...Ethnicity and the Police | Public Opinion of Police By Different Ethnic Groups | | Patricia Connor | 11/19/2012 | The purpose of this study is to provide the reader with an overview on the public image of the police based on race. An in depth analysis is designed to provide the public, the police, and agencies alike the deliverables necessary to provide high quality of service. | Ethnicity and the Police Ethnicity and the Police The public opinion of police tends to fluctuate over time and may vary among different ethnic groups and communities at any given time. The events, factors, and forces that affect this opinion are numerous. Thus, leaving the public opinion of the police a slippery task to measure. With that being said, many perceptions of the police exist. These perceptions range from police misconduct to police corruption. However, for the purposes of this article, one will examine the perceptions of police misconduct in the United States and the factors that influence these perceptions. Through research, one was able to determine that citizens believe there are four types of police misconduct – verbal abuse, excessive force, unwarranted stops, and corruptions. However, to save on time, one will The public opinion of police tends to fluctuate over time and may vary among different ethnic groups and communities at any given time. The events, factors, and forces that affect this opinion are numerous. Thus, leaving the public opinion of the police a slippery...
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...POLICE CORRUPTION AND MISCONDUCT Police corruption became widespread shortly after the formation of the first American police departments in the 1800's. Police misconduct can range from minor cases to criminal acts that are considered to be corruption. Misconduct can be defined as mismanagement especially of governmental or military responsibilities or intentional wrongdoing; specifically: deliberate violation of law or standard especially by a government official; or improper behavior. Corruption is defined as impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle: depravity; decay, decomposition; inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (as bribery); a departure from the original or from what is pure and correct. Police corruption is a very gray area because people and society disagree on what is classified as corruption. One of the most famous police officers in the United States is Frank Serpico. Serpico had pride in wearing his police uniform, but it quickly dissipated when he realized his partner was picking up pad money (payments by store owners to ensure cops would be there in case of trouble, but also ignore minor violations of the store owners and their customers). Serpico did not want anything to do with that and didn't want the ...
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...Wrongful convictions can be described as a miscarriage of justice or an unfair decision in a court of law or as a conviction of a person accused of a crime which, in the result of a subsequent investigation, proves erroneous. Police misconduct refers to ill-appropriated conduct and illegal action taken by police regarding their official duties or any action performed by a law enforcement officer that is unethical, against established employment guidelines, unconstitutional, or criminal in nature. Official misconduct is more commonly caused by law enforcement officials and prosecutors in a number of ways. The knowledge we have about wrongful convictions and official misconduct comes mainly from studies of cases ending in exonerations. According...
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...Crime, Corruption and Cover-ups in the Chicago Police Department Anti-Corruption Report Number 7 January 17, 2013 Authored by: John Hagedorn Bart Kmiecik Dick Simpson Thomas J. Gradel Melissa Mouritsen Zmuda David Sterrett With Ivana Savic Justin Escamilla Magdalena Waluszko Dalibor Jurisic Tricia Chebat Published by University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Political Science 1 The Chicago Police Department has a legacy of both heroism and corruption. On the one hand, the department’s officers risk their lives on a daily basis to enforce the law, protect the public and preserve the peace. On the other hand, Chicago has a checkered history of police scandals and an embarrassingly long list of police officers who have crossed the line to engage in brutality, corruption and criminal activity. An analysis of five decades of news reports reveals that since 1960, a total of 295 Chicago Police officers have been convicted of serious crimes, such as drug dealing, beatings of civilians, destroying evidence, protecting mobsters, theft and murder. Moreover, the listing of police convicted of crimes undoubtedly underestimates the problem of corruption in the Chicago Police Department (CPD). The list does not include undetected and unreported illegal activity, serious misconduct resulting in internal disciplinary action, and officers who retire rather than face charges. Our analysis of police corruption in Chicago yields four major findings. First, corruption has long persisted...
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...Police Corruption Ryan Alvarado CJA/214 November 13, 2012 Richard Palomo Abstract In the history of police in the United States there always has been an element of corruption. Because the police officers themselves are human, the possibility of corruption will always be present. Sometimes it is minor but then that usually can lead to more major crimes and eventually the corruption itself will spread throughout an organization. The level and extent of corruption is difficult to determine as the crime itself is very covert. There really is no for sure solution to stop the corruption and wrong doings; however, steps can be taken to alleviate some of the criminal offenses. As long as there is police there will always be a need for those who police the police. Police Corruption In any organization that involves mankind in a position of authority there is always going to be a possibility for corruption, the police department is no different. The level of corruption will always vary, depending on the situation and the environment but nonetheless police corruption does have an effect on the United States. Of course the major offenses are of more concern, like police brutality or taking major bribes or hiding evidence, but even the smaller offense, like letting a friend out of a ticket, still show bias and dilutes the trust the public has in the police department. This paper will describe the negative effect that police corruption, police misconduct, and police brutality...
