Gratuity Something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service. (Dictionary, 2010) When does a cup of coffee become a gratuity for a police officer? What is acceptable and what is not acceptable? If a police officer takes a free cup of coffee or a half priced meal does that make him vulnerable to take more. Does that act make the officer a bad officer or a corrupt officer? Does the person giving the gratuity expect something in return or is it just a gesture for the work the officer is doing?
Almost every police department has a policy on the acceptance of gifts and gratuities for the officers and the department. Some police departments allow no gifts or gratuities and some may have a policy that states as long as one person is not the recipient and it is available to the whole department then it is acceptable. How does a police department come up with a policy the does not create animosity toward the department from the public that wants to give to them for the services that they provide with no strings attached. You have some business that want to give money to a police department that needs to buy equipment for the officer on the street. Do you tell the business person that you can’t accept the money and that the officer will have to do the best that they can. No, I think when it comes to a safety issue and the gift is not for just one person the department will come out in the good end.
Agencies can develop a gratuity policy by seeking the help of many officers and local business owners and by reviewing established policies in other jurisdictions. Such a policy should tie directly with modern law enforcement's strict code of ethics regarding financial gains or rewards. (Sewell, 2007)
The slippery...
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...cal issue? The caliber of officers that are coming out of the police academies these days are top notch and most police departments have the safe guards in place to keep officers from sliding down the slippery slope that would damage the confidence that the public has in the department.
In the end gratuities, gifts and corruption will be a part of the police world as it has been from the beginning of the police community. It is incumbent upon the officers and the administration to keep the checks and balances in place so as not to damage the imagine of the police department and the city.
Works Cited
Dictionary, M.-W. O. (2010, June 16). Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
Kleinig, J. (1996). The Ethics of Policing . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, ).
Sewell, C. (2007, Apri). Gratuities. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 76(4) , pp. 8-12.
Serve and Protect are common words associated with police officers, however some law enforcement officers taint the honor and integrity of the job. Police Corruption is a serious problem affecting nearly every city across the country and world. Curbing police corruption is a tall order; however, improving the recruitment and training process and internal controls can bring this issue to an abrupt stop.
There are many people who are blind to police corruption and there are many who aren’t. As stated before police corruption has been going on for several years, and continues to go on. Officers with high ranks most of the time are the leaders of this action. Somewhere down the line all the bad they have done while wearing that uniform, will catch up with them. Most of the time the subculture will be the cause of an officers actions.
It is not uncommon for citizens, particular store or business owners to show their gratitude to officers by offering free cups of coffee, free meals, or discounts in exchange for their attentiveness and presence at the store. While the giving of a free cup of coffee may be an innocent gesture and certainly is not the sole contributor to ethical violations, or police corruption, the expectation, by the storeowner, of something in return is what establishes a “slippery slope” (Cheeseman, 2011). What makes a gift a gratuity is the reason it is given; what makes it corruption is the reason it is taken. The acceptance of even the smallest “perks,” such as free coffee, is problematic because it changes the mindset of officers. The slippery slope is corruption that begins with harmless, well intentioned practices and leads, over time, to all manner of crimes-for-profit (Delattre, 2004). If the reason the gratuity is given and taken leads to favoritism, impartiality, and prejudice, then this begins the downward spiral of unethical behavior.
...that have been mentioned throughout this article, it is therefore necessary that all police officers decline any and all types of gratuities.
With a strong flow of cash going into the police force, we could create a larger, more effective and safe police force. More branches of the force could be opened up to help solve, prove or investigate crime and with added funds, the police force could obtain an increased amount of technology. Without these things, the police force can not be as effective as it could be. Police are more effective in fighting the crime when they have a higher paycheck. All these added benefits all result from increased federal funding of the police force. The Federal Government needs to fund the police force much better.
These changes have manifested both positive and negative reverberations in the way we perform our job. Police officials have contemplated for years over the key to maintaining a positive image for their organization. Unfortunately, several incidents in the past years have altered society's perception of police in some communities. Police in America are no longer strangers to innovation born of scandal.
