Essay on Misuse of Police Powers - 2001 Words

Within our police system in America, there are gaps and loopholes that give leeway to police officials who either abuse the authority given to them or do not represent the ethical standards that they are expected to live up to. Because of the nature of police work, there is a potential for deterioration of these ethical and moral standards through deviance, misconduct, corruption, and favoritism. Although these standards are set in place, many police are not held accountable for their actions and can easily get by with the mistreatment of others. While not every police abuses his or her power, the increasingly large percentage that do present a problem that must be recognized by the public as well as those in charge of police departments†¦show more content†¦These types of misconduct arise throughout police jobs that include routine procedures such as traffic stops, ticket writing, directing traffic, and discouraging potential threats to those in their community. What often go unnoticed, though, are the undercover works and the corruptions that go on within a department. The four terms associated with these conflicting values are deviance, which is behavior inconsistent with the norms, values, or ethics, corruption, which is forbidden acts involving misuse of office for gain, misconduct, which is the violation of departmental procedures, and favoritism which is unfair â€Å"breaks† to friends or relatives. According to T.R. O’Connor in his article entitled Police Deviance and Ethics, police also work includes the behind the scenes work of going undercover and taking on false identities to induce crime, reporting vague information to media and giving false ideas to the public, and invading privacy through the use of technology. They can also make false promises to hostage takers and kidnappers, trade or sell their days off and desirable work assignments, and position themselves to have cases requiring court appearances. They can even manipulate the overtime system to earn more money each year and strain the truth to protect loved ones and crime victims. These descriptions are inconsistent with societal standards as well as police standards (1). In order to understand the reasoning behindShow MoreRelatedEssay on Misused Power Decreases Respect for Police Officers582 Words   |  3 Pageswould claim police officers to be helpful with keeping the community in order, helpful for fin ding justice, and maybe even considered heroes. I once also thought highly of them. On the other hand, people have a different perception on them. Many people, like me, have seen the not so great side of these heroes people speak of and realized they aren’t as great as they seem. They abuse, misuse, and also get away with things because of their power. Because of this, I no longer believe police officers toRead MorePolice Discretion Is An Issue For American Policing1027 Words   |  5 PagesPolice discretion is an issue for American policing because how police use their discretion can greatly impact the public’s view on the police. First what police discretion is must be defined, â€Å"the leeway that officers enjoy in selecting from more than one choice in carrying out their work† (Mastrofski, 2004). This definition accurately sums up an ability the police use every single day that affects the public. The police can use discretion for almost any situation they encounter. There are manyRead MoreCorruption of Foreign Governments Essay1214 Words   |  5 PagesCorruption can be defined as the misuse of entrusted power for personal benefit. It can also be described as letting personal or family relationships influence economic decision making, be it by private economic agents or by government officials. Corruption is always kept secret and therefore individual behavior of corrupt agents is almost impossible to observe systematically in real life. The objectives of government are vital to the understanding of the diverse negative effectsRead More Police Brutality Essay1388 Words   |  6 PagesIn recent years, police abuse has come to the attention of the general public. While citizens worry about protecting themselves from criminals, it has now been shown that they must also keep a watchful eye on those who have been given the responsibility to protect and serve. This paper will discuss the types of police abuse prevalent today, including the use of firearms and recovery of private information. I will also discuss what and how citizens’ rights are violated by the police. We will also exploreRead MorePolicing Is The Primary Component Of The Criminal Justice System1648 Words   |  7 Pagesthe primary component of the criminal justice system. The police have a constitutional duty to enforce the law, provide the public with safety and security and maintain order in the society. They are seen as an authority figure who has considerable control over it s citizens. The police also have a duty to arrest people who break the law or commit an offense and in doing so, they help keep the justice system in a functional state. The police does not determine the guilt or innocence of an individualRead MorePolice Enforcement And Excessive Force1217 Words   |  5 PagesPolice work is dangerous. Sometimes police put in situations that excessive force is needed, but, because some officers use these extreme measures in situations when it is not required to use excessive force. The use of excessive force it should be looked into by the system in the misuse of power among officers. Most police officers throughout the ranks of the U.S. police departments are just seeking more authority/recognition among the population or the district his/he is working. The U.S. lawRead MorePutting an End to Police Brutality Essay699 Words   |  3 Pages The police play a vital role in today’s justice system; they are the heroes that catch armed banked robbers, stop kidnappings, and catch murderers that terrorize communities: or at least that is how they are portrayed. While police activities are much more mundane than the public may think, police are given total authority over the public to keep the streets safe. In Steven Lukes’ article, power, he gives a general definition of power as â€Å"the capacity to bring about outcomes† (Lukes 59), butRead MorePolice Brutality And Its Effects On The United States1699 Words   |  7 PagesPolice abuse stays a standout amongst the most serious human rights infringement in the United States. The police transmit a colossal weight every day. Police work is exact traumatic and includes numerous fierce and dangerous circumstances. In numerous threats the police are placed in a spot in which they might need to utilize intensity to resistor the circumstance. There are assorted levels of quality and the circumstance charges the level utilize more often than not. The police have extremely seriousRead MoreSolving the Issue of Fellow Officers Abusing Their Power and Sometimes Taking the Law into Their Own Hands945 Words   |  4 PagesHow can police officials solve the issue of fellow officers abusing their power and at times taking the law into their own hands? In the field of law enforcement, it can be difficult to balance what is the right course of action to use based on the criminals and their intentions while being placed under arrest. It is important that officers make all the appropriate precautions so that their decision to implement use of force cannot be miscued as abuse of power. Police officers are on the forceRead MoreEthics Of Law Enforcement : Power Abuse1236 Words   |  5 PagesAndreea Draghici Prof. Turner ETHC232 8/27/15 Ethical Dilemma in Law Enforcement – Power Abuse Throughout many professions, we witness multiple instances where power is being abused due to one’s title in society. When it comes down to the topic, my group and I decided to go with ethical dilemmas within law enforcement. The topic I will be covering is the power abuse that some police officers participate in on a daily basis. Some, based on theories, others, based on experiences and facts. However