Police in Community Relations - Term Paper Example

 Abstract Police officers play a great role in law enforcement and criminal justice. The officers who together make a force face a lot of risks in the course of their work. Depending on their actions, the police force in an area can be rated negativeley or positively based on different variables. Considering the widespread criticism of the New Orleans police among community members, this study has been designed to establish the nature and extent of the negative opinion held by members of the public against the police force. The study involves a survey of the perception of New Orleansers regarding the police force. The study will be done on the streets of New Orleans city with a random sample of 100 adults of sound mind. The data analysed will reveal correlations between different variables and will confirm the hypothesis that the police force in New Orleans is perceived by the public to be ineffective. Criminal Justice Introduction Law enforcement officers play a big role in the community where we live as far as the maintenance of law and order is concerned. In fact, research has shown that there are many people in the U.S. that are willing to serve their community as law enforcement officers (Holmes, 1998). Despite the tedious job done by the police officers in the community, research indicates that there has been a negative opinion towards the police officers in the country. The negative opinion of the public on the police officers have been linked to police brutality, unethical behaviors, corruption and excessive use of force on citizens. These kinds of behaviors have overshadowed the good things done by the police in the community. Hypothesis H0: The police force in New Orleans is perceived by the public to be ineffective H1: The police force in New Orleans is perceived by the public to be effective Main Objective To establish the nature and extend of negative public opinion toward the police force in New Orleans. Specific objectives 1. To establish how members of the public in New Orleans perceive police offiers 2. To find public perception on the level of effectiveness of the police force 3. To establish the public’s feeling on security 4. To establish the level of satisfaction of the public with the police force 5. To determine how willing the public is to report cases to the police for action 6. To establish the extent of victimization of members of the public by police officers in New Orleans Literature Review Generally, the police department requires high professionalism in the provision of services to the public (Holmes, 1998). This is because the more professional the police officers act, the more respect they gain from the public, thereby making their work easier as this would make them get positive cooperation from the community. Police officers usually undergo a lot of stress both physical and psychological as they go about the duty of policing. This is evident from the fact that whereas the ordinary citizen is expected to escape from danger, police officers run towards danger thereby exposing them to high risks at the expense of protecting citizens. The media plays a major role in influencing public opinion by determining what the public sees and it does not see. In the U.S., for instance, the media has been at the forefront of informing the people on the behaviors of the police in different parts of the country thereby influencing their opinion on the police officers. It is generally acknowledged that police has a share of both good and the bad in their work. Nevertheless, the media and the public in most cases have only focused much on the negative side of the actions of the police in the country (Holmes, 1998). Research has established that neighborhood characteristic and the contacts that the police officers have with the public greatly influence the opinion of the public towards law enforcement officers. Such a study was conducted in Los Angeles, which found out that residents from the neighborhood considered dangerous, crime ridden, and violent did not give the law enforcement officers a positive approval. On the other hand, the resident from the neighborhood who had had a formal contact with the law enforcement officers had a high likelihood of approving the police officers (Cox and Fitzgerald, 1996). One of the historic incidence negative perceptions of the police by the public was witnessed during the urban riots that took place in mid 20th century. Brown and Benedict (2002) notes that the riots was arguably specked by the actions of the police and the negative attitudes that the residents had toward them. Jefferies et al (1997) conclude from the incidence saying that history has shown that when there is a poor relationship between the police officers and the minority groups, a negative consequence can result. In addition to the destruction of properties that resulted from the riot, harm was also done to the attitude toward law enforcement officers. As earlier stated, one of the contributor to the negative perception of the police is their inhumanity and unethical behaviors. Some police officers tend to engage in actions that the public consider very unethical and barbaric thereby tainting the public’s perception toward them. For instance, the incidence that took place in Abner Louima, in New York City where an immigrant from Haiti was reported to have been sodomized by a law enforcement officer using the handle of a toilet plunger are some of the incidences that make the public perceive police officers negatively (Cox and Fitzgerald, 1996). Another barbaric incidence was that witnessed in New York when an armed black immigrant from Guinea who was later confirmed as Amadou Diallo was shot several times by four police officers have partly contributed to the negative perception toward their work because the incidences create doubt on police integrity according to Brown and Benedict (2002). For instance, Touch and Weitzer (1997) noted from the data