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...Abuse of Police Authority For years men and women of all nationalities and creed have been victim of harassment and brutality by the people who they pay to protect their neighborhoods and streets. Namely the police departments, the police have a vital role to play because they, more than any other institution, are at the epicenter of the upheavals that erupt in our cities. What they do or fail to do can affect fundamentally the scope of the damage to life, property, and community spirit. Police officers take an oath when they first join their department. This oath is a code of ethics. The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, promulgated in 1893, established the basic responsibility of a police officer: To serve the community; To protect lives; To save the weak from those who would use intimidation; To obey the constitutional guarantees afforded to every citizen; To keep an officer’s private life separate from his official duty (such as personal or political beliefs, prejudices, aspirations, animosities or friendships); To be courageous and show resolve when faced with the possibility of death; The badge symbolizes not only authority, but also acts as an image of public faith; The officer will maintain confidentiality; and The conduct of the officer will always be ethical and consistent with department regulations and the law . These are the expectations of the citizens, and when there abused it lessens the faith of all. The abuse of police authority makes the head lines...
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...Case Study: Police Corruption and Its Prevention Management Human Resources (CRJ535) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Title Page 1 Table of Contents 2 Abstract 3 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY Introduction and Background to the Problem 4 Definition 4-5 Prevention Begins With Leadership 5-7 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Psychology and Social Perspectives 7-9 Theories to Analyze Police Behavior 9-15 CHAPTER THREE: DISCUSSION Implications of Police Corruption and Conclusion 15-18 REFERENCES 19 Abstract Society has a responsibility to respect the community and of course, the police officers that protect the community. More often than not, society’s respect of police officers is nonexistent due to the constant media reports of police corruption and brutality. Police corruption has been around since its conception, but is now being publicized more heavily. As a result, mistrust of police officers has increased. Solutions to the mistrust must be discovered and implemented. Even more important than solution is prevention of police corruption and practices that will make the police reputation and actions more ethically sound. With appropriate discipline and prevention practices in place, integrity will be established within the organization and public trust will be established within the community. CHAPTER ONE Introduction and Background Police Corruption takes place when a police officer engages in an...
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...Police Worn Body Cameras: A Step in the Right Direction Andrew Cordier ENG122: English Composition II Instructor Amy Morris August 18, 2016 There have been numerous advances in technology in recent years and some include law enforcement. Over the years, there have been huge strides in the technological advances in surveillance. Police Departments are one of these groups who have seen an increase in surveillance technology like dashboard mounted cameras, and now law enforcement agencies are looking to equip their officers with body cameras that can be worn on an officer’s lapel, glasses, and on their chest. The idea of equipping officers with these body cameras has been a hot topic of debate in light of recent past events, such as the unarmed shooting of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson Missouri Mandatory use of body cameras should be put into place because it will protect civilians from the use of excessive force and hold officers responsible for their actions, not invade the privacy of both the public and police officers with the proper guidelines in place, and lower the rates of police use of excessive force, while lowering the rates of false claims against officers. With more and more cases of use of excessive force against civilians, people across America are becoming outraged by the actions of police officers and feel that taking the word of an officer is no longer good enough to explain their actions. Americans across the nation want answers...
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...Police Misconduct and its Social Impact Can Better Police Training result in a decrease of Police Brutality against minorities? A research paper submitted advocating the issues among police agencies in North America. This paper analyzes the protocol that determines the appropriate procedures for a safer community for the victimized minorities through use -of- force incidents. HSB4U1 December 11/12/2015 Summative Report Mrs. Kim By: Julianne Silva Table of Contents Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………Pg. 3 Chapter one: Police Issues American CCPSA Fixing Problems…………………………………………………………Pg. 4 America’s Flawed System……………………………………………………………………Pg. 6 Controlling the Police…………………………………………………………………………Pg. 7 Chapter two: Police Solutions The Debate over Body Cameras…………………………………………………………….Pg. 9 Changing Policies and Regulations...……………………………………………………….Pg. 10 Chapter Three: Community and Behaviour Police Subculture……………………………………………………………………………….Pg.12 Impact on Minorities…………………………………………………………………………….Pg.12 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….Pg.14 Works Cited………………………………………………………………………………………Pg.15 Appendix A: Julianne Silva Survey Summary………………………………………………..Pg.17 Appendix B-1: ………………………………………………………………………………….... Appendix B-2……………………………………………………………………………………... Introduction One of the most controversial topics in police enforcement throughout history has been the issue between racial minorities and the misconduct of police officials...
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...to be considered for retrial. Unaddressed wrongful conviction cases show the weaknesses in the U.S. justice system. This paper will touch on the causes that lead to wrongful convictions and discuss possible solutions. The main factors of wrongful convictions are eyewitness misidentification, misleading/unreliable forensics, false confessions (coerced/intimidated), witness perjury, prosecutorial misconduct, insufficient lawyering, racism and implicit bias. Since the first DNA exoneration conviction in the United States case that...
