Student Post and Response Week 6 (for Hifsa Shakaut)

Law enforcement superagencies are made up of employees from all different areas of expertise with many different ways of doing things. In a career field made up of mostly type A personalities, these multiple levels of experience can sometimes clash. This clash can lead to infighting and poor ethical decision making which can have detrimental and irreversible consequences as seen in the CF Somalia case (Fitch, 2014). As the text states, “Today’s superagency leaders must capitalize on the multitude of experience and capacities of their generational cohorts of employees; they must also promote ongoing learning and celebrate ethical, professional behavior, critical thinking, and decision making” (Fitch, 2014)

(2) What do you believe are the key challenges and/or effective strategies for recruiting ethical people to work in law enforcement?

One of the biggest challenges for recruiting ethical people to work in law enforcement is the fact that many people can present themselves well on paper and in an interview but how they perform and make decisions when faced with an ethical dilemma is unknown. In depth and detailed background checks are effective and often draw out red flags. Past behaviors such as drug use, stealing, or cheating need to be critically evaluated in order to determine a pattern of poor decision making. Unfortunately, the pool for qualified police applicants is at all time low, thus resulting in some agencies lowering and compromising their background standards. Questionable behaviors and decisions that were once automatic disqualifiers are now being given time frames in order to raise qualified applicant numbers. For example, marijuana use was once an automatic disqualifier where now as long as you haven’t used maijuana in the past five years, you remain a qualified applicant. Lowering standards in order to raise “qualified” applicant numbers is a slippery slope and will only lead to problems and unethical behavior down the road in my opinion. Ethical behavior must be a foundational pillar within the agency in order to recruit ethical applicants. Accountability must also be at the forefront of recruiting in any agency so that they recruit only those who share the same values.

(3) Describe the importance of the link between law enforcement training and ethical behaviors?

Law enforcement training is crucial in molding ethical behavior for the new police officer. While agencies must do everything they possibly can to recruit an already morally sound and ethical applicant, academy and in-service training must continue to teach and demonstrate ethics. Police officers are faced with unique situations daily that often involve decision making based on proper judgement, discretion, and ethics. It is imperative that experienced veteran officers display proper ethical behavior and decision making to new recruits in order to set the standard for acceptable conduct. Ethics is taught at police academies and recruits are evaluated through their performance in realistic ethical scenarios. Training as well as real world implementation is key to ensuring ethical behavior.

(4) What are some of the best practices or industry standards on the topics you are auditing (Research paper)

The best practices when it comes to a successful find and bite canine team is dog selection and continuous training. In speaking with the founder and head trainer of the Sacramento Police Department Canine Unit, dog selection is crucial to an effective and successful canine team. While some agencies still look for the meanest and toughest dogs, progressive and well educated agencies seek the dog with the best temperament, sociability, and eagerness to learn. Seeking a well tempered and trainable dog has reduced the liability of the agency when it comes to accidental bites and excessive force complaints. It has also produced a more confident canine handler who can use his dog as a recruitment tool by showcasing it to the public without fear of dog aggression. Continued training using real world scenarios has shown to be an industry standard among most canine units across the country. Introducing the dog to new environments and changing the scenarios ensures that the dog never becomes acclimated resulting in a dog who is eager to learn and succeed.

(5) What are some of the possible training or policy recommendations that you identified in your audit (Research Paper)?

In my own agency, the use of canines policy was recently changed in order to clarify when the dog could be deployed per department guidelines. I feel that the policy is well written and protects the agency, the handler, and the public. I would not recommend any policy changes at this time. In regards to training, I would recommend more inter-agency conferences and training days in order to explore and even implement effective training methods used by neighboring agencies.

References

1.)Fitch, B. D. (2014). Law enforcement ethics: classic and contemporary issues. Los Angeles: SAGE.