Integrity in Policing: Normativity, Temptation, Abuse of Office and Rights - Essay Sample

Introduction

The concept of integrity is significant to policing because police officers are faced with situations on many occasions where they must use their authority of discretion to make rightful decisions in the name of law and order. The integrity in the police service revolves around concepts of normativity, inclination to resist, temptations, abuse of office, and rights and privileges of the occupation. Police agencies everywhere in the world are under scrutiny by both the media and the public due to fear of unlawful occurrences such as brutality. While it is not rare to find some elements of corruption in most policing agencies in the US and other parts of the world, it would be wrong for a society to generalize the wrongful conduct of a few officers to all others (Wagner & Hout, 2019). However, we cannot, in the same way, give all police officers a clean bill of health as morally upright. Therefore, the concepts of integrity in the police department play a key role in building a positive image and maintaining public trust in law enforcement officers.

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Knowledge of the concepts of police integrity is crucial to me and policing in ensuring that I do my work of law enforcement fairly. It also ensures that our police leaders decide on the ethical dilemma of all officers in the most accurate and fair manner. Besides, as a police officer, I am aware that certain requirements of the law pertaining to our work are ambiguous. Without integrity, it would be easy to give in to the unethical temptation of taking advantage of such legislation. Integrity should, therefore, be a dominant quality of all law enforcement officers, especially since the ethics of the practice do not always offer precise methods of resolving legal dilemmas.

Police Organization as a Concept

The concept of police organization is important in enhancing the effectiveness of any police agency or department. Police organization as a concept is about composition, leadership structure and interrelationship with other stakeholders like courts and prisons as well as society (Burruss et al., 2017). Police departments do not exist in vacuums; rather, they work within specific social and political environments. These environments host communities of people with diverse interests. With respect to integrity in police work, these environments present various opportunities for corruption that officers need to guard against and resist.

Also, the police department is organized on the basis of its purpose and area of jurisdiction. Each of these aspects of police organization is important for the effectiveness of any police department. Police departments use the size and nature of the area that they are responsible for in planning operations. For example, a police department required to patrol 50 square miles may need to have at least two police divisions to work effectively (Burruss et al., 2017). A police division, in this case, means the whole collection of sectors and beats in a certain geographical location.

Police organization as a concept makes my work easier as a police officer because, first, it defines and limits my responsibility in the community that I serve. Secondly, it promotes loyalty and collaboration, both of which are necessary for the smooth running of police work. I believe that I find the organization of police so useful because I view myself as one of the agents of social control. I voluntarily obey the law and the courts because I consider them as other formal social controls. Also, this perception makes me more willing to act in the interest of the rule of law and justice whenever am faced with a legal dilemma in my work. Lastly, the concept of police organization also brings on board members of the community such as parents, faith-based institutions, friends, and relatives as our social control partners.

Pre-Hiring Procedures

Pre-hiring procedures are significant to policing because it curbs irregularity and corruption in recruitment and ensures that all officers hired are apt to the challenging task of enforcing law and order. Police agencies specify the desired standards for candidates applying for officer positions which include age, education, military fitness, prior police experience, residency requirements, and criminal history. A rigorous interview process that includes a polygraph, psychological testing, knowledge testing, physical agility testing, and background check is necessary to eliminate unqualified individuals (Gutman, 2019). Policing work is tough and includes many challenges that many normal adults cannot keep up with. Unfortunately, out of desperation to enjoy police privileges, people without some of the desired qualities have tried to engage in canvassing during recruitment exercises. People who skip the pre-hiring procedures are likely to fail in policing work (Gutman, 2019).

Personally, demanding pre-hiring procedures played a key role in validating my capability to excel in the job. When I first applied to be a police officer with the New York Police Department (NYPD), I was excited about the opportunity but I also had some fears about my abilities and fitness. I believe the NYPD pre-hiring procedures are of the global standards and anyone who passes them can qualify to work as a police officer in any agency anywhere in the world. Therefore, the pre-hiring procedures go a long way in determining the success of a police officer's career.

Integrity Management

Police work presents many integrity concerns and dilemmas by nature, and police officers are expected to exercise discretion to rightfully uphold the rule of law and fight corruption within the service. However, factors such as fear of blackmail and intimidation make it difficult for officers to decide on how to deal with cases of corruption (Blagg & Pac-Soo, 2013). Integrity management, therefore, comes in handy in protecting officers who fight corruption within the service and in the course of their duty. Police ethics which are outlined in the code of conduct of every policing agency outline the principles of justice and fairness to be followed.

Moreover, integrity management eradicates norms and cultures that are opposed to the police ethics service such as the concept of noble cause corruption, which is based on the principle of "the end justifies the means" (Blagg & Pac-Soo, 2013). Besides controlling corruption within the service, good integrity management motivates officers by rewarding those who do well and sanctioning those who are unethical. Thus, it also helps to cultivate trust between the police department and their community. Members of the community support the work of the police more willingly where there is mutual trust.

As an NYPD officer, I believe that integrity management in the department is what discourages officers from employing unethical or illegal means to fight crime. For example, without good integrity management, more officers would use false information to obtain search warrants. There are many situations when police officers wish to go beyond their legal authority and privilege and one of the easiest ways to do it is to use false information to obtain authorization.

References

Blagg, H., & Pac-Soo, C. (2013). Review: Police Integrity Management in Australia: Global Lessons for Combating Police Misconduct. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice, and Principles, 86(1), 94-96. https://doi.org/10.1350/pojo.2013.86.1.611

Burruss, G. W., Giblin, M. J., & Schafer, J. A. (2017). Introduction to the special issue of police organizations. Journal of Crime and Justice, 40(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1080/0735648x.2017.1281490

Gutman, A. (2019). Legal Issues Related to Hiring and Promotion of Police Officers. Handbook of Police Psychology, 72-93. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429264108-3

Wagner, N., & Hout, W. (2019). Police Integrity and the Perceived Effectiveness of Policing. Exploring Police Integrity, 165-191. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29065-8_7