions of policing, like their legal capacity to use force in certain situations. These tensions can be resolved by instituting rules that prescribe the behavior of officers. This strategy is associated with a myriad of successes. For instance, there is reduced political interference that can jeopardize the relationship between police and community members. This is because situations where politicians use the police to discriminate against individuals from a given ethnic group, can be avoided (Skilling, 2016). The strategy also ensures that there is reduced corruption among the police forces. However, this strategy has its weaknesses. Command and control organizations’ aspects are not compatible with many aspects of police work. Also, police departments often fail to tap their officers’ potential abilities due to the ideology of “stay out of trouble,” which denies police officers an opportunity to maximize their full potential.

Managing police culture

It is no doubt that a fundamental determinant of a police officer’s behavior are the people they interact with. Police culture is managed through leadership values. Officers are taught to value the quality of service to community members over loyalty to their peers. For instance, in a situation where a law enforcement officer is engaged in corruption, other officers are expected to report them through which justice can be done.

Accountability to the community

When it comes to police accountability to the community, the police are expected to bring to the community members concerns about their welfare and that of their communities.  Therefore, the police and the community members should collaborate and deliberate on the issues facing the community and come up with possible solutions to the problems.  Understanding the needs of each party can be essential in establishing mutual accountability as each side can assess the other. However, it does not free either side from their responsibility.

Previously, community policing has always been associated with hostility between the community members and the law enforcement officers which can hinder productive partnerships. However, the issue can take a different turn if the two parties address the issues that trigger conflicts. For instance, they can reduce police officer’s decision making autonomy which leads to corruption and hence hostility between the two parties.

Policies

Communication skills and police accountability

Police departments that seek to succeed in matters related to accountability train their officers about the importance of communication skills. Communication encompasses the passing of information from one individual to the other. Communication can be verbal or nonverbal. Verbal communication involves using the mouth to relay a message, while nonverbal communication involves using gestures to relay the message.

Effective communication skills can play an essential role in obtaining important gathering of information from police officers. In the contemporary world, there exists a myriad of gang groups in different parts of the world. These individuals require a great deal of respect for them to reveal any information to police officers. Police officers who understand the importance of communication can solve many neighborhoods by acquiring information through different networks. Individuals tend to cooperate when dealing with respectful police officers compared to those who are disrespectful.  Good communication skills can make it possible for police officers to extract important information from eye witnesses while containing the situation at hand (McDaniel, 2019).  The amount of respect that a law enforcement officer shows directly affects the level of respect they are likely to receive.  Credible information can, therefore, be essential in holding criminals accountable for their actions. Through this, police officers can reduce the community’s crime rate by bringing criminals out of circulation.

Reducing conflict in the community is a primary role of law enforcement officers. Physically neutralizing criminals in the community can eventually lead to a reduction in crimes but can also agitate a conflict depending on the law enforcement officer’s approach. A police officer should recognize that the most important tool for reducing community conflicts is through effective communication. The officer should have the capacity to use words that can make it possible for him to realize what is happening, how one can help, and those responsible for the conflicts before taking any action. Therefore, police officers are taught to make good use of their eyes to determine individuals who are in the wrong. Eye movement can be an indicator of possible deception. For instance, individuals who fail to maintain eye contact during an interrogation may be deceptive in explaining the events’ turn.  However, what officers should realize that some of the suspects are hardcore criminals who could scrutinize the officer’s body language.  Through this, they can find it easier to extract important information from criminals through which justice can be done, thus reducing crime in the community.

One of the advantages of communication in promoting police accountability is the improved communication between the police and community members.  Through proper communication, police officers can prevent their colleagues from perpetrating unnecessary violence thus improving the relationship between community members and the police. For instance, when community members are ruthlessly attacking police officers, using less violent means to calm the crowd can effectively reduce attacks and enhance a good relationship between the two parties (Koper, 2016). However, what individuals should realize is that communication skills alone cannot reduce crimes in the community. In certain situations, law enforcement can be compelled to apply force to bring order. Therefore, it is essential for both the police officers to be taught the importance of communication in their engagements to avoid instances of violence experienced in the country during riots.

