Police: Protectors of Public Order & Safety - Research Paper

Introduction

Police officers are a critical part of society. They represent the civil authority of the government, which can be the state or the national government. The functions of the police department vary in different states and countries. However, the standard features of the police include maintaining public order and safety. This is one of the most common responsibilities which is associated with the police force. Every citizen knows that a police officer is responsible for maintaining public order and safety. This is so common that the presence of police officers in any given area is associated with a crime or civil disturbance. Police officers maintain public order by responding to noise complaints, investigating criminal activities, and putting the culprits behind bars and settling cases of violence. The police are also tasked with preventing, detecting, and responding to illegal activities that affect the citizens of a country. They are also tasked with licensing and regulatory activities.

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The role of police officers in society cannot be refuted. They have played some of the most vita roles by maintaining law and order in the general public. For police officers to do this, they are given a monopoly by the law to use force to ensure that there is peace. Every civilian is aware that police officers cave the legal support to use power. They are therefore required to comply with what police officers are saying. Any refusal to comply is taken as a direct violation of the law. Some people think those police officers are the law. This is partly because everyone else sees the police uniform as a physical representation of the law. The power bestowed on the police force is immense. In reality, police officers have more control than what the constitution has stipulated. In some communities and societies, the sight of a police officer makes everyone suspicious of having committed a felony.

With high power, a lot of responsibility is given. As such, the police have a lot of responsibilities on their shoulders because of the ability that they have. The majority of the citizens are happy with the police force in different states, and their work is commendable. The police officers have helped solve crimes, helped people out of dangerous situations, controlled the traffic, and even prevented crimes from happening in the first place. There is a significant portion of people who have raised concerns about the powers given to the police officers. What if a police officer wrongfully uses their power and position? This is a question that is asked by almost everyone familiar with police officers. Some people have been subject to police officers whose actions are against everything the police force stands for. The power granted to police officers is too much. Some people think that the constitutions need to be revised and have the skills of the police reduced. Others are of the idea that the state laws which govern the police force in each state should address the skills given to police officers.

Why Police Officers Should Be Held Accountable

Despite the excellent work done by police officers, it is evident that there is so much power given to the force, which makes it particularly easy for them to misuse their power by violating human rights. The power given to the police can be used in a series of ways such as police brutality, police killings, and use of excessive force when people are demonstrating, disappearances, threats, and unfair treatment. A very high portion of people in different states all over the country has suffered from the misuse of police power. Such acts by the police officers go against the values of the police force, which is responsible for upholding and maintaining respect and protection of human rights in the society. The police can accomplish this, prevent crime, and maintain law and order by building and promoting a constructive relationship with the community, which is based on mutual trust. It is imperative that the police officers are accountable to society and the public. The best way of doing this is by holding police officers responsible for their actions in all stages of operation.to do this, and there should be a police oversight mechanism in place which focuses on police actions before, during, and after an operation.

Presently, the police officers hold the public responsible for their actions. Every member of the audience feels the need to answer the questions asked by the police officers as truthful as they can. This is despite them not being part of an ongoing investigation or the police officers having a warrant. According to the law, a person has the right not to answer questions that are asked by law enforcement officers such as the police. Police officers have broken the rule countless times. Some commit small offenses while others have committed big ones while hiding behind the badge, the gun, and the uniform. Cases where police officers have taken advantage of citizens simply because they had their costumes on are many. These cases are, however, not reported. Many people wonder why this is the case, while crimes are being reported as soon as they occur. The answer is quite simple. People have no idea how to tell a police officer who is given so much power by the law. Whom would they say such cases to? Does stating an officer put their lives and families on the line? Will there be any action taken by the police?

