Essay Example on Police Work: A Dangerous But Rewarding Career

A career in law enforcement may seem to many people as a dangerous career. With the world being as it is today. Some criminals are ready to harm police officers or other civilians who try to stop them. Most of the people law enforcement officers deal with on a daily basis are compliant and friendly. Although they may not appreciate being on the wrong side of the law where they may be flagged for minor misdemeanors like getting a ticket or even notice to appear. Unfortunately, however, sometimes police officers face encounters with dangerous individuals. The results of these interactions depend on a law enforcers approach. Law enforcers may take a softer approach like simple communication and body language skills. At other times officers are forced to take a more hardline approach to prevent said assailants from doing further harm (Tiesman, Heick, Konda, & Hendricks, 2015).

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The latest FBI Data relays that 106 law enforcement officers lost their lives on the job in 2018 which was a 13%rise from 2017 (Roufa, 2019). In 2017, over 60,000 police officers were assaulted. These figures show how frequent law enforcers are in danger (Roufa, 2019).

Traffic accidents are a huge danger to police officers. For the last several years' traffic accidents have repetitively been flagged as the most frequent cause of death for police officers. Officers do spend a huge amount of time driving which by default increases their exposure to accidents. Apart from the time taken driving, officers work for the on busy side streets, at congested traffic stops which also puts them at vulnerable positions.

Not forgetting how rigorous and physical training can be, it increases the chances of injury or fatality to police officers. Police officers undergo intensive training involving defensive tactics, body fitness, and special programs. When safety measures and precautions do not adhere to police recruits and officers get caught in the crossfires and may succumb to injuries (NORA, 2019).

Being a police officer will also involve hidden dangers while on duty. The hidden dangers however in terms of health risks to police officers on duty are magnified. The Buffalo School of Public Health and health professionals indicate the existence of significant links between police officers' jobs and their health. Two primary significant health risks to law enforcement officers are Job Stress and shift work schedule unorthodox hours due to rotating shifts that encourage poor eating and sleeping schedules. The study had been conducted over a 5-year period where it examined the effect of stress on 464 law enforcement officers of the Buffalo Police Department (Walter, 2012). Such health disparity is defined by socioeconomic and ethnical factors but in the profession of law enforcers, it is caused by the occupation.

The stress on the job for police officers and their increased potential to frightening encounters increase the potential for police officers to suffer depression and suicide. Estimates in the study indicate about 120-150 police officers commit suicide annually. This culminates in 17 suicides for every 100,000 law enforcement officers, 1.5 times (Walter, 2012).

The media has never had a good relationship with law enforcement. The news updates on television, newspapers and even online journalists have several times antagonized the position of certain law enforcement officers or organizations. Media outlets dictate the narrative instead of law enforcement Agencies telling their own stories on controversial topics.

The economic recession has forced governmental law enforcement agencies to make do with less funds and smaller numbers of personnel and less funds to equip and train police officers. In-villa Platte, Louisiana, 11 police officers lost their jobs due to budget restructuring ("The Effects of Police Budget Cuts | National Police Support Fund," 2019). The performance and safety of law enforcement are greatly impaired when worrying about job security and so reduces their productivity.

Law enforcement workers face a huge risk of contracting contagious diseases be it as a result of needle stick injury, bite from animals or even humans, exposure to contaminated people. A more unpopular medical hazard is fatigue and overexertion from police officers. Their regular gear includes body armor, pepper spray, batons, radio, handguns, and handcuffs. This equipment weighs about 20 pounds and this places a lot of stress on a normal police officer (Espinoza, 2010).

There has been a rising amount of concern about accidental exposure to narcotic drugs. First responders to crime scenes which include law enforcement officers are in danger of unintentional to drugs like cocaine, fentanyl, and affiliates.

Another job hazard for law enforcement officers is pursuits. Some departments have issued a "no pursuit" policy. All risks involved are taken by the officer. The risks always range from external risks to physiological risks and mechanical. The weather may be and a danger to law enforcement officers and so they have to decide whether the weather affects the pursuit. Snowy roads for example factor in such circumstances.

Corruption Among Police Officers and Ways to Mitigate the Practice

In most countries, the police are regarded as one of the most corrupt government institutions. Police officers are accused of corruption for various reasons including conspiring with a criminal gang to allow or facilitate drug trafficking, human trafficking, harassment of the public to pay bribes for allegations or even evidence tampering.

Corruption has a large impact on day to day criminal activities. This practice prevents the protection of human rights. Corruption results in public mistrust. One of the further-reaching consequences is that it undermines the integrity of policing systems. People will only follow the law if they are confident in the police. Corruption among the police weakens the moral fabric of society. On a broader spectrum corruption may potentially damage international relations and a countries reputation. For if it came to light that a countries' police was involved in transnational human and drug trafficking.

There have been efforts to curb police corruption. Some states in America have somewhat mitigated the practice while others have failed. Georgia has almost completely curbed low-level corruption due to dramatic institutional reforms (Jones, 2018). The reforms brought about far-reaching consequences for police. It brought about dismissals of police and ministry of internal affairs curtain-raisers. The reforms integrated education of law enforcement officers in regards to professionalism and adherence to the law.

Police corruption in Singapore, on the other hand, can be attributed to a few reasons; low salaries, poor recruitment policies, and selection procedures. A revolution of reforms has reduced corruption within the police (Jones, 2018).

The use of technology is also key in mitigating corruption in police across the world. Use of offending vehicles, burglar alarms and Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) systems. Internal Affairs Audits also play an important role in identifying corrupt police activities

References

Espinoza, K. (2010). Ergonomics and police duty belts: Recommendations to ease the pain of critical equipment for police officers - GovPro article. Retrieved February 19, 2020, from https://www.americancityandcounty.com/2010/02/05/ergonomics-and-police-duty-belts-easing-their-load/

FBI Releases 2018 Statistics on Law Enforcement Officers Killed in the Line of Duty-FBI. (2019). Retrieved February 19, 2020, from https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-releases-2018-statistics-on-law-enforcement-officers-killed-in-the-line-of-duty

Jones, K. (2018). Best practices in addressing police-related corruption. Retrieved February 19, 2020, from U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre website: https://www.u4.no/publications/best-practices-in-addressing-police-related-corruption

National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) (2019): Public Safety Sector, Law Enforcement | NIOSH. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/pubsaf/lawenforcement.html

Roufa, T. (2019). Learn the Dangers Involved in Being a Police Officer. Retrieved February 19, 2020, from The Balance Careers website: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/understand-the-dangers-of-being-a-police-officer-4034991

Tiesman, H. M., Heick, R. J., Konda, S., & Hendricks, S. (2015). Law enforcement officers' risk perceptions toward on-duty motor-vehicle events. Policing (Bradford, England), 38(3), 563. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-03-2015-0028

Walter, L. (2012). On-the-Job Stress Negatively Impacts Police Officer Health, Study Suggests | EHS Today. Retrieved February 19, 2020, from https://www.ehstoday.com/health/article/21915261/onthejob-stress-negatively-impacts-police-officer-health-study-suggests

White A. S. (1999) Controlling Police Corruption. Retrieved from https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/paradox/hwhite.html