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Vision and Mission, Risk Management, and Torts
Name
Course
Institution
Professor
Date
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Vision and Mission, Risk Management, and Torts
Introduction
One of the most well-documented cases of police brutality in the United States took place
in March 1991 when members of the LAPD brutally beat King. King was driving at a high
speed; he was pulled out of his car, handcuffed, and then savagely beaten by four LAPD officers
while a witness recorded the incident on camera. The footage depicted the officers beating King
with batons, which elicited a backlash across the country and raised questions about the police
conduct, responsibility, and the efficacy of the existing law enforcement laws. Even though the
officers were found not guilty of state criminal offense charges, they were later found guilty of
federal violation of rights and charged $ 3.8 million. This essay evaluates the Florence Kelly and
the Rodney King case by evaluating the vision and mission of the LAPD, understanding how tort
law will affect the vision and mission of the LAPD, and the overall risk management and ethics
leadership.
L.A.P.D.'s Vision and Mission
The LAPD has a vision and mission statement, which is central to the organization's
functioning and is supposed to shape the conduct of its members. The LAPD 's stance on its
primary duties, as well as the management of the police department, portrays a clear mission
statement focused on public service and upholding the law with equal regard for all citizens
(myDB, 2019). The vision aligns with these goals, describing a scenario that paints a picture of a
department working in harmony with the community to minimize criminal activities and improve
the standard of life for all citizens (my DB, 2019). The vision and mission are important aspects
of risk management by setting the frame for ethical behavior. These statements set out the
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principles to be followed when tackling ethical dilemmas and define the standards of
professional practice.
The Impact of Tort Law on Vision, Mission, and Ethical Leadership
Tort law is an essential part of the LAPD 's vision and mission since it is responsible for
overseeing civil wrongs and damages. This law is evidenced by the Rodney King case, where
King was awarded a hefty sum of money for the excessive use of force by the police. The million
settlement was punitive but also preventative and served as a stark reminder to police forces of
the potential financial and reputational cost of police misconduct (Volokh, 2014). This massive
payment served as a reminder of the fateful outcome of not following the ethical guidelines of
the department, as well as the importance of bringing the LAPD into compliance with its vision
and mission.
On one hand, tort law has had implications on the LAPD 's vision and mission in various
ways. It deters the behavior, and the department complies with the rules that decrease the
likelihood of the misconduct and subsequent exposure. The financial costs of litigations prove to
be detrimental to the department because the funds could be utilized to benefit the public and
thus eroding their trust (Langer & Wierner, 2023). Secondly, tort law affects the formation of
risk management issues that are critical to ethical leadership. After the Rodney King incident, the
LAPD found itself under pressure to change and alter its course to prevent similar episodes of
police brutality and excessive force in the future (Langer & Wierner, 2023). These changes were
meant to give a new face to the department by improving the training programs, increasing
supervision, and returning to community policing, all of which aimed at fulfilling the
department’s vision and securing its mission.
Upholding and Violating the Vision and Mission
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The pursuit of King, who was running from the police, can be regarded as compliance
with law enforcement's mission and serving the community's interests. The officers were in the
process of a police operation with the intent of arresting a suspect who had acted irresponsibly,
endangering the well-being of other people (Langer & Wierner, 2023). Pulling King out of the
car, putting handcuffs on him, and then the beating – are clear violations of the vision and
mission of LAPD The use of force was excessive and went against the department's policies of
valuing life and promoting the sanctity of self-ownership (Langer & Wierner, 2023). The
conduct exhibited by the officers showed a total lack of adherence to the ethical standards of
policing. It was contrary to the core values listed in the LAPD mission statement.
Employment Laws and Policies: Hiring, Training, and Retention
Then, there were many vices surrounding the force with many loopholes in the hiring and
training of the officers in the police force. Perhaps one of the reasons was that the department
had not effectively conducted proper screenings for applicants' psychological fitness and ethics
to join the force to be part of their law enforcement team, those officers who lack the right to use
force only when necessary (Krbechek & Bates, 2017). The weak training on the use of force and
the rights of the legal provisions of the use of force among the police officers worsened the
situation, which resulted in other harms, such as the beating of Rodney King. After the King
case, changes have been made in the selection and training methods of police officers in LAPD
and other similar departments (Krbechek & Bates, 2017). This concerns better psychometric
tests, increased scrutiny of past behavior, and continuous professional development of police
officers in procedures such as handling confrontational situations, succeeding multiculturalism,
and using force appropriately.
