Departmental Mission and Key Themes
The New York City Police Department and Chicago Police Department have mission statements that guide their policing. The major themes in the mission of NYPD include peace preservation, order maintenance, professionalism, respect, compassion, courtesy, fear reduction, and partnership with the community (New York Police Department, n.d.). The key themes in the mission of Chicago Police Department are professionalism, quality service, the protection of lives, property and human rights, order maintenance, and collaboration with the community (City of Chicago, n.d.).
Accountability is included in the form of a commitment to protect the rights of the people, partnerships and collaborations with communities, and the impartial enforcement of law. The inclusion shows that the departments strive to enforce law impartially and protect the people’s lives while respecting them and maintaining high levels of ethical behavior. Common issues related to police accountability include discrimination, the excessive use of force, unlawful detainment, unreasonable search and seizures, police brutality, and interrogation without counsel.
The impartial enforcement of law means that police officers provide services of justice (Oliver, 2017). They do not modify their actions to favor or discriminate against members of certain communities or groups. The mission statements of both departments show commitment to justice enhancement and the protection of lives. However, the impartial enforcement of law can be difficult because of the influence of politics and involvement in judicial matters (Oliver, 2017).
The inclusion of accountability in the statements is insufficient because it should have incorporated a commitment to abide by the stipulations of laws such as the Police Act, Criminal Code, and the Police Misconduct Provision. Moreover, the mission statements do not show the department’s willingness to provide justice for all, fight corruption, and shun racism. The mission statements of both departments do not reveal any dedication to avoid police misconduct and promote accountability.
Police Working Personality
Police working personality refers to the values, attitudes, and patterns of behavior that police officers exhibit because of the effective socialization into their subculture (Gaines & Kappler, 2015). The characteristic traits that are usually associated with the police personality include aggression, authoritarianism, bigotry, alienation, machismo, and bravery (Oliver, 2017). Others include prejudice, honor, hostility, individualism, cynicism, loyalty, efficiency, and secrecy.
In most cases, these traits also define the personal lives of law enforcement officers. The key factors that lead to the development of the police working personality include the law, competence, moral judgments, bureaucratic control, and psychological as well as sociological disposition. The psychological paradigm suggests that law enforcement personnel share certain intrinsic traits that lead them to choose careers in law enforcement (Gaines & Kappler, 2015).
This is based on the assumption that people possess certain qualities that they carry throughout their lives. According to the social model, the police working personality develops from occupational socialization (Gaines & Kappler, 2015). The personality develops when a rookie officer undergoes training under an experienced officer who shows them the practical application of various policies (Oliver, 2017). Moreover, the demands of police work mold the personalities of officers. The values, norms, and belief systems required to accomplish the role of law enforcement prevail in training environments (Crank, 2014). Therefore, trainees become socialized to act, think, and behave in certain ways.
The consequences of the working personality include the molding of the attitude and behaviors of officers, emphasis of certain personality traits, and adherence to certain values and belief systems (Crank, 2014). This working personality determines how officers respond and react to citizens. For instance, when an officer encounters an unruly and violent citizen, they might use excessive force because they have been socialized to be brave and authoritative. If the individual resists arrest, then excessive force could be used to make an arrest.
Vollmer’s Reform Movement
Some of the key elements of Vollmer reform movement were the elimination of politics from policing, the upgrading of police personnel, the centralization of power and authority in police departments, and the narrowing of police roles to law enforcement. Vollmer advocated for police professionalism with regard to crime control, proper education, and nonpartisanship (Oliver, 2017). He developed a degree program that taught the various dynamics of law enforcement. His police department (Berkeley Police Department) pioneered the use of forensics in crime resolution (Deflem, 2016).
Moreover, he introduced a code of ethics that prohibited police officers from accepting favors and rewards from citizens. O. W. Wilson encouraged the application of scientific management principles in order to increase efficiency (Oliver, 2017). A case in point, he pioneered the concept of single-officer patrol. They were not successful in eliminating police misconduct even though they introduced the concept of code of ethics. For example, in contemporary society, cases of police brutality, unlawful detention, discriminative arrests, and racism are widely reported (Deflem, 2016).
The Use of Force by Police
Law enforcement officers are allowed by law to use force in situations where individuals reuse to cooperate. However, police officers have been accused of using excessive force even in situations where it was unnecessary (Deflem, 2016). The TASER is an electronic control device that was invented in the 1960s by John Cover, which is used by police officers to deal with disorderly individuals without the application of excessive force (Deflem, 2016).
The gadget provides a safer option of handling non-deadly force confrontations. It is controversial because cases of deaths caused by the TASER have been reported, the excessive use of force, and the shocking of children and the elderly using the device (Deflem, 2016). Amnesty International released a report indicating that more than 1,000 people in the United States have died after exposure to electronic control devices (Oliver, 2017).
References
City of Chicago. (n.d.). Police: Mission.
Crank, J. P. (2014). Understanding police culture. New York, NY: Routledge.
Deflem, M. (Ed.). (2016). The politics of policing: Between force and legitimacy. New York, NY: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Gaines, L. K., & Kappler, V. E. (2015). Policing in America (8th ed.). New York, NY: Anderson Publishing.
New York Police Department. (n.d.). Mission. Web.
Oliver, W. M. (2017). Policing America: An introduction. New York, NY: Wolters Kluwer.