Ethics, Terrorism, and the Future of Policing - Essay Example

?Running head: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-EFFICACY AND PERCEIVED STRESS The Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Perceived Stress Insert Insert Grade Course Insert Tutor’s Name August 25, 2011 Ethics, Terrorism, and the Future of Policing Introduction Terrorism is a global problem and threat that is impacting local law enforcement agencies in most countries around the world. The bitter fact that many local law enforcement agencies have to contend is that terrorism is becoming sophisticated and complex in nature, composition and execution hence national security threats have increased (Downing, 2011). In making an understanding on this, investigation are warranted on aspects such as how terrorism impact police mission in USA, disagreements that exist in regard to the appropriate law enforcement behavior, and role social stigma play in police ethics. Other issues likely to crop up include whether ethical forces behind police corruption are the same as those that guide police abuse of force and how training can prepare police officers in dealing with ethical dilemmas. How has terrorism impacted the police mission in the U.S? According to findings by the Council of State Governments and Eastern Kentucky University, immediately after the 11 September 2001, there was introduction of many new homeland security roles that affected state police organizations (Council of State Governments and Eastern Kentucky University, 2005). Some of the identified new homeland security roles introduced include coordination of homeland security at the state level; convergence of key security organs and harmonization of collection, analysis and sharing of critical information and intelligence (Council of State Governments and Eastern Kentucky University, 2005). Other new measures included increased protection of critical infrastructure and key assets in major cities and states; increased security at the nation’s borders, air, and seaports, encouraging collaborative activities at the federal and local law enforcement on key task forces. Lastly, introduction and putting adequate preparations for new response equipment, tactics, systems and training (Council of State Governments and Eastern Kentucky University, 2005). On the other hand, Weisburd et al (2009) argues that post-terrorism era in the USA is being addressed largely through the adoption of the widened criminal justice model. The model in transformative way encourages or advocates for adoption of new police enforcement practices instead of the traditional practices but the traditions practices should not be forgotten (Weisburd et al., 2009). Therefore, the impact of this on police mission can be evidenced in the development of new forms of police work such as creation of specialized units to address terrorism and intelligence issues (Weisburd et al., 2009). Further, there is widened training of police officers, expanding use of protection devices and technology, broadening cooperation between police and intelligence bodies and lastly, recruiting personnel with appropriate skills from military (Weisburd et al., 2009). Disagreements that exist in regard to the appropriate law enforcement behavior There exist disagreements regarding the law enforcement behavior exercised by the USA police to perceived terrorist activities and actions. Police in USA continue to employ different methods in form of tactics in dealing with terrorism and according to human rights groups, many of the employed tactics are in form of coercive and undermining (Durmaz, North Atlantic Organization and Turkish Institute for Police Studies, 2007). Guantanamo prison is one area that has enlisted criticism to the USA police tactics employed in dealing with terrorists. For instance, the argument expressed is that captives who are believed to be brains behind terrorist activities have been treated in inhumane manner that in perspective of human rights groups undermine their dignity, freedom and rights (Durmaz, North Atlantic Organization, and Turkish Institute for Police Studies, 2007). More so, the suspects who in most cases are yet to be found guilty are subjected to tortuous experiences that are aimed to coercing them to admit to terrorist activities, which they have not committed. Another disagreement has risen with regard to timeframe taken to bring justice to the victims and suspects. On the part of suspects, there have been notions that relative long periods of time elapses before final prosecution and justice can be done to the suspects and during this period, the suspects undergo harsh treatments. As a result, suspects as individuals are perceived to be denied their rights, freedom, and expression and inappropriately mistreated (Durmaz, North Atlantic Organization, and Turkish Institute for Police Studies, 2007). To derive proper treatment that is acceptable, human rights groups have continuously advocated for law enforcement agencies to be respectful to civil rights, whereby appropriate and acceptable tools should be used to fight terrorism. Moreover, tools of propaganda that law enforcement agencies employ should be discerned (Durmaz, North Atlantic Organization, and Turkish Institute for Police Studies, 2007) Role social stigma play in police ethics Police body comprise of individuals who are part and parcel of the society. They come from different social groups of the society such as the race, ethnicity, religion, and region. Therefore, the wider social aspect that defines and characterizes these different groups of people is likely to impact the functioning of police. This may be evident in how they carry out their overall activities of policing and law enforcement. Police personnel operate within codes of conduct that aim to regulate and limit their behaviors while on