The Law Enforcement Profession :: essays research papers

The law Enforcement ProfessionAbstract     In order to understand comptemporary law enforcemment, we shouldrecognize the conditions that impact our profession. It is agreed upon by manyscholars that major changes in law enforcement occur every volt years. Policingis approximately judgment of convictions characterize"... like a sandbar in a river, subject to beingchanged continuously by the currents in which it is immersed..." (Swanson,Territo and Taylor, p. 2). However, in modern years some major changes haveoccurred in a shorter time period.Innovations in law enforcement     During the medieval two decades, I have spy major changes in theviewpoint of society towards police officers as the figure of trust and dignity,the technological advances of communication and information systems in lawenforcement, and the modification of selection and hiring practices for policeofficers. Organizational change occurs both as a result of int ernal andexternal agents (Swanson, Territo and Taylor, p. 664). These changes havemanifested both positive and shun reverberations in the way we perform ourjob.     Police officials have contemplated for years all over the key to maintaininga positive image for their organization. Unfortunately, several(prenominal) incidents inthe past years have altered societys perception of police in some communities.Police in America are no longer strangers to knowledgeability born of scandal. Lawenforcement agencies commonwealthwide have repeatedly been shaken by controversy andforced to make undesirable concessions. Has law enforcement failed to maintainthe racy standards required by the profession? The cost of public trust is high.It increases severally time faith must be regain.     Historically, law enforcement agencies throughout the nation haveexperienced periods of low confidence in communities preceding episodes deemedto be a breach of trust . Early pioneers in law enforcement history much(prenominal) asAugust Vollmer (1902 - 1932). Berkeley Police Department and J. Edgar Hoover(1924) the Federal chest of drawers of Investigation make numerous advancements towardsimproving the professionalism of law enforcement (Anderson and Newman, p. 119 -120). Other attempts were made in 1956 by the International Association ofChiefs of Police adopted "The Law Enforcement Code Of Ethics" (Wilson andMcClaren, p.8)     Examples of several historical events locally have attributed tosocietys slouch in respect for police. For example, nine members of a LosAngeles County Sheriffs Department special narcotics squad were charged withmisappropriating tens of thousands of dollars confiscated in drug raids (L. A.Times, p. 4, Sept. 9, 1989). Another local incident compound 80 Los Angelespolice officers stormed and wrecked an apartment and allegedly beat severalresidents on "Dalton Street." The city was f orced to settled in a gracious lawsuit by the resident with a settlement of $3 million dollars of taxpayers money