obtained before and after the brutal killing of Eulia Love in 1979 in New York and the battering of Rodney King in 1991plus the brutality that the police officers subjected two Mexican immigrants to in 1996, to have contributed to the decline in approval rating of police in the country. In addition, a report published by the Gallup showed that a majority of people gave law enforcement officers a low approval rating in 1995 compared to the year before following the racist attitude of Mark Fuhrman and the miss handling of the O.J. Simpson case by the law enforcement officers according to McAneny (1995). In the contemporary American community, there has been a varying perception of the law enforcement officers according to racial groups. Brown and Benedict (2002) noted in a study conducted on black Americans, which showed that blacks had a higher negative view of the police compared to the whites. During the study, it was noted that a majority of black Americans were critical of the law enforcement officers. This finding was backed by a research conducted recently by Touch and Weitzer (1997) when they revealed that minority groups in the country are indeed highly critical of the police officers in the country. Another study conducted by Jacob (1971) indicated that blacks perceive law enforcement officers are unfair, harsh, corrupt, weaker, more excitable, less intelligent, cruel, unfriendly, and has more bad attributes than good. The negative perception of the police by the blacks in the community was also reported by Walker (1997) where he observed that black American students and adult were deeply hostile to the law enforcement officers. The hastily was also observed among African-American in a Detroit slums by Hahm (1971) through a research conducted immediately after the riots that led to massive destruction of properties at the time. Confirming the varying perception of racial perception of the police among blacks and white Americans, a study conducted recently in the U.S. showed that the police in the country have received a lot of support from the white Americans for a long time. The findings also showed that whites tend to perceive their black counterparts as inclined to violent behaviors and criminal acts (Cox and Fitzgerald, 1996). A national survey conducted in 2000 through the General Social Survey, found out that about half of the whites interviewed perceived blacks as prone to violent and criminal acts in the country. It was also noted that there is less suspicion of the police acts by the whites in the country. Corruption and other behaviors considered antisocial in the community have also been cited by many as their main reason for not approving police officers in the community. For instance, the public usually expects a police officer to execute his or her mandate ethically and with integrity. However, some police officers tend to engage in corrupt activities by demanding bribes from the public in order to provide services or conceal evidence of crime. This act is considered unethical and once discovered as has been witnessed with some law enforcement officers leads to negative attitude towards them (Holmes, 1998). Moreover, the community expects the police to behave professionally as they execute their mandate to the people. In this regard, as government officers, they must act as examples to the public they serve by behaving in a good manner that does not taint the picture of the police force. This is because research has shown that many people in the community tend to form negative attitude toward police when they see them behave badly. For instance, when a police takes alcohol and gets noticed by the public, this certainly makes the members of the public form negative attitude toward the police department (Cox and Fitzgerald, 1996). Brown and Benedict (2002) note that the negative perception toward the law enforcement officers can affect the profession of politicians, administrators, and police. This was witnessed after the brutal killing of Diallo, an incident which sparked public demonstrations targeted at Rudolph Giuliani, the then Major of New York City. The protest is said to have spread in different parts of the country as it was later joined by prominent rights activists such as Jesse Jackson and Susa Sarandon. The protest did attract a lot of media attention from all over the world and has since then created a constitutional problem towards whites. The incidence of Rodney King is said to have lead to the resignation of Daryl Gates while that of the New York became a political issue during the campaign period for the re-election of Giuliani for a Senatorial seat according to McWhoter (1999). Based on the findings, the police officers should avoid engaging in acts that makes the community form negative attitudes towards them. This can be achieved by acting professionally and serving people diligently free of corruption, brutality, and cruelty. This is because any one single poor behavior by one officer can taint the picture of the whole police force as has been witnessed in the past. New Orleans and Police Service New Orleans is a major city in Lousiana, its population estimated at 343,829 going by the 2010 Census statistics. The city which is located in the southeastern part of the state of Lousiana is famous for its festivals, celebrations, music and cuisines. One of the main problems that the city faces is crime and insecurity. The level of violent crimes and homicide however is notably higher in poor neighbourhoods according to new sources. The city has been rated negatively as being the dirtiest in the United States of America in the past owing to the prevalence of illegal dumpingand other illegal ativities that degrade the environment. In 1994, statistices show that the city’s homicide level peaked at a rate of 86 murders for every 100,000 sojourners. While the rate of violent crime in the city reduced by about 17%, the homicide rate remainedone of the highest in the U.S (about 60 per 100,000 