Introduction
Police misconduct refers to the awful actions taken by policemen while on their duty. This might compromise the aspects of justice. In order to prevent such misconducts, there is need for civil rights agencies to fight for the desired human rights (Streacker 1).
In addition, they establish and propose disciplinary measures to be taken against the police officers abusing authorities given to them. Some of the police misconducts are corruption, racial profiling, false arrest, sexual abuse, intimidation, police brutality, abuse of power, and political repression. This paper argues on the positive and negative sides of police misconduct.
Argument against police misconduct
Police officers are supposed to protect civilians and prevent crimes. A good number of policemen have delivered their mandates in regard to this quest. However, there are some police officers who ignore their duties and violate the rights of citizens whom they should otherwise protect.
Police officers involved in sexual abuse are always on the wrong side of the law by abusing their abuse their power. In various cases, courts have always failed to hold the culprits (police officers) responsible for these misconducts.
Concurrently, some police officers usually force individuals to strip naked as they execute search. This is a critical misconduct in regard to human rights. Susceptible groups incorporate drug addicts, traffic violators, vulnerable women, drunken drivers, and street prostitutes. In most cases, this happens when the police officers are on duty.
They always take advantage of their official positions to sexually abuse the suspects. Although criminal prosecution is very impractical, policemen found on the wrong side of the law are always jailed for a given term.
Actually, prosecutors are always reluctant to try these victims in the court of law for the following reasons; police officers, in most cases, are protected by the prosecutors. Additionally, they might be having a considerable professional reputation and would not want to destroy it.
To discontinue these misconducts, supervisors should be on the look to identify officers who are taking advantage of their positions/authority. Additionally, police brutality (as a misconduct) is not allowed. In fact, it is being considered as a crime. Police cruelty is not an effective way of preventing crime. However, there is a group of people who strongly support police brutality.
These people hardly care about the underlying misconducts/ incidences. They will always find excuses when police officers beat up people. Other might argue in favor of the victims. Some excuses incorporate alcoholic influence. This justifies the treatment given to such people.
Police officers are supposed to undergo some training on how to handle suspects while arresting them and not beating them up physically. This is not a viable way to eliminate crime. The act is punishable before a court of law.
Such misconducts indicate how the police department is tainted, lacks integrity, and violates human rights. Police officers always take part in corruption activities with impunity. Some officers will protect criminal victims taking part in unlawful actions. In the drug market, some police officers earn a lot of money by protecting the drug lords.
The business is lucrative and involves transacting a lot of money. Basically, corrupt police officers should not be tolerated. This is a critical agreement with regard to police misconducts mentioned earlier. In some cases, Middle class communities in the urban areas always feel that first class communities are secure when it comes to law enforcement.
In this case, there is a negative perspective on police corruption by the communities in the minority (Carmen 1). A number of people, athletes, entertainers and black celebrities always fall victims of racial profiling. This clearly indicates that there is still more to be done in order to end this racial profiling. This misconduct is still rooted within the police force despite condemnation from various humanitarian entities.
Various aspects of police misconduct can be related to impunity and abuse of office as indicated earlier. In some cases, prejudicial arrests and judgments have been noted amongst the police force. Whether one is rich or famous, police misconducts might affect him o her.
Racial abuse by police officers is not allowed, in fact, it brings tensions within the police departments. For example, discriminated police officers might also condemn such misconducts. In several occasions, this is taken as racial discrimination and may lead to loss of job by the police officer who does this. In addition, it is punishable by law.
In the society, police misconducts are more rampant than expected. it is possible to find that many people fear launching complains or taking actions on this unacceptable act. Most people hardly do this since they fear being intimidated by the police officers.
Many victims who fear harassments will keep this secret (Buzawa & Buzawa 24). In cases where there are some complains, the case always go in favor of the police officers and not the person who filed that complain. This will in turn give the police officers some confidence.
Consequently, they will confidently redo the act again without fear or favor. Despite the fact that not many officers are involved in this act, the other officers who are aware of these acts don’t do or say anything about these dreadful incidents. The remaining police officer will in a way protect the image of their organizations by taking some actions.
Police harassments are widespread globally. The situation has equally been politicized making the entire situation unchangeable. The best way to defend police intimidation is to know your civil rights. One should be firm, bold, and restate the laws when caught up in compromising situations.
A lot of people who have fallen victims always fear the authority possessed by the police officers since they are not aware of the matters involved. Political repression (on the other hand is not allowed in the society or even by nations). Most governments will try to oppress an individual for political gains (Nyberg 3).
This will bar victims from exercising their full human rights. People who are demonstrating to bring about some change in the society or to a given country are also not spared. False arrest on the other hand is not accepted by many people in the society. In most occasions, it involves very minor accusations.
Thus, before arresting someone, the police officers must look for some valid proof to show that the crime has been committed.
Argument for police misconduct
In several occasions, police misconducts have received critical condemnations. The act emanates from several factors. Normally, people recognize that police officers are government employees mandated to serve the nation with integrity and loyalty required. Conversely most of them abuse their commands as indicated earlier. Due to this, policemen can hardly associate with people in the outside world.
They will only associate with their fellow police officers. For police officers to lower incidences of crime and pursue justice successfully, they should exercise their mandates with integrity. By doing this, they will obtain some control on the law-breakers. In addition, a sound-minded society should show that they are anxious towards authority for them and the concerned police officers to operate on the same level.
A police officer is supposed to use an excessive force in case his or her life is in danger since protection of life is more important to the officers. This will benefit both the officer and the victim as it will allow the offender to realize his mistake and amend it (Fitzpatrick 1).
Otherwise, police officers are nothing but just soldiers who follow rules. Police discretion has been highly criticized as people take it as a way to oppress the minority ethnic communities. But police officers have been given powers to arrest any suspect who is believed to be an illegal immigrant so long as he or she can’t confirm the legal status.
Conclusion
It is evident that police officers are not allowed to abuse or attack their subjects. This is an important consideration with respect to police misconducts. As indicated earlier, most police officers have demonstrated various misconducts.
Police officers are suppose to give protection to the citizens as they serve the concerned nation. As indicated earlier, various misconducts ranging from corruption to false arrests have been identified. It is important to enhance integrity among the concerned police officers. This will augment justice and implementation of community policing.
Works Cited
Buzawa, carl & Buzawa, Eve. Domestic violence: The Criminal Justice Response. Florida, FL: SAGE, 2002. Print.
Carmen, Rolando. Criminal procedure: law and procedure. Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.
Fitzpatrick, Mark. Police brutality training. 2010. Web.
Nyberg, Carl. Defenders of police brutality must wake up and face facts. 2006. Web.
Streacker, Jacob. Police Misconduct and Public Relations. 2010. Web.