Policy Controversies

 Body Cameras: All deputies are required to wear body cameras while on duty for the following reasons:

• To promote accountability- body camera allows agencies to take a video and this indicates that they report compelling evidence while adhering to professionalism, ethics and problem solving skills. When using camera, agencies strives to show the best behaviors. In addition, agencies show interpersonal reactions and strive to promote public trust. Discipline and corrective actions are they key elements and they are influenced by adhering to rules and regulations (Miller et al, 2014).
• Reducing complaints and officer-involved incident- through a comprehensive research, it is found that when officers use body camera, cases where officers use force are not reported. This means that officers behave better while using body camera. In addition, they use civil interactions which reduce citizens’ complaints. Citizens avoid unfounded complaints and this saves time and money which could be wasted for further investigations (Miller et al, 2014).
• Improve performance-body camera offers scenario-based training which allows agencies to use legitimacy and procedural justice. With Body camera, law enforcement agencies are able to identify officers ‘misconduct.
• Evidence documentation- officers ensure evidence collection and reliable evidence in domestic investigation.

 

Gratuities: Deputies should not be allowed to accept gratuities while on duty. This is because:

• The act is unethical conduct since officers will be abusing an entrusted power (corruption).
• Officers are expected to act professionally and treat public equally. Offices should respect democracy and offer equal quality services. They should avoid creating ‘anti-democratic system’. Gift means that people expect a favorable treatment. Not all individuals have the ability to give a gift-meaning they will not be favored when addressing cases. Equality is the key (Coleman, 2004).
• The act creates a fee-for-service system-the latter creates social injustice in that poor people will receive low quality police services compared with people from upper classes.
• Public perception- gratuities changes the public perception since people expect a favor. In addition, people lose trust as they believe that officers are corrupt by accepting gratuities. The negative perception will impact the police performance in a negative way (Coleman, 2004).
• Ethics concerns from Rule utilitarianism- the act of accepting gratuities has long-term consequences. The results will affect owns duty and damage the life of many. This is because, public will lose trust and confidence on officers and poor people get poor services since they are unable to offer gratuities (Coleman, 2004).

 

 

Moonlighting: Deputies should not be allowed to work part time, in uniform, while off duty. This is because;

• From a comprehensive research, many officers focus on supplementing their incomes and for this reason, they work for many hours estimated to be over sixty hours per week.  These excessive hours affects officer’s performance. Off-duty work increases fatigue which makes officers become vulnerable to accidents, poor decisions and more. Off-duty works are associated with unstructured environment and lack of supervision (Hess, 2009). This results to malicious injuries and fatigue-related hazards. The latter cause socioeconomic and human costs higher than officers who work under supervision public safety.
• Hour Constraint- due to fatigue-related hazards, officers will minimize performance when he returns back to primary job. In addition, officers may decide to continue with a secondary job to get higher income. The long hours of working will later lead to conflicts since the officers will not serve citizens as required on a primary job (Hess, 2009)..
• Conflict of interest- When working with public in a secondary employment, officers violets the confidentiality policy by disclosing confidential information. In addition, secondary employment is a form of police deviance based on immorality, lack of trust and confidence, impulsivity and more (Hess, 2009).

 

Residency:  police officers must reside within the county they work for.  The benefits of this policy are as follows;

• Better policing- by integrating in the community, police officers will  understand  the community in terms of the values, crime rate, different cultures, residence requirement and other important things  which assist in  creating a safe neighborhood.  Police offers need to be familiar with the community residents and understand the structure and the civilian (Berry, 2000).
• Police officer will settle disputes and reduce crime locally by solving problems, giving warning and enforcing law.
• Police offers will reflect on the community and maintain racial and ethnic setting.
• Police officers will create political and economic support. For example, they will increase tax base. In political arena, police officer presents the needs of citizens by participating in decision-making system in the county (Berry, 2000).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

 

Berry M. Frances. (2000). Police Practices and Civil Rights in New York City: A Report of the United

States Commission on Civil Rights. DIANE Publishing,

 

Coleman, S. (2004). When Police Should Say "No!" to Gratuities. Criminal Justice Ethics, 23(1), 33-44.

Introduction to Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice

 

Hess, K. M. (2009). Introduction to private security. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

 

Miller, Lindsay, Jessica Toliver, and Police Executive Research Forum. (2014). Implementing a Body-Worn

Camera Program: Recommendations and Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: Ofce of Community

Oriented Policing Services.