What Are The Role of Police in Society

 

1)

Whatt are Wha are the rol role e of poli police ce in in socie society ty

= Introduction

Police are one of the most ubiquitous organisations of the society. The policemen, therefore, happen to be the most visible representatives of the government. In an hour of need, danger, crisis and difficulty, when a citizen does not know, what to do and whom to approach, the police station and a policeman happen to be the most appropriate and approachable unit and person for for him. him. The The po poli lice ce are are ex expe pect cted ed to be the the most most acce access ssib ible le,, in inte tera ract ctiv ive e and and dyna dynami mic c organisation of any society. Their roles, functions and duties in the society are natural to be varied, and multifarious on the one hand and complicated, knotty and complex on the other. !roa !roadl dly y spea speaki king ng the the tw twin in role roles, s, whic which h the the po poli lice ce are are expe expect cted ed to play play in a soci societ ety y are are maintenanc maint enance e of law and maintenance maintenance of order. "owever, "owever, the ramif ramificati ications ons of these two dutie duties s are numerous, which which result result in making a large inventory inventory of duties, duties, functions functions,, powers, roles and responsibilities of the police organisation.

Role, Functions and Duties of the Police in General #. The role and functions of the police in general are$ %a& to uphold and enforce the law impartially, and to protect life, liberty, property, human rights, and dignity of the members of the public %b& to promote and preserve public order %c& to protect internal security, to prevent and control terrorist activities, breaches of communal harmony, militant activities and other situations affecting Internal 'ecurity %d& to protec protectt public public pro proper pertie ties s includ including ing roa roads, ds, railw railways ays,, bridge bridges, s, vital vital instal installat lation ions s and establishments etc. against acts of vandalism, violence or any kind of attack %e& to prevent prevent crimes, and reduce the opport opportuniti unities es for the commission commission of crime crimes s through their own preventive action and measures as well as by aiding and cooperating with other relevant agencies in implementing due measures for prevention of crimes %f& to accurately register all complaints brought to them by a complainant or his representative, in person or received by post, e(mail or other means, and take prompt follow(up action thereon, after duly acknowledging the receipt of the complaint %g& to register and investigate all cognizable offences coming to their notice through such comp compla lain ints ts or othe otherw rwis ise, e, du duly ly supp supply lying ing a copy copy of the the )i )irs rstt Info Inform rmat atio ion n *e *epo port rt to the the complainant, and where appropriate, to apprehend offenders, and extend requisite assistance in the prosecution of offenders %h& to create and maintain a feeling of security in the community, and as far as possible prevent conflicts and promote amity %i& to provide, as first responders, all possible help to people in situations arising out of natural or man( ma n(ma made de disa dimeasures sast ster ers, s, an and d to prov provid ide e ac acti tive ve as assi sist stan ance ce to othe otherr agen agenci cies es in reli relief ef and and rehabilitation

 

%+& to aid individual, who are in danger of physical harm to their person or property, and to provide necessary help and afford relief to people in distress situations %k& to facilitate facilitate orderly movement movement of people people and vehicles, vehicles, and to contr control ol and regul regulate ate traffic on roads and highways %l& to collec collectt int intell ellige igence nce relati relating ng to matte matters rs aff affect ecting ing pub public lic peace, peace, and all kind kind of cr crime imes s including inclu ding social social offences, offences, communalism, communalism, extremism, extremism, terror terrorism ism and other matters relating to national security, and disseminate the same to all concerned agencies, besides acting, as appropriate on it themselves. %m& To take charge, as a police officer on duty, of all unclaimed property and take action for their safe custody and disposal in accordance with the procedure prescribed. %n& To train, motivate and ensure welfare of police personnel

