Domestic Violence in a Nutshell - Essay Example

Final Examination Domestic violence has been defined in various ways in the legal, social science, and psychology fields. Within the legal field alone, the term carries a different meaning depending on whether state or federal law governs and whether a case arises in the criminal or civil sphere. Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), domestic violence includes the following: "[F]elony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by a current or former spouse of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with the victim as a spouse, by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction receiving grant monies, or by any other adult person against a victim who is protected from that person's acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction receiving grant monies" It is this definition that has been the basis of evolution for policing policies as applied to domestic violence. The trend in policing today is for the police department to compose of a triage. For example, in many police departments across the United States, when an officer responds to a domestic violence call, he/she may contact the dispatcher, who will call the Crisis Center for Women 24-hour hot line. Then the Crisis Center sends a response van to the scene and will transport the victim and children to the Center's shelter. The Center will also provide transportation to court appearances and provide court advocacy. This on-scene response is available for all situations, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. After the on-scene response is complete, the case is turned over to the domestic violence unit, which consists of two full-time investigators who handle all incoming cases. Defenders of mandatory arrest and prosecution policies contend that battered women are too helpless and fearful to make appropriate decisions about the arrest or prosecution of their attackers. While this may be true for some women, preliminary evidence shows that the option to decide sometimes provides the perfect avenue for expressing unrealized strength and power. Accordingly, it is premature to judge whether the mandatory rule is actually working. A great deal of the responsibility for preparing for and responding to terrorist events rests with local police departments. Community policing presents an overarching philosophical orientation that agencies can use to better deal with the threat of terrorist events and the fear that they may create. The community policing philosophy can be roughly divided into three interrelated elements: organizational change, problem solving, and external partnerships. Each element applies to the issues of terrorism prevention and response, as well as to fear. Since 9/11, the federal government has greatly increased terrorism prevention and response efforts. However, a large degree of responsibility for dealing with these threats and for alleviating citizen fear rests at the local level. To some degree, the majority of local police departments in the United States have worked to reduce the fear of future terrorist attacks and to prevent and plan for attacks. Law enforcement officials are strategically rethinking public security procedures and practices to maximize the potential of their resources. The philosophy of community policing is important for police in preparing for possible terrorist acts and in responding to the fear they may create. Community policing involves broadening the nature and number of police functions compared to traditional policing models. It emphasizes organizational change, active problem solving, and external partnerships to address issues that concern both the police and citizens. In recent years, the philosophy of community policing appears to have been adopted to differing degrees by a large number of law enforcement entities in the United States. For example, a 2001 U.S. Department of Justice report indicates that from 1997 to 1999, departments employing personnel designated as community police rose from 34% to 64%.1 In addition, the absolute number of community policing officers rose from 21,000 to 113,000. However, traumatic events can cause organizations to revert to more traditional modes of operation. The events of 11 September may have been no exception for U.S. law enforcement. Some police departments may have been quick to dismiss community policing efforts and programs for seemingly more immediate and pressing security concerns. However, the community policing philosophy is well positioned to play a central role in local law enforcement responses to terrorism. Corruption can include an abuse of position, although not all abuses of position constitute corrupt acts. [2] Committing a criminal act under color of law [3] represents one example of corruption, while using one's law enforcement position for a de minimus, or insignificant, private gain may not necessarily rise to what reasonable persons will call a corrupt act, though it may be corrupting. [4] All self-interested or potentially corrupt acts are not completely corrupt. [5] In fact, these acts can constitute police deviance, [6] which best captures the nature of the precursory signs of corruption, as opposed to actual corruption. My opinion as to the reason for much corruption is that there is an ineffective system for dealing with corruption. If I were police chief I would reverse the following failures. These failures are: little or ineffective discipline and deselection of trainees (a commitment to fairly but firmly graduate only those individuals who truly demonstrate performance and integrity standards); ignorance of the nature and effects of the goal-gradient phenomenon (the farther away individuals remain from their goal, the less the tendency to remain passionately interested in its attainment); and the allowance of a double standard within the organization, thereby decreasing moral accountability as professional responsibility increases. All of these factors represent instances of what sociologists have referred to for many years as the "broken window theory"--if enough broken windows in a neighborhood go unattended, the neighborhood falls into a moral and material malaise. Law enforcement applications of this theory are addressed rarely. I cannot say that the early warning system is effective because how does one know if reporting is actually happening Citizens are already intimidated by police officers, thus they would naturally be concerned about retaliation from the officers. Plus, the basic citizen consensus is that the police departments are a "Good Old Boys Club" so there is a general fear of retaliation not limited to a singular officer. Officers, naturally will be intimidated from doing important police work because they know that big brother is looking over their shoulders. In this age of terrorism, technology has helped the police attest purported terrorists and identify materials that are used for making bombs. For example, PROS (Police Resource Optimization Systems) is an integrated state-of-the-art officer and vehicle deployment system capable of near-perfect timing, placing, and directing of officers and vehicles. Officers have more time when they need it and less time when they don't. PROS optimizes call-answering and proactive problem-solving services. Improves time to respond, frees time for proactive problem-solving, and with DCOPS provides tools to identify and help solve problems. With the help of the new technologies that are available, it is easier for spying and hacking people. Police can evade basic 4th Amendment protections due to technology which elevates the mistrust that citizens have towards the police. There is no doubt that the police and the government agencies who have the access to these equipments use them for good purposes like tracking criminals and hunting down serial killers. However, there will always be some of those people on the force who betray their force and use those equipment for their own needs secretly. Furthermore, internet crimes are on the rise as more and more people gain knowledge to hacking and cracking and finds it fun to dig up other people's privacy. The power of the society is far greater than one would expect, the police and the law enforcers can't prevent every single internet crimes and catch all the people doing it. Thus, the internet started out as a good intention and idea for education, rather now because of the influence of the new digital world, it is slowly turning to an online crime scene. Decreases in funding can be offset by applying to the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for a grant. As we are well aware, the top priority is fighting terrorism thus any application made by the police departments would be made under the guise of counterterrorism funds. Further applications could also be made to the local town and city council. References 42 U.S.C. [section] 3796gg-2(1) (1994) (definition covering "Grants to Combat Violent Crimes Against. Mills, Linda G. University of California-Los Angeles Published: Criminal Justice & Behavior, 1998, 25, 3, Sept, 306-318. Matthew J. Hickman and Brian A. Reaves, "Community Policing in Local Police Departments, 1997 and 1999," Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report (Washington, DC: Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, 2001). Michael S. Scott, Problem-Oriented Policing: Reflections on the First 20 Years (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services, 2000). James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling, "Broken Windows: The Police and Neighborhood Safety," Atlantic Monthly, volume 249, no. 3, March 1982, pp. 29-38. Frank L. Perry "Repairing Broken Windows - police corruption". FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The. Feb 2001. FindArticles.com. 13 Apr. 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2194/is_2_70/ai_72299788. Edwin J. Delattre, Character and Cops--Ethics in Policing, Third Edition (Washington, DC: The AEI Press, 1996); M. Punch, Conduct Unbecoming: The Social Construction of Police Deviance and Control (London: Tavistock, 1985); and J.Q. Wilson and G. Kelling, "The Police and Neighborhood Safety: Broken Windows," The Atlantic Monthly, March 1982, 29-38. Read More