...Health and Safety Issues of Police Officers in Canada, the United States and Europe: A Review Essay © Jennifer R. L. Parsons June, 2004 2 Introduction Police officers play a pivotal role in North American and European societies. They are involved in many aspects of North American and European life. Officers’ involvement ranges from general, daily, proactive patrol activities to specific criminal activities such as narcotic investigations. Because there is such a wide range of activities involved in police work, there are many health and safety issues surrounding policing as an occupation. Police officers may be exposed to different health and safety risks in their occupation. For example, police officers are at risk of assault and homicide; the dynamics of policing as an occupation creates opportunities for them to experience many psychosocial hazards such as stress, suicide, sexual harassment, and discrimination. It is important that research be completed on the health and safety issues of police officers in order to identify hazards and identify ways to reduce risk. The failure to identify and solve health and safety concerns of officers has potentially serious consequences for the health and well being of officers and their families. These consequences can include depression, divorce, suicide, and disease. Not addressing the health and safety issues associated with policing may also impact the general public. For example, if an officer is stressed or fatigued...
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...Police Officer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Courteous Every member of the Police Force is a guardian and servant of the public. He or she is there to help and protect members of the general public and treat all persons with unfailing patience and courtesy, regardless of their social position, and answer all their questions with civility, no matter how trivial that they may seem to be. Saying good morning, thank you, please, would you mind, excuse me, I beg your pardon, cost nothing but leaves a positive and professional impression on the public. Tact The approach of a police officer has a great effect on the attitude of the public. That is why the use of tact and persuasion instead of force is encouraged. You will find that members of the public will comply with direction more willingly when they understand the situation or the event that took place. Insisting on the right of your authority instead of using tact will run you in the risk of having your authority challenged. Confidence It is very important that you have confidence in yourself and know exactly what you intend to do. A true knowledge and understating of your powers is needed. As long as you use your powers properly and fairly, you will have no fear of any consequences. Always make sure that you understand your orders properly before performing your duties. If you do not understand, you cannot expect to direct the public properly. Temper ...
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...We face various forms of discretion on a daily basis. This happens when we decide what to get for breakfast or who gets what present for the holidays. The earliest form of discretion from a person in authority is usually our parents. They use their discretion to form a plan of action to follow through with in order to stop unwanted behavior or reward us for good behavior. We constantly see such scenarios in supermarkets where mothers might spank unruly children or when they buy their children candy for behaving well. Yet who is there to stop our parents and adults from committing behavior that is deemed as criminal? The people that take care of this role are Law Enforcement Officers commonly referred to as police officers or police. Although...
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...Owen, A. (2004). Keeping You Safe A Book About Police Officers. Mankato, Minn: Capstone imprint. A Day in the life of a Police officer you see police officers on TV, riding in cars, riding bicycles and, others riding horses. All of them work hard to keep your neighborhood safe. How a police officer spends his day working has much to do with his assignments and, the agency where he works. Police officers can be assigned to uniformed patrol, traffic, investigations (detectives), training, a school resource program, or supervisory duties. I'll focus on the role most people associate with policing, that a uniformed patrol officer does. The day starts out with roll call, twelve minutes before our actual shift start time. Most days are full of typical calls for service. We refer to dispatched calls as “hitches.” We either get immediately dispatched to calls or we begin to patrol until we are dispatched to a call for service or hitch. It is up to the individual officer whether to make lots of traffic stops or stop in at local businesses and say “hello.” Being visible by patrolling areas which are more plagued by crime can, of course, help deter crime in those areas. Bridget, H. (2013) Lets Meet a Doctor. Minneapolis, MN: Millbrook Press What does a Doctor do? A Doctor helps children when they are...
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...kippington jones Juvenile Justice Professor jones February 11, 2014 You Are A Police Officer I chose the topic You are a Police Officer. The task at hand was to read and interpret three different scenarios. Then write about how I would react to the situation if I was the officer on the scene. I have to determine if I would have probable cause, reasonable suspicion, and whether or not I would pursue the suspect or suspects involved in the scenario. I have thoroughly read and analyzed each scenario, and have come to a decision for each situation. In Scenario one a juvenile is spotted walking near a sports warehouse building that is being watched due to it being burglarized several times over the past six months. The juvenile is wearing a heavy luxury sports coat, and also has a pair of new sneakers on. As the officer on the scene I would determine that there was not sufficient probable cause to stop and pursue the individual. There is reasonable suspicion being presented in this situation, the juvenile is wearing expensive and new sports gear that could have very well come from the sports warehouse. Although I do not believe this is enough to stop the juvenile. The farthest I would go in pursuing the individual would be to tail him looking for any suspicious activity to further pursue him. In the event his actions provided sufficient probable cause I would calmly stop the juvenile and question him on what he was doing in the area. I would make a decision to...