Social Responsibilities of the Police

. -very police officer shall$ %a& behave with the members of the public with due courtesy and decorum, particularly so in dealing with senior citizens, women, and children %b& guide and assist members of the public, particularly senior citizen, women, children, the poor and indigent and the physically or mentally challenged individuals, who are found in helpless condition on the streets or other public places or otherwise need help and protection %c& provide all requisite assistance to victims of crime and of road accidents, and in particular ensure that they are given prompt medical aid, irrespective of medico(legal formalities, and facilities their compensation and other legal claims %d& ensure that in all situations, especially during conflict between communities, classes, castes and political groups, the conduct of the police is always governed by the principles of impartiality and human human rights rights nor norms, ms, wit with h specia speciall att attent ention ion to protec protectio tion n of weake weakerr sectio sections ns inc includ luding ing minorities %e& prevent harassment harassment of women women and children in public public places places and public transp transport, ort, including including stalking, making ob+ectionable gestures, signs, remarks or harassment caused in any way %f& render all requisite assistance to the members of the public, particularly women, children, and the poor and indigent persons, against criminal exploitation by any person or organised group and %g& arrange for legally permissible sustenance and shelter to every person in custody and maki ma king ng know known n to all all such such pe pers rson ons s prov provis isio ions ns of lega legall aid aid sche scheme mes s avai availa labl ble e fr from om the the overnment and also inform the authorities concerned in this regard.

 

%h& preserve, promote and protect human rights and interests of weaker sections, backward classes, poor, weak and the downtrodden. 2) What is is police police miscondu misconduct/ ct/ po police lice brutal brutality. ity. D Discuss iscuss..

Police /isconduct 0 1ny action performed by a law enforcement officer that is unethical, against established employment guidelines, unconstitutional, or criminal in nature. 'eems pretty broad, doesn2t it3 In fact, it probably doesn2t seem to be much different than any other type of misconduct misconduct and it doesn2t doesn2t really really seem to explain explain much about police miscond misconduct. uct. 'ure, this is certainly true in some part. !ut it +ust shows that the issue of police misconduct is a bit more involved than the basic definition implies and what most people understand about the issue. 'o, what 'o, what do does es po poli lice ce misc miscon ondu duct ct real really ly mean mean3 3 4ell 4ell,, let2 let2s s st star artt by expl explain ainin ing g that that la law w enforcement is a +ob not much unlike working as a bank teller, a dishwasher, or any other professional pursuit that one might engage in to earn a living. 5ust as with any +ob, there are rules and guidelines of behavior that one must follow and some +obs are more rigorous than others in what one may or may not do while employed in that profession. 4hen one acts outside of those established rules, whether the offense is a violation of your employee2s handbook or a criminal act, it is called employee misconduct and the penalties can range from an unpaid time off, demotions, +ob termination, or even +ail time. "owever, there is an important yet subtle difference between what you or I might do for a living and what a law enforcement officer is permitted to do as part of a police officer2s +ob function. 6amely, while you or I probably cannot deprive our customers of their freedom or use deadly force against against a customer, customer, law enforcement enforcement officers officers are entrusted entrusted with those police powers on behalf of the people they serve, the community, and are often granted immunity from civil prosecution for harms caused by their actions in the course of their duties. !ecause these police powers grant law enforcement officers the ability to impinge on the rights of othe others rs or caus cause e physi physica call ha harm rm,, an and d be beca caus use e thes these e powe powers rs gran grantt them them cert certai ain n lega legall protections the rest of us lack, there are established rules and guidelines that are generally expected to limit how and when they may employ those enhanced rights. 1lso, because law enforcement officers may use their powers of arrest while off duty and because of the harm that abusing these powers can cause to individuals and the community, police officers are supposed to be held to a higher standard of conduct, both on duty and off duty, than members of other occupations. Therefore, perhaps a better way to define police misconduct would be to say$Police /isconduct 0 1ny action, action, on duty or off, by a person entrusted with police police powers powers which would violate that trust tru st to an exten extentt that that would would cause those who ent entrus rusted ted the office officerr wi with th said said powers powers to reason rea sonably ably question question whethe whetherr contin continuin uing g that that tru trust st wo would uld expose expose the pub public lic safety safety to an unacceptable level of risk. !y this definition, police misconduct is more than +ust being late to the +ob a few times or having your shirt untucked, it2s something that would reasonably cause the community to question  whether or not it was such a good idea to entrust a particular person with those police powers.

