Appropriate Police Response - Essay Example

Full & Number: (Three Major Factors in Police Operations) 11 March (estimated word count 018) Appropriate Police Response Introduction People rely on their police force to keep them safe, sound and secure. Police power is one of the three inherent powers of any government, together with the power of taxation and the power of imminent domain (to appropriate private property for the greater public good). In this regard, politicians and community leaders put a great deal of importance on a professional police force which can be relied upon to perform their jobs in accordance with law and public policies which enhance good governance in any civilized society. Members of the police force also developed their own lingo and unique culture to cope with the pressures of their job such as having a close-knit sense of kinship with fellow police members and sometimes having to maintain a wall of silence when it comes to some shenanigans and scandals involving police force members by refusing to testify. This extreme reluctance to snitch against fellow officers is euphemistically termed as the “blue wall of silence” but authorities must reinforce any ideal behavior and sanction bad habits which can get embedded in its culture (Barker 127). Discussion This paper tackles and discusses some of the most pressing issues facing the police in any given day during their tour of duty. In addition to having one of the highest suicide rate of any profession, police force members face daily risks which put life and limb in danger. These include how to respond properly or appropriately when called upon in an emergency situation without getting themselves in harms way, when not absolutely necessary. Three major factors in police response are communications, use of force and professional community relations. Communications – this aspect is a very critical component of any police response to calls for help in emergency situations. This is because the responders have to judge correctly the situation before going in, such as a hostage situation. The point is that a police officer has to read the situation correctly in terms of its riskiness, analyze the threats to the public and to the police officer himself without resorting to unnecessary force. If the situation is diffused peacefully, then so much the better. Another case is when an officer sees a teenager carrying a knife in a dark and deserted alley but who has failed to respond when told to stop and drop the knife. This situation calls for a quick but critical thinking by asking a few questions: is the teenager a mentally-challenged youth who did not understand what he was doing (considered normally as a threatening gesture), is the youth hearing-impaired and did not hear the police officer or is this a young man newly-arrived in America and does not understand even a few simple, basic English words? If mishandled, this situation can escalate and perhaps even turn tragic if miscommunication occurs. The first step in a crisis intervention is to correctly assess the threat to public safety and act in a manner commensurate with this perceived threat, such as if the youngster is starting to exhibit dangerous behavior or circumstance (Castellano-Hoyt 10). Further to this, a responding officer needs to engage the individual by talking to him and asking what the knife is intended for, and based on his responses, maybe disarm him by use of physical force only, such as by employing martial arts techniques taught in police academy. If there is a language gap, then a few hand gestures and sign language should be adequate to put the message across for the youth to put the knife away and stand down. This must be done in a direct and unambiguous manner to forestall being misunderstood; the command is clear. This action might be necessary if the youth does not give any satisfactory answers. Through a calibrated response, a trained officer can readily handle this situation without a mishap. But it can be difficult too, as it requires split-second judgment and quick reflexes (Kolman 105). Use of Force – police officers are the people tasked to impose order and safety in the society. As such, they are the ones deputized by law to employ so-called “legal violence” that allows them to use violent force if necessary and if a situation warrants it. The main challenge is when to use such force and what is the appropriate level of force. Police officers are trained to use a differentiated response (calibrated) that is commensurate to the perceived threat. This is usually taught during police training but there is no substitute for experience in this regard. A police officer as first responder to a mental health crisis must realize that this situation is an atypical or abnormal situation and act accordingly, although it can pose severe challenges to a trained officer, such as rushing to physical restraints as a knee-jerk reaction even if the person can be told to quiet down and settle peacefully by voluntary compliance (Hoover 8). Community Relations – a police force must always act according to the standards of professionalism expected of it in terms of ethics, provide prompt police response to a citizens call for help (responding only to legitimate calls and eliminate prank calls or false alarms), be available 24 hours a day for any emergencies, avoid an “us-versus-them” mentality, cooperate with civilian authorities during probes and investigations, provide vital information if ever it is needed and a zero-tolerance policy towards any signs of a code of silence among officers; it fosters a bad working environment and results in social isolation which alienates a community due to group loyalty among officers and lack of transparency (Hess, Orthmann & Cho 516). Conclusion A police force can improve its public image by strictly enforcing the laws, refuse to accept any gratuities (free coffee, free tickets, free rides, etc.), prosecute corruption among the police ranks, avoid the use of excessive force at all times, minimize use of deception to catch criminals, refrain from using the choke hold if not necessary as this can easily lead to brutality and above all, maintain good relations and professional courtesy with civilian authorities. Works Cited Barker, Tom. Police Ethics: Crisis in Law Enforcement. Springfield, IL, USA: Charles C. Thomas Publishers Limited, 2010. Print. Castellano-Hoyt, Don W. Enhancing Police Response to Persons in Mental Health Crisis: Providing Strategies, Communication Techniques and Crisis Intervention Preparation in Overcoming Institutional Challenges. Springfield, IL, USA: Charles C. Thomas Publishers Limited, 2003. Print. Hess, Karen M., Orthmann, Christine H. and Henry Lim Cho. Police Operations: Theory and Practice. Florence, KY, USA: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Hoover, Larry T. “Atypical Situations – Atypical Responses.” Improving Police Response to Persons with Mental Illness: A Progressive Approach. Eds. Thomas J. Jurkanin, Larry T. Hoover and Vladimir A. Sergevnin. Springfield, IL, USA: Charles C. Thomas Publishers Limited, 2007. 5-23. Print. Kolman, John A. Patrol Response to Contemporary Problems: Enhancing Performance of First Responders through Knowledge and Experience. Springfield, IL, USA: Charles C. Thomas Publishers Limited, 2006. Print. Read More