The integration of psychological services into law enforcement agencies is referred to as police psychology. From the early 20th century, the field of psychology has been expanding drastically.
With this expansion, psychology has been applied in various organizations beyond the law enforcement agencies.
Similarly, increased applications of psychology in police departments have led to diversification in psychologists’ roles. In the U.S., police psychologists are not only mandated to assess, select, counsel law enforcers, but also to diagnose supervisory challenges (Kitaeff, 2011).
In the early 1900s, Hugo Munsterberg suggested that psychologists could play major roles in law, courts, police departments, and forensic investigations. In this regard, Munsterberg is considered as a pioneer in forensic psychology.
Other prominent psychologists who have influenced the growth of police psychology are William Stern, Lewis Terman and Alfred Binet. In the year 1916, Terman developed a model that was to be used in selecting qualified law enforcers.
The model was never used due to its inability to provide authentic information. In the year 1921, experimental studies were conducted to ascertain the relationship between the police attitudes and their performance.
It was not until the year 1954 that the U.S. government acknowledged the application of psychology in law enforcement departments; by appointing Martin Reiser to be the nation’s first full-time police enforcer.
Reiser initiated the use of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory in screening applicants to the Los Angeles Police Department (Kitaeff, 2011).
Currently, the field plays significant roles in staff recruitment, selection, counseling, training, and evaluation within the police departments.
Increased applications of psychology in law enforcement agencies have resulted in numerous benefits. Counseling has enabled police officers and their families to manage work related stresses.
For the last two decades, decrease in excessive use of force by the law enforcers is attributed to increased applications of psychology in the police departments.
Similarly, the field has resulted in the recruitment of competent personnel. This has not only enhanced police services, but also enhanced their public image.
Increased applications of psychology in law enforcement departments have led to rampant professional issues, legal issues and ethical issues within the police departments. Professional issues affect police psychologists in their daily activities.
One of the professional issues identified is confidentiality. All psychologists gain access to insightful and personal information. As a result, law enforcement psychologists are expected to uphold confidentiality.
Equally, they are required to offer professional judgment and opinions to their clients. Similarly, police psychologists are expected to act as evaluators. They should offer independent and fair evaluations.
As evaluators, law enforcement psychologists are required to be morally upright. This implies that police psychologists should come up with unbiased assessments to determine whether individuals are fit to work as police officers. While doing so, they are required to take necessary precautions to protect individuals’ privacy.
All law enforcement psychologists are professional counselors. They are trained to offer counseling services to law enforcement personnel and their families.
Through this, they are expected to help their clients cope with family issues, work stress, and other social related problems. As required by the ethical standards, confidentiality should be upheld by all police psychologists (Gudjonsson, 2003).
As a police psychologist, one should be able to handle sensitive records. Similarly, law enforcement psychologists should be skilled in tackling vital incident debriefing. During this process, they should be careful to avoid causing discomfort to their clients.
Since the incorporation of psychology in law enforcement agencies, several ethical issues have arisen (Kurke & Scrivner, 1995). Ethical issues identified are competence, confidentiality, dual relationships, and conflict management.
It is alleged that some law enforcement psychologists use outdated assessment procedures, perform unwarranted evaluations, and delegate their work to incompetent trainees. Police psychologists should uphold the outlined standard laws and ethics.
For effective services, police psychologists should consult and train continuously to develop and increase their competence. Similarly, police psychologists should adopt reasonable steps when administering their therapy to avoid dual relationships.
It is important that law enforcement psychologists abide by these guidelines to end unethical actions and offer effective services to all.
With increased usage of technology by police psychologists, legal issues have been on the rise. Electronic gadgets have enabled police and forensic psychologists handle sensitive information with ease (Wrightsman, 2001).
As a result, several legal issues related to confidentiality have been cited. Consequently, legislations have been developed to protect clients’ privacy.
Because of this, conservative psychologists have argued that legislations have prevented them from playing their roles independently (Wrightsman, 2001). In the year 1990, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was signed into law.
The act was enacted to protect people with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, public transport, and communication services. Through this law, all people with disabilities are protected from losing their employment.
However, issues arise when the individual involved is a police officer. Police employers are required to employ and retain mentally and emotionally fit individuals, hence the discrepancy in the two laws.
References
Gudjonsson, G. H. (2003). The psychology of interrogations and confessions a handbook. Chichester, West Sussex, England: Wiley.
Kitaeff, J. (2011). Handbook of police psychology. New York: Routledge.
Kurke, M. I., & Scrivner, E. M. (1995). Police psychology into the 21st century. Hillsdale, N. J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Wrightsman, L. S. (2001). Forensic psychology. Australia: Wadsworth Thomson Learning.