 

)urthe )urt herm rmor ore, e, it sugg sugges ests ts that that an ac actt of po poli lice ce mi misc scon ondu duct ct,, wh whil ile e pote potent ntia iall lly y lega legall and and constitutional, may still be misconduct.

) Factors Factors that cause police police misconduct/ misconduct/poli police ce bru brutalit tality y

Psychological Factors •

Some theories argue there are psychological factors inherent in the causes of police brutality. The stereotype of the bad apple or rogue cop has largely been disavowed but studies suggest some personality traits can lead to the use of excessive force. Personality disorders, personal problems, problems, past job related trauma, and young inexperienced macho officers who learn inappropriate patrol styles all fit into this category, but they fail to completely explain police brutality.

Organizational Factors •

The policies and environment of a police organization are highly significant contributors to police brutality. For example, in the odney !ing beating incident the "os #ngeles Police $epartment used force within the acceptable parameters established by the organization. The "#P$ policy left it up to the discretion of the individual officers leaving an open window for potential abuse. The organization plays a %ey role in whether at&ris% officers will respond abusively or not.

Racial Profiling •

acial profiling continues to be widely practiced in the '.S. despite its illegality and is connected to police brutality. acial profiling assumes guilt for a crime based on the presumed criminality of people of certain racial characteristics, with #frican&#mericans, "atinos, #sians, and (ative #mericans disproportionately disproportionately affected. This raises the )uestion of racism and to what extent it*s responsible for police brutality.

Criminality •

The use of excess force on civilians is a criminal offense because it violates state laws, federal laws, constitutional rights, and police laws as well. +rutality is a form of white collar, occupational crime because the offending officer isseverely operating the function his legitimate occupation. departments department s seldom punish officers forin excessive use ofofforce, contributing to the Police perpetuation of this form of criminal behavior, critics say.

Inability to Follow Guidelines •

f an officer fails to follow the guidelines set down by the state during a violent situation, such as an arrest of an armed person, he may cross the line between the correct use of force and inappropriate brutality. brutality. #ccording to expert $avid -angan from $rury 'niversity, the (ew or% State Police $epartment created a list of chec%points that should be followed closely, in se)uence, as force becomes necessary/ verbal persuasion, unarmed physical force, force using a nonlethal weapon and deadly force. Failure to adhere to the strict code could result in charges of brutality.

Lack of Respect •

 #lthough it is understandable understandable for a police police officer to have little or no respect respect for a criminal in terms of their crimes or conduct in society, they must respect that individual*s basic human rights. f

 

an officer loses his focus on retaining respect and proper conduct, and it manifests as anger or frustration, the officer may be committing an offense of brutality. t is difficult to draw a line between using any %ind of personal, physical force and maintaining appropriate civil and human rights legislation, but it must be paramount to protect both the officer and the criminal target.

nger !anagement Failure •

Police brutality is a direct violation of the laws within the police force and a direct violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth #mendments of the 0onstitution regarding cruelty and protection of those laws. There are a minority of police officers who %now and understand this, but they cannot prevent their anger rising to such a level during armed or nonarmed responses so they lash out. 0ontrolling anger and maintaining decorum during conflicts and violent attac%s are two of the most important factors in reducing police brutality. #nger management courses may help officers who struggle to %eep control. They must recognize the problem, discuss it with their supervisors and see% assistance early to prevent problems.

buse of Power  •

n the most serious cases of brutality, an officer does attac% someone who has already been arrested and awaits further information. This is brutality/ it is premeditated and designed to intimidate or injure. t may result from personal grievances, such as revenge for a violent arrest, prior history && if they have met before in difficult circumstances && and often racism, according to the 0ity 'niversity of (ew or%. ather than allowing the law to determine the punishment for the assailant, the officer decides she will meter out her own form of punishment, perhaps because because she does not fully believe in the system she represents.