Legal Policies and Constitutional Mandates
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The Fourth Amendment of the USA Constitution safeguards citizens from unreasonable
searches and seizures by entities, including the police, through the use of excessive force. The
actions of the LAPD officers in the Rodney King beating case deprived King of his civil rights.
Such a grave violation took place with a constitutional provision in place; thus, the
supplementing policy of the LAPD failed (Langer & Wierner, 2023). While the legal provisions
were available, the fight against the abuse of power within the department lacked proper
supervision and enforcement measures to counter its officers. This underlines the necessity for
improving police accountability mechanisms, both internal and external, as well as stronger
policies and rules regarding the usage of force.
Risk Management Policies
The organizational risk management policies in law enforcement agencies such as the
LAPD shield the organization and the community from undesirable vices and other legal risks.
These policies are meant to contain measures for evaluating, addressing, and preventing risks
relevant to police work, such as the application of force, police-public contact, and the possibility
of civil rights abuse (Girod, 2014). Thus, in the case of Rodney King, risk management measures
inadequate in the LAPD were distinctly manifested. It revealed serious gaps in the department's
capacity to stop and address abuse, which provoked condemnation and legal troubles (Krbechek
& Bates, 2017). To enhance risk management, the LAPD would be required to enhance its
training programs to instruct the police officers on how to apply the use of force more
proficiently, constitute a clear guideline to be followed by the law enforcement agents, and also
improve accountability processes to ensure that the officers observed the ethical and legal
provisions to the letter.
The Impact of Financial Settlements on the Organization and Community
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The compensation to Rodney King affected the police force in L.A. and society in
general. The 3.8 million settlement served as a wake-up call to police departments and
demonstrated the monetary and adversarial consequences of police brutality. The settlement was
not only an additional burden to the department's yearly budget but also revealed the necessity to
improve the methods of managing risks to avoid such cases (Campbell et al., 2014). Thus, the
settlement was deemed as justice for the harm suffered by King in the community, but at the
same time, it showed the organizational problems in the LAPD that required to be solved. It
called for change and placed more pressure on the department to reform how it engages the
public and enforces the law.
Proposing Changes to the Vision and Mission Statements
In view of the events that occurred in the Rodney King case, the vision and mission
statements of the LAPD could be altered to promote accountability of the police, transparency,
and trust in the community. The new vision could clarify the department's support of civil rights
and its desire for a good rapport with all the communities (Girod, 2014). The mission statement
may also refer to ethical policing, using force only as a last resort, and the continual effort for
improvement. To maintain compliance with these modified statements, the LAPD could use the
training and education section in its force, whereby the statements and policies could be
continually reinforced.
Conclusion
The Rodney King depicts the need for law enforcement agencies to implement their
vision and mission statement. It shows the LAPD 's failure to detect misconduct and lack of
precaution in its framework. It highlights that more needs to be done regarding risk management
and accountability measures and reintroducing education program. The LAPD can regain the
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public trust and make sure that wrongful actions, such as the beating of Rodney King, are not
done again by improving its visions and mission statements, improving training programs, and
incorporating better concrete supervision measures. The experience gathered in the present case
remains valuable to the present time as it is a vivid example of the necessity to make constant
changes and reforms in police departments in the United States.
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References
Campbell, N. M., Dobell, J. P., Katsampes, Mactavish, & Yates. (2014). Correctional leadership
competencies for the 21st century: Executives and senior-level leaders.
Girod, R. J. (2014). Advanced criminal investigations and intelligence operations: Tradecraft
methods, practices, tactics, and techniques. C.R.C. Press.
Krbechek, A. S., & Bates, K. G. (2017, April 26). When LA erupted in anger: A look back at the
Rodney King riots. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2017/04/26/524744989/when-la-erupted-
in-anger-a-look-back-at-the-rodney-king-riots
Langer, E., & Wierner, A. (2023, January 27). Who was Rodney King? His 1991 beating by L.A.
police roiled America. The Washington Post.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/01/27/rodney-king-tyre-nichols/
myDB. (2019). MOTTO, MISSION & VALUES. my Police Dashboard.
https://mypd.joinlapd.com/MOTTOMISSIONVALUES/#:~:text=The%20Mission
%20Statement%20of%20the,improve%20their%20quality%20of%20life
Volokh, E. (2014). TORT LAW VS. PRIVACY. Columbia Law Review -.
https://columbialawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/May-2014-7-Article-
Volokh.pdf
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