Firearms Training vs. Constitutional Training

Discretion in police and correctional work has become the cornerstone of every department in this country, which allows the law enforcers to conduct themselves in a manner that they think is fit for duty.  More interestingly, this use of discretion has turned into a personal rendition of state and federal constitutional rights.   For some unexplained reason most, if not all, of the police and correctional departments in this country exercise this power and in turn forget to adhere to the foundational elements that their occupation is based on.  Yet the majority of gun grasping fools will know how to operate a lethal weapon, as well as be mandated to be recertified in firearms training every several months.   These courses on firearms training is not the problem, as every person who owns a gun should be required to take these courses, especially in a profession that allows a person to freely carry a firearm.   Regardless, this blog is about the thought of police departments, as well as correctional agencies, and how they should be required to attend seminars that teach the elements of governmental documents (constitutional rights) and how they are applied to their profession.

The knowledge of what these documents entail is an intelligence that seems to be gone, as many criminal justice professionals do not know what the documents explain; with the exception to reciting them from a card or the elementary understanding of specific amendments and rights (obviously they know the Second Amendment more than the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments -- whoa!).  Nevertheless, there is an agenda of common sense in the profession, which is a good thing, but the state and federal constitutional adherence in policing methods and body of work in correctional institutions should be the number one priority for every practitioner who works in these places.  Not knowing how these documents are incorporated into the profession is a concoction of madness that permeates into the daily activities of the job, which is an extremely unethical trait to have when working in an enormous public service entity in this country.  How can a police or correctional officer properly do their job when the knowledge of these documents is not present?  And why has no one stood up and asked these people about how they exercise these codified rules in their routine activities?  Again, another fallacy of the criminal justice system, which is an example of how monarchial it has become.  If you have not caught the drift of this blog yet here it is: Professionals who work in policing and corrections should be mandated to take constitutional training at the same rate that they receive firearms training.  This would ensure that the integrity and individual diligence that is associated with the professions is comprehended, carried on by the individual, and most importantly, sustained and passed on to the next generation of professionals.  If anyone has thoughts about how this is a not a good idea please do share them, but make sure you know what you’re talking about and don’t go a tyrannical rant about how this blog is conjecture.  The upholding of state and federal constitutional rights should be a proclivity in every facet of the criminal justice system, if not, then why do we have these rights and criminal procedure laws set into society? 

Finally, this is not a slap to the face of the people who work in the profession, it is merely a public reassurance for the citizens to know and trust the justice professionals, as well as a way to let them know that these people know what they are doing in the particular profession.  How can anyone trust a police or correctional officer if they are more concerned with the constant relearning of how to operate their lethal weapon?  That speaks volumes of the mindset and professionalism of the occupation.  Again, the thought that comes into my mind is “why not?”  With the abundance of unnecessary-force court cases that have become prevalent in this era, a method that could counteract these terrible occurrences is necessary.  Give the professionals the state and federal constitutional training and the knowledge will improve the work, relations with the community, and integrity of the profession.