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...Officer Selection Process Paper Officer Selection Process Paper Every day we see the men and women of our police departments risking their lives to protect us from violent or criminal acts. Whether the police officers are stopping vehicles for traffic law violation, or dealing with automobile accidents, to arresting criminals for violent or criminal acts that might be occurring. The police officers of our communities all joined the force for a reason, to protect and serve its communities to the best of their abilities. Have you ever wondered the process in which police officers go through before they become a police officer? What do police departments and police chiefs look for when hiring future cadets and assigning them to the police academy. How can you become a police officer and what requirements do you have to meet to even be considered? Having taken the written test and the physical test with the San Antonio Police Department I have somewhat of an idea of what it takes to become a police officer at the local level. However throughout this paper I will discuss the various levels in which an individual must complete in order to become a police officer. Of course every department has their different basic requirements whether it is at the local, state, or federal police departments. With the local police, having already applied with the San Antonio police department in the past I am pretty familiar with the department’s minimum requirements. Every individual that...
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...Have you ever seen a movie were the dog saves the day? Well, this happens in real life, almost every day with the K9 police unit. These elite dog units have been used to help solve crimes for over 100 years. These units have specially trained canines, and police officers to control them. These dogs can be trained in pursuing fugitives, searching for missing persons, and narcotics or weapons detection. The K9 unit has been used to aid in many cases, including the search for Jack the ripper. These exclusive K9 divisions have been used to help solve crimes for over 100 years. Dogs have been used by law enforcement agencies for over 100 years. In Ghent, Belgium during 1899 police had started to professionally train dogs for police work....
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...A police officer's duty is to maintain public order, preventing, and detecting crime. The concept of police officers, also known as cops, and law enforcement has been around ever since the ancient Romans had a theory that an organization of "peacekeepers" would reduce the crime and violence being committed. This theory stuck with society and is still around today. People of law enforcement have a mission when they step into their police car, that mission is to enforce the rules of conduct or law. Of course, accomplishing this mission can be dangerous. Often when a cop leaves his or her house to go to work worries start to set it, such as "will I be coming back home when my day is over" or "will a simple traffic stop go sour and someone ends up dead?" These thoughts are apart of the stress that comes with the job and most people are trained to deal with this stress. Speaking of training, there are classes that a high school student can take to prepare for a career in law enforcement. Psychology, sociology, foreign languages, and computer courses are recommended for those students who plan to take criminal justice as their higher education major. Participating in sports can improve your chances on becoming an officer of law because it improves strength and endurance. Other student activities can be helpful in this career because they help to improve leadership skills and other publications. Every law enforcement agency has different requirements for qualification; however, almost...
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...Police Officer Roles as Social Servants Erika Jones Albany State University Abstract This report addresses duties that are carried out by officers in their roles as social servants. Social service has always been a key part of policing. It is important that officers have to maintain a large tie-in into the community, not only the community, but a large variety of social agencies. Other than fighting crime, our law enforcement system, including police officers, make any necessary steps to ensure the safety for everyone. Social services has dependably been a key piece of policing while serving casualties of wrongdoing and guilty parties has been a significant stress of social work. Law implementation and social work have served the same target aggregate yet with shifting achievement. Keywords: social service, social servants, community To most people today, the basic duty of police officers is to “provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people and property, enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoting good community relations” (Police Patrol). What most people do not know is that a police job does not limit those expectations. In a way, a police officer job is never done. As an officer, you are also expected to work as a social servant to your community. Aside from the every day anxieties and bothers of patrol cops, uncommon weights are accomplished by higher-ranking officers who are involved in the investigation...
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...and freedom. A lot of police officer's definitely goes through that on a daily basics when they put that uniform on; they are even consider a warriors on their off duty time. Police Officers are put on the front line of the streets trying to protect and serve us daily. That's a fight within it's self because people in this world is hard to deal with no matter how you look at it. They try to solve everyone problems they come in contact with regardless how big or little the situation maybe. Nonetheless, they are considers warriors just like soldiers in the Army. The Army uses the word warrior to brand new soldiers coming in to give them the confidence and motivation that no one else had the courage to do, which is join the military service. Soldiers join the military to fight for their country just like police officers are doing for their city, county, or state. The only difference is that soldiers are away from their families for months at a time and police officers go home everyday. The bad thing is that we don't know if they will make it back home to their families without any harm done to them. I can definitely relate to everything they go through daily when putting on my uniform. The acronym COPPS means Community-oriented policing and problem solving that doesn't compare to being a police officer or warrior. It is just another form of police operations, it's like they are the police. However, they are fighting as hard like the other police officers. The only thing they really...
