Police Functions

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that inherent in the policing function is a requirement for ethical behavior on the part of the police themselves, who are expected to be beyond reproach as they guard against the crimes of others. The paper examines community policing programs in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh and explains that the structures of these programs differ because the two communities are very different. The paper discusses how, for both cities, a racial element is part of the process, necessitating particular care to avoid making the police seem to be an invading army while also making a police presence clear.

Outline:
Introduction
Police Ethics
Community Investigations
Los Angeles
Pittsburgh
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Policing is a difficult endeavor, but it is also one of the central functions of government, providing security for the citizenry and protecting the individual from the bad intentions of others. Arguably, the policing function in its broadest sense could be described as the rationale for the social contract that formed civil society in the first place, when people came together to form government in order to assure the individual protection from his or her neighbors."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Christopher, W. & Arguelles, J. (1991, July 9). Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department.
• Cohen H.S. & Feldberg, M. (1991). Power and restraint: The Moral dimension of police work. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger.
• Community policing works if all take part (2000, February 19). Seattle Post Intelligencer.
• Delattre, E.J. (1989). Character and cops: Ethics in policing. Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.
• Dinse, C.F. & Sheehan, K. (1998, January 1). Competence and character: Developing leaders in the LAPD. The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 67, 18-23.

More papers on Police Functions:

• Essay # 67590 : "The Inability of the Police to Prevent Crime"
• Analytical Essay # 126925 : "Reality vs Image and Police Roles"
• Essay # 72041 : "Police and the Community"

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