James Garber Case Study

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Introduction This purpose of this paper is to interview a former Sergeant (Sgt) in the New Jersey police department, James Garber, to determine his thoughts on the current state of the criminal justice system. During this interview, Sgt Garber was asked several questions regard the current state of the criminal justice system; specifically, in what ways is the system working, in what ways is the system failing, and what direction he sees the justice system going. As part of this, he explains why he feels this way about the justice system, to include specific examples to support his belief. In addition to Sgt Garber’s opinion on these matters, this analysis includes real world examples that support the problems he identifies. Lastly, this paper …show more content…

Severing the state of New Jersey’s Gloucester Township for just over 13 years before retiring due to injury’s received in the line of duty. During his time in the Gloucester Township, he spent about 10 years in a patrol and the rest of his time working in the station. During this time he also received several accommodations / awards for superior performance. Sgt Garber’s most recent award was due to his decisive actions during an incident in December of 2012. Early in the morning, a suspect was being booked when he rushed one of the other officers in the station and took their weapon. Immediately upon acquiring the officer’s weapon, the suspect opened fire on the three officers in the room, striking each officer at least once. After being struck several times, Sgt Garber returned fire on the suspect, fatally wounding the suspect. Luckily, Sgt Garber’s quick action stopped the suspect from acquiring another weapon from one of the downed officers and saved the lives of himself and his two fellow …show more content…

When asked, Sgt Garber explained that he feels that one of the most effective aspects of the system was the fact that the decisions made in the heat of the moment out in the field were defended by all levels of the police department as well as the by the mayor himself. This practice allows police officers to make split second decisions without fearing every decision they make will be second guessed. In addition, it helps prevent officers from not taking action due to this same fear. This does not however protect officers that are clearly in the wrong and should have known

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