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...Corruption of Florida Police Officers Name Learning Institution CORRUPTION OF FORIDA POLICE OFFICERS Police officers are law enforcement officers who are expected to keep law and order in the society by controlling crimes, investigating crimes, making arrests, patrolling streets and controlling traffics (MacVean & Neyroud, 2012). They are expected to show high level of good ethical conduct such as honesty, integrity, courage, responsibility and good character (MacVean & Neyroud, 2012). This has not been the case in the country. Controversial behaviors have widely been reported among the police officers who are expected to enforce the low and order. The police have been accused of violating the moral ethical values by engaging in corruption (MacVean & Neyroud, 2012). Therefore this paper intends to discuss the ethical issues in regards to police officers in Opa-Locka and Miami Florida. Ethics and Corruption Ethical issues do crop up in our day to day life. In the law enforcement departments, a clear understanding of the ethics will be of greater importance since the officers are highly expected to practice good moral values in the society. Therefore, police administration and the Attorney General should ensure that officers adhere to the police code of conduct so as not to develop mistrust in the eyes of the public (MacVean & Neyroud, 2012). However, ethics is defined as the study of the specific moral conducts an individual practices while relating...
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...The “Blue Wall of Silence” and Police Culture Tiffany V. Dunston CMRJ308 Everyday there are law enforcement officers that see unusual things happen when arriving on a scene of a crime or even if they are already on the scene of a crime with other law enforcement officers. Police officers behavior while on duty will always be a problem and it will continue to be a problem from because officers sometimes think just because they wear a badge they think that they have all the power in the world. The also think that they are required to protect each other no matter what. Here we look at the “Blue Wall of Silence” and “Police Culture” to distinguish what they are and their effects. There are still some good cops in this world that will stand up for what they believe in and they really do uphold the law by protecting and serving the citizens of this country. Then you have the cops that see that other cops are doing wrong and they don’t say a word, this is call the “Blue Wall of Silence”. The Blue Wall of Silence is a phrase used in law enforcement which means when an officer is observing another officer committing acts that do not uphold the law such as using excessive force towards another officer or a suspect and things of that nature. I applaud cops that believes that everyone should be treated with respect and one’s that follows the rules of being a police officer in their community because there are only so many of those types of officers. Cops that commit heinous acts...
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...plan to find reasons for wrongful convictions, the actual number, statistics, of individuals that have been wrongful convicted, and those individuals who have stepped up to make a difference in this dilemma. Although there aren’t any statistics kept by the Criminal Justice Department on the number of crimes that were recorded as wrongful convictions, research has estimated about 5% of the cases that are tried annual result in a false conviction. Since 1989, 1,241 people have been wrongfully convicted and later cleared of all charges based on evidence that they were innocent, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, a project of the law schools at the University of Michigan and Northwestern University (Clark 2013). The Michigan Innocence Clinic was the first clinic of its kind to work on non-DNA exonerations. Their work has revealed particular circumstances far too often seen in cases of wrongful conviction. These cases show us how the criminal justice system is in need of much repair and how the Michigan Innocence Clinic can combat troubling trends of the system. In each case that have been worked on, the Michigan Innocence Clinic have uncovered overlapping causes of wrongful convictions. There are many causes of wrongful convictions, but there are a few common causes that the Michigan Innocence Clinic have found:...
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...Forensic Misconduct: Dr. Pamela A. Fish Kirstin L. Daniels Professor Ian Rodway George Mason University Forensic Misconduct: Pamela A Fish Forensic science is defined as the practice of utilizing scientific methodologies to clarify judicial inquiries. The field of forensic science contains a broad range of disciplines and has become a vital aspect of criminal investigations. Some forensic disciplines are laboratory-based; while others are based on an analyst’s interpretation of observable patterns (Kourtsounis, 2009). According to the Innocence project’s website; in greater than fifty percent of wrongful convictions, the use of invalidated or improper forensic techniques played a role in cases; which were later overturned by DNA testing. Unlike other forensic methods, serology has been subjected to rigorous scientific testing to achieve validation. Even still, these methods can be inaccurately conducted or counterfactually conveyed during the trial (Innocence Project, 2012). Since the evidence presented during a trial can be the difference between freedom, and incarceration in many cases and death in some cases, misconduct in the forensic field is not tolerated. Some types of forensic misconduct include exaggeration of statistics, false testimony and laboratory fraud. Evidence offered by forensic scientists is often called “expert testimony”. Nevertheless, what is an expert? Is it someone who has gone to school and earned an undergraduate, graduate...
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...decide to abuse their authority, which then leads to criminal activity. Police officers have access to “less than lethal” known as conductive energy devices, or better known as CEDs the TASER (Stinson et al., 2012). The purpose of “less than lethal force” is that police officers are more likely to succeed to getting a noncompliance individual to cooperate without fatal injury involved, much like the baton, metal flashlights (Stinson et al., 2012) or physical force however, all weapons can be used inappropriately or eventually causing death. Currently, there is not much empirical data available on the criminal misuse of TASERS by police officers although this may benefit researchers...
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