Political Cops: Being a Social Sinister and Its Repugnance
Introduction
Political forces infiltrating
police officers’ behaviors is a terrible situation. Equal distribution of law becomes affected
and street-level policing transitions into tactics that are based on renditions
of political affiliation. Citizens,
courts, and correctional systems deal with these prejudiced administrations of
street-level law enforcement (Donovan & Klahm, 2017; Mac Donald, 2016; O’Malley,
1997; Soss & Weaver, 2017). Furthermore,
many of the practitioners in the criminal justice are unaware of these
personalized applications of police work, and even if they are brought to the
attention of practitioners there is usually little evidence that can validate
the claims being made about politically-motivated police work (Donovan &
Klahm, 2017; Mac Donald, 2016; O’Malley, 1997; Soss & Weaver, 2017). Because of this, checking political-oriented
policing tactics becomes not only difficult to disrupt, but also tough to
research because of the obvious biases that exist and fear of consequences that
may arise if a police officer or entire department is participating in
strategies that are centered on political beliefs (Donovan & Klahm, 2017;
Mac Donald, 2016; O’Malley, 1997; Soss & Weaver, 2017). The collateral harms of a lack of research
and checking of such practices poses significant harms to the fundamental
rights in the United States (Donovan & Klahm, 2017; Mac Donald, 2016;
O’Malley, 1997; Soss & Weaver, 2017).
Media networks – typically, conservative media – engage in practices
that condone such biased policing methods and even advocate for it (Morin, Parker, Stepler, & Mercer, 2017; Nix &
Pickett, 2017; Oliver, 2017).
This is noticed when political
commentators distort facts of legal matters and infer that respect for police
officers should be taken on without regard to the facts that are present in a
police officer-citizen interaction (Morin, Parker, Stepler, & Mercer, 2017;
Nix & Pickett, 2017; Oliver, 2017). The
repugnance of such media endeavors, and acceptance of it by police officers, is
diminishing fair and impartial legal processes in the United States, as well as
infringing on multiple constitutional rights that are supposed to be protected. Because of this, this essay will discuss the
political influences in police work and how the interrelation is fundamentally
flawed when it comes to the purposes of public safety officials.
Constitutional
Rights
Constitutional
rights are not supposed to be politically or personally interpreted by police
officers (Crocker, 2013; Ristroph, 2015). The framework of these guidelines that are
incorporated into policing methods is very clear, that is. Subjecting citizens to politically motivated
police-based interactions should, in constitutional theory, dispose any
administrations of law that were commenced (Crocker, 2013; Ristroph, 2015). Yet, and as above-mentioned, the difficulty
in confirming these biases causes prejudiced policing to go unchecked and
unable to be identified in most cases (Crocker, 2013; Ristroph, 2015). Citizens who make claims about such biases
even lose out on additional due process rights because of this (Crocker, 2013;
Ristroph, 2015). More specifically, the
legal system has little ability to confirm many biases when it comes to
politically-influenced policing unless there are tangible facts that validate
the claims by accused defendants. Because
of this, the courts and corrections industry deals with offenders who 1.) should have not been arrested, prosecuted,
and convicted, and 2.) unnecessary bureaucracy
that wastes time, money, and resources because a police officer does not want to
admit that they were biased in their administrations of law. The disregarding of civilians’ rights goes unnoticed
by the criminal justice system, that is, and the harms to the justice system
are unable to be rectified because of the lack of proof of politically-motivated
police work (Crocker, 2013; Ristroph, 2015).
The Media and Politically Motivated
Policing
The media
– especially the news media – has a significant impact on police work in this
country (Kulchitskaya, 2014; Morin, Parker, Stepler,
& Mercer, 2017; Nix & Pickett, 2017; Oliver, 2017). Police officers and entire departments glean
much of the same materials that is produced in national media networks as other people do and even have
their own self-produced forms of media that cater to the police brotherhood. First, starting with the nationally broadcasted
media, much of this has both positive and negative influences on police work
depending on the intake and output of the media (Kulchitskaya, 2014; Morin, Parker, Stepler,
& Mercer, 2017; Nix & Pickett, 2017; Oliver, 2017). Drama-based media tends to influence police
officers’ behaviors in a manner that agrees with more of a crime control oriented
set of behaviors (Kulchitskaya, 2014; Morin, Parker, Stepler, & Mercer,
2017; Nix & Pickett, 2017; Oliver, 2017).
