Introduction
The modern law enforcement environment is more complex and requires police officers to observe standards of practice that have been established. Many police organizations have established strict legal and ethical procedures which their officers are required to adhere to whenever they perform their duties. This paper will discuss crucial issues that are caused by poor adherence to established codes of conduct by police officers.
Discussion
The central issues which are involved in this case study are loss of public trust in the police, police conduct during patrols, and the use of firearms by police officers. Another critical issue highlighted by the case study is the extent to which police officers adhere to established operational standards whenever they go out on patrols.
Deputy Ripley’s demeanor shows that he lacks the ethical competence required to perform law enforcement duties. He constantly violates procedural standards which have been put in place by the Sheriff’s Department, and he also lacks professional discipline (Kania, 2008, p. 61).
Ripley complied with the use of force policy as mandated by the Sheriff’s Department. However, he has a negative reputation for engaging in pursuits without any good reason. The driver of the vehicle which Ripley attempted to stop disregarded his order and instead drove at high speed towards the direction where Ripley was. Therefore, Ripley’s made the correct decision when he fired a warning shot because the driver of the vehicle was dissuaded from charging at him.
If he had not fired the warning shot, there is a high chance the vehicle would have hit him. His decision to pursue the vehicle was also appropriate because the driver had demonstrated violent traits which are common with criminal suspects (Kania, 2008, p. 67).
As a police officer, Ripley is expected to do all he can to stop criminal incidents from taking place in the county. He relied on his professional instincts and good judgment to assess the situation. This shows that he used a reasonable amount of force to discourage the suspect from resisting arrest.
Even though Ripley has a history of erratic behavior, the lieutenant needs to let him pursue the vehicle. This may help to resolve a crime in progress which would not have been discovered without the help of Deputy Ripley. He has used his professional judgment as a law enforcement officer to pursue the vehicle because, in his assessment, he feels that its occupants are about to commit a crime.
The lieutenant needs to ask other officers in the department to give Ripley the support he requires by following the vehicle to find out the real intentions of the driver. How the vehicle was parked and the way it was driven at high speed aroused Ripley’s suspicions. Also, any other officer would have been diligent enough to try and find out what the people in the car were doing (Kania, 2008, p. 71).
The deputy did the right thing when he fired the warning shots. The people in the vehicle were not willing to cooperate with him, and when the driver charged at him at full speed, he had to make an abrupt decision to save himself from the danger he was facing. A police officer is allowed by law to use a reasonable amount of force if he feels that his safety is likely to be endangered by the reckless actions of a suspect.
Even though Deputy Ripley is known for his rash behavior, the warning shots were the only solutions he had at that moment (Peak, 2010, p. 75). As a result, he was able to deter the driver from harming him. When the matter is analyzed within this context, it is evident that Ripley used a lot of restraint to handle a very delicate situation because he did not fire directly at the driver of the vehicle. Therefore, this shows that he wanted to talk to the occupant of the vehicle to find out what his mission was in that location.
Law enforcement disciplinary measures are used to deal with accusations leveled by members against law enforcement officers for failing to observe legal standards in their dealings.
The lieutenant, together with other officials in the department, will be required to conduct a review of legal and organizational standards which officers are required to observe to find out if Ripley had violated any of them. All law enforcement officers are required to undergo relevant training before they use tasers, dogs, and other less powerful weapons to apprehend suspects (Peak, 2010, p. 79).
The Internal Affairs Unit is likely to punish him for insubordination and gross indiscipline. Ripley needs to be reprimanded for using a taser and police dog even though he lacks the training required to use them. He has also unwilling to abide by the established code of conduct which the department uses to regulate its officers as they discharge their duties in the county.
The disciplinary team needs to punish Ripley for using his pet dog and the taser even though he has other appropriate tools which he can use in his duties (Peak, 2010, p. 79). This punishment will enable Ripley to be more diligent in his work to avoid engaging in actions that tarnish the reputation of the Pineville County Sheriff’s Department.
Additional policies are needed to ensure police officers in the sheriff’s department understand their responsibilities. The department should introduce a policy that prevents officers from conducting patrols alone without the help of their colleagues. It should set a limit of two officers for every patrol to prevent errant officers from getting involved in undesirable actions that ruin the department’s reputation.
Also, the department needs to use technological tools to monitor how police officers behave in public (Peak, 2010, p. 83). This will help the lieutenant to supervise officers under his command as they perform their duties in public. Therefore, this will help the lieutenant to use sound and video recordings to make effective decisions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Sheriff’s Department needs to enforce high standards of practice to prevent its officers from getting involved in unethical practices. This will help the department to gain trust and respect from residents of Pineville County to help it discharge its responsibilities effectively.
References
Kania, R. E. (2008). Managing criminal justice organizations: An introduction. Newark, NJ: Lexis Nexis Matthew Bender.
Peak, K. (2010). Justice administration: Police courts, and corrections management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/ Prentice Hall.