Establish credibility in desired career path in criminal justice - Essay Example

Running Head: CREDIBILITY IN A CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSION Establish Credibility in Desired Career Path in Criminal Justice [Name of Institution]IntroductionCriminal justice is a quite large profession, employing many people in different capacities/professions to work in collaboration to bring criminals to justice and ensure justice is done to the victims of crimes. Among the professions found under criminal justice are lawyers, police officers, detectives, parole officers and prosecutors among others.

Integrity is one of the most central issues in criminal justice professions and it is essential that every professional in criminal justice remains credible by upholding integrity. Judges and police officers, for example, are two of the criminal justice professions most affected by integrity and lack thereof (Gottschalk, 2010). Because their duties and responsibilities require them to uphold the law, police officers have their work defined and described by rather high standards of integrity.

It is therefore imperative that police officers, just like the other professionals in criminal justice system, be on the look out for any issues that may jeopardize their credibility. CredibilitySeveral factors have been cited to compromise the credibility of police officers during the execution of their duties. First, failure by police officers to recognize and respect the dignity and values of every individual and group in the community could compromise the integrity of police officers. Second, courtesy is the also important in the execution of police duties as it not only encourages understanding and cooperation but it also makes the police force trustworthy.

To achieve high standards of courtesy, police officers must bring violent or assaultive people under control and protect other officers and the public from imminent harm. In other terms, police officers must only apply reasonable force to bring criminal incidents or disorders under control (Gottschalk, 2010). Poor public information dissemination and reporting has also been mentioned as a possible compromise to the credibility of police officers. To avoid this drawback on credibility, police officers should prepare public reports and statistics on incidents such as shootings, seizures, arrests, complaints, investigations and departmental recommendations (Davidson & Gottschalk, 2012).

The provision of periodic feedback on the performance, practices, and behaviors of law enforcement agencies and personnel is thus one way of establishing integrity and credibility. Importantly, information on police procedures and policies on issues such as non-discrimination, community policing, recruitment and investigation should be disseminated to the public. Lack of meaningful civilian communication and input in the operations of a police force could also compromise credibility as the public may feel left out in matters that affect their lives directly (Davidson & Gottschalk, 2012).

It is thus imperative that police officers incorporate the contributions of members of the public through policies such as community policing. ConclusionThe central role played by integrity and credibility in criminal justice cannot be overemphasized. Police officers are among the professionals in criminal justice whose credibility depends on the integrity with which they perform their duties. Among the factors that may compromise the credibility of a police force include the use of excessive force, non-incorporation of public input and lack of information dissemination/reporting to the public.

It is thus imperative that police officers are on the look out for these drawbacks on credibility. ReferencesDavidson, J., and Gottschalk, P. (2012). Police deviance and criminality: managing integrity and accountability (criminal justice law enforcement and corrections). Nova Science Publishers Inc. Gottschalk, P. (2010). Police management: professional integrity in policing (criminal justice, law enforcement and corrections). Nova Science Publishers Inc.