Police culture, community policing, corruption, and ethical dilemmas

This week's objectives focused on police culture, community policing, corruption, and ethical dilemmas faced by law enforcement. Police have been hit with a number of public image issues of late and our print, television, and social media have provided an endless source of negative publicity which has (justifiably or not), tainted the public persona of law enforcement.
Your essay assignment this week will consist of two parts:
Part one is to identify a recent event in law enforcement that has negatively impacted a community's view of police. You are tasked with coming up with specific law enforcement strategies that would help restore that community's confidence in police. Your reading assignments provided a wide range of ideas and potential solutions to assist you in your essay to include Problem Oriented Policing, Community Policing, and the "Broken Window's" theory.
Part two is to identify a recent event in law enforcement that shows the police exhibiting professional or community-based policing that has had a positive impact on a community's view of police. It is important to understand that the majority of police officers are not corrupt and enter the field because they want to help people. Compare the approach taken by law enforcement in each situation.

Full Answer Section Part 1: A recent event in law enforcement that has negatively impacted a community's view of police One recent event in law enforcement that has negatively impacted a community's view of police is the shooting of Daunte Wright by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Wright was a 20-year-old Black man who was shot and killed by a white police officer, Kim Potter, during a traffic stop on April 11, 2021. Potter claimed that she meant to use her Taser, but instead shot Wright with her gun. Wright's death sparked protests in Brooklyn Center and across the United States. The shooting of Daunte Wright has had a negative impact on the community's view of police because it has raised concerns about police brutality and racial profiling. The community feels that the police are not held accountable for their actions, and that they are more likely to use excessive force against Black people. This event has further eroded the trust between the community and the police. Specific law enforcement strategies that would help restore that community's confidence in police There are a number of law enforcement strategies that could help restore the community's confidence in police. These include:
  • Problem-oriented policing: This approach focuses on addressing the root causes of crime, rather than simply responding to individual incidents. This could involve working with the community to identify and address issues such as poverty, unemployment, and lack of opportunity.
  • Community policing: This approach emphasizes building relationships between the police and the community. This could involve things like holding community meetings, attending neighborhood events, and working with community groups.
  • The "Broken Windows" theory: This theory argues that visible signs of crime, such as graffiti and abandoned buildings, can lead to an increase in crime. This approach focuses on addressing these visible signs of crime in order to prevent more serious crime from occurring.
Part 2: A recent event in law enforcement that shows the police exhibiting professional or community-based policing that has had a positive impact on a community's view of police One recent event in law enforcement that shows the police exhibiting professional or community-based policing that has had a positive impact on a community's view of police is the work of the Camden Police Department in New Jersey. In 2013, the Camden Police Department was disbanded and replaced with a new department that was more community-oriented. The new department has focused on building relationships with the community, and has implemented a number of community-based policing programs. The work of the Camden Police Department has had a positive impact on the community's view of police. A recent poll found that 67% of Camden residents have a favorable view of the police, up from 27% in 2013. The department has also seen a decrease in crime, with the violent crime rate dropping by 50% since 2013. Comparison of the approaches taken by law enforcement in each situation The approaches taken by law enforcement in the two situations described above are very different. In the case of the shooting of Daunte Wright, the police officer used excessive force and did not build a relationship with the community. This led to the community losing trust in the police. In the case of the Camden Police Department, the police department focused on building relationships with the community and implementing community-based policing programs. This led to the community gaining trust in the police. The two approaches show that it is important for the police to build relationships with the community and to focus on community-based policing. This can help to restore the community's trust in the police and prevent future incidents of police brutality.

Sample Solution

Part 1: A recent event in law enforcement that has negatively impacted a community's view of police