Visualize a mother of two kids and a wife of a police officer waking up everyday thinking that her husband has a possibility of being killed. With that being said, I firmly believe that police officers should protect themselves with any means necessary. Recently there have been many scenarios of people claiming police brutality and also shootings taking place in regards to police officers and members of the community. Aside from the great pride that comes along with being an officer, I believe that it is the duty of an officer to protect the community around him, but that can only be done if the police officer has the full support of the community around him. The shootings and assaults that have been taking place are all in all the result of the police trying to defend themselves by making quick, rational decisions to be vigilant and better protect the community, as well as taming the increasingly
Within our police system in America, there are gaps and loopholes that give leeway to police officials who either abuse the authority given to them or do not represent the ethical standards that they are expected to live up to by society. Because of the nature of police work, there is a potential for deterioration of these ethical and moral standards through deviance, misconduct, corruption, and favoritism. Although these standards are set in place, many police officers are not held accountable for their actions and can easily get by with the mistreatment of others because of their career title. While not every police abuses his or her power, the increasingly large percentage that do present a problem that must be recognized by the public as well as those in charge of police departments throughout our country. Police officials are abusing their power and authority through three types of misconduct known as malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance and these types are being overlooked by management personnel who rarely intervene even though they know what is happening. Misconduct is wrong because it violates rights and causes people to be wrongly accused of crimes or be found not guilty and set free when they are still an endangerment to other people. The public needs to be educated on what is happening in the police system in hopes that someone will speak out to protect citizens from being violated by police officers.
To get into the different types of corruption and misconduct, Pollock discusses six. You have gratuities, professional courtesy, use of alcohol and drugs on the job, graft, sexual misconduct, and criminal cops. Gratuities are basically items that are given to individuals, not because of the relationship between the receiver and the giver, but rather on the receiver’s role or position. A common example of this would be the accepting of free coffee. Many stores offer such things for appreciation of the officer’s work. An excellent example of this is the Holiday Gas Station in Marquette. The store gives free coffee to the officers of the Marquette area. Police courtesy is a common practice of not giving an...
Police Officers Oath of Office and Code of Ethics, A Question of knowledge Richard W. Deshon (2000) retrieved from: www.emich.edu/cerns/downloads/papers/PoliceStaff/
Ethics play a huge role in a police officers line of work. Since police are given such a high degree of trust and authority, it can unfortunately be very easy for an officer to fall into some unethical behavior. This can range from just minor acts that are frowned upon, to actual downright illegal activity. Even though there are a countless number of acts and behaviors that can be considered unethical, in the following paper I will focus primarily on those incidents involving police officers who steal for their own personal gain, and discuss my position on the issue.
In our times, the police have become the criminals. Some police are using their power to do bad things, and society has come to fear police. The law enforcement system needs change. The courts have failed the police, and the police have turn to other means of justice. We must stop the corruption in the police force.
This police activity is composed of difficult decisions and activities, which include the discretionary use of authority and prevention of crimes by a strong police presence. It also involves maintaining good relations within the community. Cops, at times, have to reach out to citizens to help them do their jobs. Examples include obtaining information in trying to solve a crime and helping to maintain order. About one month ago, we had some individuals come into the store and walk out with some expensive merchandise. The security cameras were unable to read the license plate on the car that they drove off in. Luckily they had work done on their vehicle in the automotive department, and when the police arrived to gather information about it, I was able to aid them in tracking them down because we had their license plate on file. If I am able to help law enforcement in any way, I do so. I know that working in law enforcement is challenging in this day in age, and the levels of trust are not where they should be, so whatever I can do to show other people that cops are there to help, I take advantage of the
Police corruption is a nationwide problem that has been going on for many years. Not only is corruption a problem on our own U.S. soil, but police practices of corruption go as far east as Europe and Asia. Many studies, polls and examinations were taken to find out how exactly what the general publics’ opinions of the police are. Officers receive a lot of scrutiny over this issue, but for good reason.
What is police corruption? Overall police corruption is an officer’s personal gain through the misrepresentation of police power. Police corruption comes in many forms. It can be as insignificant as accepting a free cup of coffee from a coffee shop, accepting bribes in lieu of investigation or arrest, ticket fixing, and greed. Cases of police corruption are cited frequently across the United States. Corruption is nothing new, but why does it continue to go on within law enfo...