residents). Males and blacks are the main offenders in New Orleans going by official records. Reducing the violent crime rate remains the main issue for the race to Moyorship in the city. The statistics that have been presented above in addition to news reports about crime in New orleansare a major concern to residents of the city. The residents blame the high crime rates on police laxity and corruption although these claims are often unsubstatiated. Methodology The study will be qualitative and quantitative in nature and will target members of the public as respondents. The study will be conducted through a survey to be conducted on various streets of New Orleans city. The location is chosen considering that it hosts people from different parts of New Orleans. Only adults of sound mind will be featured durieng the study to overcome challenges related to informed consent that commonly occure when dealing with minors and persons of unsound mind. For the study, a sample size of 100 respondents will be used considering the resource constraints that come with using a larger sample size. The respondents will consist of both male and female participants walking on the main streets of the city. The sample will be randomly chosen, two each from fifty main streets of the city. One respondent will be drawn from one end of the city and the other from the other end of the street. A respondent will be selected to form part of the sample if they are the first to enter a specific street chosen for the study at a junction at 9am and therafter after 30 minute intervals. This means that the first and second respondents will be drawn from street “A” for example at 9 am and thereafter, the researchers will move to the street “B”. The second set of samples will be drawn from street “B” at 9.30 am, the trend continuing until the last respondent is drawn. In case the first persont to enter the street is not willing to participate in the study, the second, third, or forth person will be asked to participate instead. The respondents will be introduced to the study and briefed about its nature before they are issued with a questionnaire to fill and an accompanying pen. They will be asked to brush through the questionnaire to give them room to make an informed choice on whether or not to participate in the study. The respondents will then be informed of their right to participate or withdraw from the study at any point without having to provide an explanation for their decision. They will also be assured of the privacy of the data that they provide. The respondents will not be required to include their personal details in the questionnaire so as to avoid issues related to privacy breaches and to assure confidentiality of data. The respondent will then take about ten minutes to complete the questionnaire after which they will be duly thanked for their participation. The data collected will be coded and analysed using SPSS software. The data will be analysed for means, modes, and correlations. The hypothses will also be tested using the z-test. The z-test is chosen considering that the sample to be used duering the study will be greater than 30, and the mean and standard deviations of the data will be known after initial calulations. Once the different analyses have been condected, the data will be presented in tables, and charts for easy understanding. References Brown B., & Benedict, W.R. (2002). Percept ions of the police past findings, methodological issues, conceptual issues, and policy implications: Perceptions of the police. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 543- 580. Cox, S.M. & Fitzgerald, J.D. (1996). Police in Community Relations: Critical Issues, 3rd ed., Brown and Benchmark Publishers, Dubuque, IA. Hahn, H. (1971). ``Ghetto assessments of police protection and authority,’’ Law and Society Review, Vol. 6, pp. 183-94. Holmes, M.D. (1998). ``Perceptions of abusive police practices in a US –Mexico border community’’, The Social Science Journal, Vol. 35, pp. 107-19. Jacob, H. (1971). ``Black and white perceptions of justice in the city,’’ Law and Society Review, Vol. 6, pp. 69-89. Jefferis, E.S., Kaminski, R.J., Holmes, S. & Hanley, D.E. (1997). ``The effect of a videotaped arrest on public perceptions of police use of force,’’ Journal of Criminal Justice, Vol. 25, pp. 381 -95. McAneny, L. (1995). ``Most Americans now say Fuhrman a racist,’’ Gallup Poll Monthly, Vol. 360, pp . 23-5. McWhorter, D. (1999). ``Killing by NY Police raises ghosts of past’’, USA Today, March 29, p. 17A. Tuch, S.A. Weitzer, R. (1997). ``The polls: racial differences in attitudes toward the police,’’ Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 61, pp. 642-64. Questionnaire: 1. What is your age? a) (18-24) b) (25-31) c) (32-37) d) (37-43) Above 43 years 2. What is your gender? a) Male b) Female 3. Which below more closely defines your race? a) White/Caucasian b) Mongoloid/Asian c) Negroid/Black d) Australoid 4. How long have you been living in New Orleans? a) Less than 1 year b) 1-5 years c) 6-10 years d) Over 10 years 5. How professional do you think the police officers are in conducting their work a) Very professional b) Professional c) Moderately professional d) Unprofessional e) Very unprofessional 6. How responsive are the police officers to emergency calls? a) Very responsive b) Responsive c) Moderately responsive d) Unresponsive e) Very responsive 7. How secure do you feel in New Orleans? a) Very secure b) Secure c) Moderately Secure d) Insecure e) Very insecure 8. Are you satisfied with the effort put by the police force in dealing with crime and in enforcing law? a) Very Satisfied b) Satisfied c) Dissatisfied d) Very dissatisfied 9. How willing are you to report cases to the police for action a) Very willing b) Willing c) Unwilling d) Most unwilling 10. What is the extent of victimization of members of the public by police officers in New Orleans? a) High Victimisation rates b) Moderate victimization rates c) Low Victimization rates Read More