This is a politically-based conservative philosophy and, in some cases,
diminishes positive attitudes or cooperation toward more community policing tactics. Shows like 48 Hours, Live PD, Blue
Bloods, Law & Order, Alaska State Troopers, and the alike
routinely show the excitement of police work and, in turn, have the ability to
create a desire for police officers to want to have similar thrills that are
depicted in these television programs (Kulchitskaya, 2014; Morin, Parker, Stepler, & Mercer, 2017; Nix & Pickett, 2017; Oliver, 2017). Such
stimuli pose serious problems for police work.
Elaborating more, seeking a thrill while in the field of policing is,
for the most part, inherently unconstitutional and a form of targeting. Looking for crime because it is ongoing is
acceptable, however, attempting to find an excitement from crime control
methods suggests that police officers are looking for criminal activity in environments
where it may not be ongoing, which, again, is a biased process of police work (Kulchitskaya,
2014; Morin, Parker, Stepler, & Mercer, 2017; Nix & Pickett, 2017;
Oliver, 2017).
The
same concept applies to the self-generated media within the police officer
profession. Training videos, police and
military magazines, newsletters, advertisements, and lectures and speeches at
conferences all entail an array of propaganda that entices police officers to
take on different approaches to policing that are, essentially, politically
motivated (Kulchitskaya, 2014; Morin, Parker, Stepler, & Mercer, 2017; Nix
& Pickett, 2017; Oliver, 2017). Of
course, this depends on the media being projected, taken in, and the
personalities of the police officers viewing the various forms of media. Nevertheless, political orientation does
arise given the personal liking or disliking of particular media. A crime control liking is conservative in
nature; whereas, community policing or more friendly policing strategies are
liberally based. Political affiliation
may not always be deliberately implemented in the aforementioned media, but the
implicitness of it (politics) is certainly apparent (Kulchitskaya, 2014; Morin,
Parker, Stepler, & Mercer, 2017; Nix & Pickett, 2017; Oliver, 2017). Police officers embrace the ideologies within
this type of media and, in turn, decide which methods of policing are
appropriate for themselves and even learn when they can perform their personal
dictations of law enforcement in their specific jurisdiction (Kulchitskaya,
2014; Morin, Parker, Stepler, & Mercer, 2017; Nix & Pickett, 2017;
Oliver, 2017).
News
media – especially television – has the most significant effect on police work
in the United States. This is because of
the agendas of most news media outlets in the United States and the facts or claims that
are presented in such media. More
specifically, liberal media has the tendency to present facts of police biases
and conservative media tends to depict police officers as heroes and deserving
of constant admiration. Police officers’
attitudes about such media are necessary to discuss given the discourse of most
news media in the nation. That is, one
must step inside of the minds of police officers when unfavorable media is
presented regardless of its context to a specific police department.
Any
form of disdain toward a profession that is public service orientated delivers
negative emotions for the practitioners regardless of their individual
interpretation of the media that has been delivered (Kulchitskaya, 2014; Morin,
Parker, Stepler, & Mercer, 2017; Nix & Pickett, 2017; Oliver, 2017). There is no difference for police officers in
the United States when this phenomenon occurs.
However, the perceptions that are delivered via the news media do have
the ability to influence decision-making processes in the police profession
more so than other public service positions because of the interactions with citizens that occur and the ability to apply the law upon them (Kulchitskaya,
2014; Morin, Parker, Stepler, & Mercer, 2017; Nix & Pickett, 2017;
Oliver, 2017). For instance, when police
officers view media that they believe is negative there are only two reactions
that transpire. