Students Post and Response Week 7

By use of ethical practices in the application of force, law enforcement agencies foster greater trust and legitimacy with the communities they serve. The message that is communicated to the community is that the use of force will be used in situations that are necessary where the use of force is sufficiently warranted to contain/stop a threat or danger. It also sends the message that a person’s civil rights and human dignity are principles that officers respect even in difficult and dangerous situations. An officer’s use of force that is consistent with the law and agency policy upholds the rule of law, and by doing so, affords a criminal suspect due process and preservation of their constitutional rights. Using an ethical approach in the use of force helps officers avoid traps of the “us vs them” mentality, as well as, a military style approach where officers view themselves as combat soldiers and criminal suspects are the enemy. By applying an ethical approach to the use of force, officers also avoid the mentality and belief that the ends justify the means as a utilitarian belief system (Elliott & Pollock, 2104).

#2: Compstat and Zero Tolerance - Challenges faced when pressured to reduce crime and produce certain outcomes in a short period.

Some of the challenges have to do with avoiding reactionary responses to crime. If there is pressure on a police agency to reduce crime and achieve certain outcomes in a short period of time, there may be a tendency to cut corners and fall into the trap of “by any means necessary” as pointed out by Elliott and Pollock in The Ethics of Force. Effective utilization of Compstat can help to avoid such pitfalls given that it provides real time data on which crimes are being committed and where they are happening. Police leadership can then deploy necessary resources and responses to affected areas of the community. By smartly using Compstat, Zero Tolerance enforcement becomes manageable and effective. Additional challenges occur if there is resistance toward the use of Compstat by rank and file officers, as well as, supervisors and command staff. Compstat must also be tailed-made to fit in with the particular culture and environment of the respective agency adopting its use. A one size fits all approach will not be affective nor embraced by staff in the long term.

#3: Specific Advantages of Police Community Partnerships in reducing crime.

Advantages in promoting police community partnerships start with the focus on the police being partners with the community they serve. Officers gain a level of trust by forming solid community partnerships. The fruits of those relationships lead to a better understanding of the role and mission of the police. It also strengthens a trusting relationship with the community where identifying and reducing crime becomes a shared responsibility between the police and the community. It also reinforces with officers that there is an emphasis on and necessity for interpersonal skills in building rapport and community relationships. Partnerships also lead to the police benefiting from legitimacy, cooperation and support from the community.

#4: Possible Accountability and Ethical Challenges with Strong Community Partnerships.

Building strong community partnerships benefit both the police and the community. Once created, the police have to put effort into nurturing and growing those partnerships by managing them appropriately and professionally. Officers should be on guard not to blur or cross any ethical lines in an effort to maintain or boost those partnerships. Officers should always stay focused on their duty and accompanying responsibilities by maintaining an objective, fair and balanced approach to working with members of the community. Even while focusing on strong partnerships, officer should exercise good judgement and critical thinking skills in order not to be unwittingly compromised.

#5: Key Learning/Observations while writing my final paper