duty. While this is a fact, the role of social stigma cannot be ruled out. Some situations have forced the police to deviate from the overall and paramount need to act equally and fairly in the society; and in the end, they have ended up adopting and subscribing to particular social perceptions that make them act fairly or unfairly with regard to terrorism (Delattre and Bores, 2011). To deal with this challenge of social stigma, (Delattre and Bores, 2011) observes that integration of ethical considerations into training and supervision is necessary. In addition, police personnel have a duty to institute “genial pressure of manners, morals and customs enforced by social stigma and reproach among police” (Delattre and Bores, 2011, p.120). As a result, it is viewed that police who abide by these beacons possess the best chances of rising to the challenges of their duties, however complex the duty may appear (Delattre and Bores, 2011). Ethical forces behind police corruption According to personal views, it would be great injustice to postulate that ethical forces behind police corruption are same as those involved in police abuse or force. Why so? There is need to observe that forces behind police corruption are largely and purely personal carried out for self-gain. On the other hand, forces behind police abuse or force may emanate from multiple sources of the society and in key areas such race, class, religion, age and territoriality that in large part may not be personal which in turn results into the officers loosing their calmness. Therefore addressing police corruption will involve more concentration on personal and individual aspects of ethics and morality while forces in the ethical construction of police abuse and force will involve addressing a comprehensive social-economic, cultural, and political framework. How can training prepare police for ethical dilemma challenges? Police officers face multiple challenges in their various attempts to enforce law especially in the new era of increased terrorism. As a result, police are subjected to numerous challenges that sometimes leave them unable to deal effectively to such challenges. In such circumstances ethical dilemma emerges that generally requires police officer to execute solutions devoid of compromise of the duty. To effectively navigate in such environments, education and training appear to provide solution. How does this happen? Training helps police officers participate in sound decision-making that in most cases will avert deterioration of ethical dilemma. In this way, training equips police with adequate and beneficial skills, knowledge, and practice that enables them to identify, categorize, and subsequently offer appropriate solutions to different ethical dilemmas present. More so, the process, procedure, and ethics that pertain to ethical dilemma decision-making process are acquired through training and further education. Conclusion As the issue of terrorism become a sophisticated network that exhibit high adaptive skills, the local law enforcement agencies have been forced to innovate and implement adaptive and networked strategies of combating the problem. Therefore, convergence of key security institutions and structures has become vital in fighting and limiting the effects of terrorist actions (Downing, 2011). It is within this dimension or perspective that understanding of terrorism is important especially with regard to police in USA. Attempt of this research paper has been to find the role and ways of improving police role in new terrorism society and agreement seem to suggest that collaborative institutional actions are necessary for success to be realized. References Council of State Governments and Eastern Kentucky University. (2005). “The impact of terrorism on state law enforcement: Adjusting to new roles and changing conditions”. USA: National Institute of Justice. Retrieved September 5, 2011, from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:LdzhGSzG7WsJ:www.csg.org/knowledgecenter/docs/Misc0504Terrorism.pdf+How+has+terrorism+impacted+the+police+mission+in+the+U.S%3F&hl=en&gl=ke&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgVOJXi7V8EBmjrwg1HNIVccKor4Vkf1RtpiIOB5dw3pRvjy0HUebZTFIY4ImwOoIPMmLndhCEaWK8PQXGYhtaQ_wEs85YHaLK9QuKPSPpoxNAFAayXtiD7LiK1kmWpSj600QQE&sig=AHIEtbTE8Qf1xkH1H9i1zYW0xEQZWg7S5Q. Delattre, E. J and Bores, D. R. (2011). Character and Cops: Ethics in Policing. NY: Rowman & Littlefield. Retrieved September 5, 2011, from http://books.google.com/books?id=n-Ms1NLnKcMC&pg=PT205&dq=role+social+stigma+play+in+police+ethics+with+regard+to+terrorism&hl=en&ei=UrdkTsO2A4is8gOmxISkCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false. Downing, M. P. (2011). “Policing terrorism in the United States: The Los Angeles police department’s convergence strategy.” VA: The International Association of Chiefs of Police. Retrieved September 5, 2011, from http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=1729&issue_id=22009. Durmaz, H, North Atlantic Organization and Turkish Institute for Police Studies. (2007). Understanding and responding to terrorism. Amsterdam: IOS Press. Retrieved September 5, 2011, from http://books.google.com/books?id=jZjqavWoRfkC&pg=PA204&dq=terrorism+and+appropriate+law+enforcement+behavior&hl=en&ei=qa5kToe-GJD_-gbW8M2iCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=terrorism%20and%20appropriate%20law%20enforcement%20behavior&f=false. Weisburd, D., Feucht, T. E., Hakimi, I., Mock, L. F and Perry, S. (2009). To protect and to serve: policing in an age of terrorism. NY: Springer. Retrieved September 5, 2011, from http://books.google.com/books?id=OekwhtZSGiIC&pg=PA6&dq=impact+of+terrorism+on+US+police+mission&hl=en&ei=Cp9kTqXlJMeAOtn9hYEK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=impact%20of%20terrorism%20on%20US%20police%20mission&f=false. Read More