"#ad pple" $tereotypes and %ew &heories •

t was once thought that brutality was only carried out by a small group of 1bad apple1 officers && people with anger problems and an 1axe to grind.1 #s $avid -angan explains, it is now not thought to be so simple. Some officers learn poor behavior from problem superiors, some are traumatized from previous roles, some have a personality type that is prone to loss of control even  when correct procedure procedure is understood understood and respected respected and some some are too young and inexperienced inexperienced to fully realize the potential outcome of their actions.

!) What are the role of Police Re"ie# $oard Generally, the power of a civilian review board is restricted to reviewing an already completed internal police investiga tion, and commenting on itto the Chief of Police. Citizen review boards have not been very effective at causing reform , as they are often coopted by the police departmentwhose investigations they are supposed to review, and thus wind up agreeing with the police department in almost all instances. Some of the newer civilian review board models, however, provide board members with investigatory as well as revie w authority. Some of thesemodels contemplate that the board will conduct parallel investigations to supplement the in ternal affairs investigations. In a few localities, thereview board has subpoena power and can force a police officer to t estify. A few urisdictions even grant sole investigatory power to their civilianreview boards. !ut it is very rare for a civi lian review board to have the final say as to the disposition of an investigation or discipline to beimposed on an officer  . "hese ultimate decisions generally continue to be the province of the chief of police. #onetheless, all civilian review boards with independent investigatory authority seem to have the power to ma$e recommendations to the chief on di sposition and discipline.

 

Functions of the %i"ilian Re"ie# $oard 7. To establ establish ish the princi principle ple of police police accoun accountab tabili ility ty by invest investiga igatin ting g and hearin hearing g citize citizen n complaints compl aints on police police activity. activity. To ensure that citi citizens zens with grievance grievances s have a place to turn and thereby to help discourage police misconduct. 8f course, the 9*! accepts complaints in all languages. #. To pr prom omot ote e comm commun unit ity y awar awarene eness ss as to the the ci citi tize zen: n:s s oppo opport rtun unit ity y to fi file le a comp compla lain intt concerning police misconduct, as well as to disseminate information as to how and where to file a complaint. 1lso, to educate the public as to its rights in dealing with the police and about the merits of civilian oversight. . To make concrete recommendations about police policies and procedures and to suggest improvements in training. 1lso, to alert police administrators to the steps they must take to curb abuse as well to provide recommendations as to how future abuse may prevented. ;. To ho hold ld re regu gula larr mo mont nthl hly y meet meetin ings gs that that are open to the the publ public ic so that that ci citi tize zens ns and and representatives of organizations can voice criticisms, make proposals, and introduce resolutions to review review or reform reform specif specific ic police police practi practices ces.. To provide provide a mec mechan hanism ism throug through h whi which ch the community can voice its concerns and suggest recommendations. . To publish a semi(annual report listing the numbers of the following$ complaints received complaints compl aints investigated investigated hearings held complaints complaints wit withdraw hdrawn n and local local,, state, state, and federa federall cases filed against the police department. 8f course, the disposition of the complaints should be provided, and the number of use of force complaints as well as the number of shootings also should be listed. The report should include the policy, procedure, and training recommendations that were made and whether the police department implemented those suggestions in a timely manner. The report also should include the following patterns in complaints$ type %ie ( racial profiling, discourtesy&, geographic location of incident, race?ethnicity?gender of complainant, and characteristics of the officers %ie(race, ethnicity, gender, rank, etc.&. )inally, the report should provide statistics as to the trends in complaints %ie 3 that there is #@A increase in racial profiling complaints compared to the prior six month period.& per iod.& B. To author and make available to the public a summary report on each complaint and its disposition. C. To forge a relationship with local prosecutors as well as the 8ffices of the 'tate 1ttorney and the D' 1ttorney. 9omplaints alleging serious allegations should be forwarded to the relevant prosecuting agencies for appropriate action. 1nd when local prosecutors fail to act on cases concerning police misconduct, it is the responsibility of the federal government to prosecute if an individual:s civil rights have been violated. E. To contact the civilian regarding the filing of a complaint, if a case of police misconduct is known to have been alleged against that civilian and no complaint has been received. 7@. To protect officers from petty and vengeful complaints as well as protect the due process rights of officers engaged in the complaint process.