Best practices

President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing

The above task force was spearheaded by the former American President Barack Obama. The task force sought to respond to various issues between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.  The task force was to look at issues related to building trust and legitimacy and paying attention to officer wellness and safety.  Law enforcement faces all kinds of hardships in their areas of duty, directly impacting their safety and well-being. There is a dire need for the government to ensure that law enforcement officers have access to tools that can keep them safe from any danger (Koper, 2016). For instance, they should be provided with bulletproof attires to protect them from potential injuries while responding to calls of distress from community members. Giving the officers such attires is an indication that the government cares about them and can therefore motivate them to work towards protecting the people. Continuous training is also essential in equipping the officers with the required knowledge to deal with ever-changing crime dynamics. Due to improved technology, crimes are becoming more sophisticated as criminals use technology to commit crimes. Officers who are poorly equipped with technical knowledge can find it hard to deal with such individuals, thus increasing community crimes. Training police officers on ways of dealing with cybercrimes can significantly reduce crimes in the community, which is essential in developing the country’s economy.

Law enforcement agencies also have a specific duty to protect their communities. A good relationship between community members and police forces is the fundamental concept that police agencies revolve around and is, therefore, the most important. Therefore, there is a dire need for both parties to be accountable for their actions and especially in matters related to security.  Training given to the officers should adapt to the times through which the officers’ conduct can improve, thus increasing competence and confidence (Koslicki, Lytle, Willits & Brooks, 2020). Offering police offices repeated trainings and education, they can a feeling that their leaders care about their well-being. The acquired skills can be essential in dealing with the ever changing crime dynamics. Police departments can also experience effectiveness as the police officers can be happy in their duties due to peace of mind (Alpert, McLean & Wolfe, 2017).   The department can evaluate what more needs to be done to improve the department’s performance in question. However, what individuals should realize is that frequent training can prove very expensive to the government. Also, inadequate training can lead to departmental problems like reduced morale among police officers and open doors for additional liabilities. Such challenges can be overcome by adopting the practice of employee retention (Koper, 2016). Retaining employees can ensure that there is little or no new employee training, which can save the departments significant amounts of money. Officers should also be involved in important decision making. Through this, they can feel part and parcel of the organization and tend to perform to their best. Such individuals know what is expected of them and can always be held responsible for their actions. For instance, an officer can be charged for excessive use of force if they violate the law, which they clearly understand.

In conclusion, repeated police training and education can lead to increased trust among community members. Education gives officers knowledge regarding interaction skills and the importance of using minimal force when dealing with community members. They are also able to respond to issues regarding the people in a timely manner through which the public’s trust is increased. However, there is a dire need for the relevant authorities to keep up with the pace of technology to ensure that the police officers are not left behind. Police reforms should ensure that both community members and the police officers are not disadvantaged to avoid future conflicts between the two groups.

References

Alpert, G. P., McLean, K., & Wolfe, S. (2017). Consent decrees: An approach to police accountability and reform. Police Quarterly, 20(3), 239-249.

Coudert, F., Butin, D., & Le Métayer, D. (2015). Body-worn cameras for police accountability: Opportunities and risks. Computer law & security review, 31(6), 749-762.

Koper, C. S. (2016). Advancing research and accountability on police use of deadly force. Criminology & Pub. Pol’y, 15, 187.

Koslicki, W. M., Lytle, D. J., Willits, D. W., & Brooks, R. (2020). ‘Rhetoric without reality’or effective policing strategy? An analysis of the relationship between community policing and police fatal force. Journal of Criminal Justice, 101730.

McDaniel, J. L. (2019). Reconciling mental health, public policing and police accountability. The Police Journal, 92(1), 72-94.

Skilling, L. (2016). Community policing in Kenya: The application of democratic policing principles. The Police Journal, 89(1), 3-17.

Walker, S. E., & Archbold, C. A. (2018). The new world of police accountability. Sage Publications.

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Police Accountability

Description

Walker began the text with the notion that police were in a state of “National Crisis” and in need of new strategies to improve public trust and legitimacy. At the end of our journey, Walker identifies a number of recent “best practices” in policing as the foundation for a “New Conversation” about police reform. He presents a “roadmap for the future” of police reform around principles, policies and practices. These three terms are identified as necessary to achieve professional, respectful and lawful policing.

For the final essay, select one practice from each of Walker’s three areas–principles, policies, and practice–and discuss how each may impact the future of police accountability and reform. Provide the reader an in-depth, comprehensive analysis of each best practice. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each of the three practices. Will the practice have limited success as many of the past or will the practice endure the challenges of an undetermined future?

Use information from the text and independent research for your topics. Make sure to include examples from agencies in your discussion. You should include at least 5 outside sources.