Failure of Oversight in The Police Force

These are some of the questions asked before a person decides whether or not to report a police officer for committing a crime. It is a known fact that anyone can commit a crime. However, it is a different case when a police officer determines one some belief that they know their way around the system; after all, they are the custodians of the law. Others believe that they have an idea of hiding behind the requirement to maintain their innocence despite their lousy record. There has been a debate about the bias in the criminal justice system, especially when it comes to police practices (Campeau, 2015). Different issues have been raised, such as the use of force, the policies on arrest and prosecution, the harshness of the criminal punishments, and the impact the policing policies have had on specific communities, in particular, the populations of color. The members of this community have a deeply rooted belief that the criminal justice system is designed against them. The criminal justice system was created to bring equality to everyone; they, however, believe that the system has failed them to the extent of being used to target them. There are different views about the criminal justice system from different communities. However, there are shared sentiments among the cities that, at times, the police force overdo what they are tasked with. These sentiments have been backed with evidence of police officers breaking the law. Such an example is the killing of an unarmed man, Eric Garner, which was caught on tape. Following this incident, a jury failed to convict the police officer responsible despite having the evidence an action that resulted in a demonstration by the public. The police force responded to this by excessive use of force to disperse the crowd of people.

This incident is just a drop in the ocean of what the police force as actually has done. In light of such issues, it is essential to note that there is minimal effort made towards oversight in police administration. Who should hold the police accountable? This is the question asked by many citizens. First and foremost, the police should not hold themselves responsible. This is common sense when a person commits a crime, and they are asked whether they did it or not, they will always defend themselves. The effective accountability of the police force is a collective responsibility that brings together different actors. The media plays a critical role by informing the public about their rights and institutions where they can report cases of police misconduct. Many citizens are not aware of what actions they can take when police officers break the law. Hence the media, through a targeted media campaign on educating the public about police oversight, plays a significant role. The media can also be used to cover ongoing cases on police oversight. Individual members of the public are the main stakeholders in police oversight. They have the most significant loss and the highest profit if police oversight is valid or not. As such, they should be extra vigilant and know their rights. They should also lack fear and report all police officers who are involved in misconduct. The members of the public are also the main witnesses whenever a case about oversight arises.

The judiciary and in particular, the prosecution service also play a critical role in the oversight of police officers. Historically, the court has significantly failed to uphold police oversight. Police officers who are charged with misconduct among other felonies end up walking free the justice system finds them innocent and drops all charges and investigations against them. The system has also failed to protect witnesses of police-related cases by providing witness protection. These witnesses are left exposed and hence subjected to threats and tampering of the witness, which makes the patient withdraw from such circumstances. The prosecution service and the judiciary should be a double-edged sword when it comes to criminal law. It has, however, proved to be a one edged sword that only cuts on one side while favoring the other. The citizens have lost trust in the judiciary after letting guilty police officers go despite there being substantial evidence against them. The message which is sent to the public is that police officers are beyond approach, and nobody can hold them accountable for what they do. It also implies that what the police officers are doing in the streets is right despite it being against the law.

Some people have been led to believe that it is right for a police officer to break the law because they are mandated to enforce it. Therefore, breaking it is not a big deal, and they can do it at will. After all, even the courts do not sentence them for doing so. When police officers are presented in a court of law for misconduct or violation of the law, it is usually their word against that of the witnesses. When this happens, the jury prefers the opinion of the police officer and ends up disregarding the witnesses. This is the case because police officers have undergone intense training and teachings on how to deal with different situations. It is therefore believed that they are giving a professional opinion and that their actions were purely professional. This places the judiciary as the primary cause of failure in the oversight of the police administration. The ability of prosecutors to remain impartial in cases involving police officers has been put to question. It is worth considering that the prosecutors and the police officers have a long-lasting relationship (Prenzler, 2011). The prosecutors rely on the police officers to investigate crimes, testify in the trial, make arrests and interrogate suspects while police officers depend on the prosecutors for convicting suspects who have been arrested. While most prosecutors work under their jurisdictions, they might not have the power to work investigate and convict police officers. In such cases, the judiciary system creates a team of the special jury to investigate and gather evidence against the claim. It is perceived that the prosecution team feels a certain sense of responsibility to protect and justify...