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...OFF-DUTY CONDUCT OF POLICE OFFICERS Off-Duty Conduct of Police Officers Dan Henderson Abstract Police officers are held to a higher standard and pledge to follow the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics both on and off-duty. Some officers knowingly violate laws expecting preferential treatment if caught. This creates a double standard and fosters a lack of trust and respect by the general public. Police departments must hold officers accountable for off-duty incidents to maintain public trust and department integrity. Officers must hold each other accountable and not accept unethical or illegal behavior of any kind from a peer. Off-Duty Behavior of Police Officers Introduction Police officers in the United States are tasked with protecting the public from all enemies foreign and domestic. A police officer’s duties range from basic documentation of crimes that have occurred, to the active engagement, and battling of criminals to protect the citizens they serve. Police officers learn the Police Officer’s Code of Ethics while training in the police academy. They are expected to conduct themselves, both on duty and off with the Police Officer’s Code of Ethics in mind. Public expectation of fair and equal treatment The public that police officers serve have an expectation of fair and equal treatment. The Constitution of the United States (Bill of Rights) provides guarantees to all people in the United States of America. Article the sixth (Amendment IV)...
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...There are multiple reason on why I want to become a Detroit Police Officers. To begin with been a Detroit police officers is a privilege in itself to carry a title as such for a city like Detroit. It’s more than just a badge it’s been able to protect, represent and service a city with over 650,000 citizens. It’s been able to arrive at a call and instantly make a family feel safe. It’s coming into work every day not knowing who you might encounter and what the day may hold. It’s been able to encounter different cultures and groups of people on a daily basic. It’s not about giving back for me it’s about been a part of something bigger than myself. It’s about giving my peers hope that a life of crime or doing wrong is not the only way to live...
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...enforce the law. On an average less than one half of one percent misfit the uniform, which makes the entire nation of police look bad. A police Officer is needed and wanted by the public, but yet still disliked and hated by them. He can settle differences, make decisions quickly, must be able to render aid, must know everything, must chase thugs and bombs, stake out long nights, write reports until his eyes ache to solve cases, accept low wages for salary, and must be dedicated. He is greedy, rude, has low self-esteem, unprofessional, disrespectful, dishonest, and abusive of power. Corrupt Officers are created within one’s self. They are immoral people from the start of mandate. Those worthy Police Officers that serve with good intent can be lead to corruption by power or greed, lack of community support and the lack of supervisory accountability. These three things need to be addressed in efforts to save the police force and minimize the number of corrupt officers that work in the field of police work. Police Officers that have never been in a position of authority can get carried away and abuse authority. They have aspirations of being one of the best officers in the department. They are made to believe that making the most arrest and writing the most tickets will put them above the rest of the officers and they lose focus of what real police work involves. Factors such as excessive use of force and misconduct contribute this word wide problem. With this attitude...
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...Title Effects of Inadequate Police Training Robert F. Kersey Liberty University Abstract Effects of Inadequate Police Training Citizens expect police officers to be ready to handle calls for service on their first tour of duty and the lack of training is no excuse. Law enforcement officers face delicate situations on a daily basis. These situations require immediate and appropriate responses from those who are sworn to protect and serve the communities in which they live. The men and women put their lives in jeopardy on a daily basis and sometimes have to make critical decisions in matters of seconds. Some of these decisions are the right ones, while other decisions are obviously the wrong ones. Many well publicized incidents of police brutality in the media over the past few years have left citizens wondering if this behavior is a typical behavior of all law enforcement officers. In carrying out there duties police exercise a great amount of discretion. The misuse of discretion has now led to society questioning police tactics and policies. The purpose of this paper is to articulate how important training is and the effects inadequate training can have on officers, their departments, and the municipalities where those officers are employed. Matthew W. McNamara (2006) discusses training in regards to liability saying that, “nothing is as important as making sure law enforcement officers receive proper training.” Training...
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...probably been hearing lately that police are bad. Whether it’s seen on video or news, but does the media plays a big role in this hatred that people have for police officers today. Is media to blame for the hate?Is the media unfairly targeting police officers ? . Making it seem like they are killing machines, and burial. Rather than people who protect the community. Today, the media has attacked law enforcement by saying that all they do is racial profile,not doing their jobs right, and that the police uses excessive force on the innocent . On the other hand. The law enforcement has been able to prove that wrong otherwise.For example, in many cases, a suspect is approached by police and he or she is unwilling to comply...
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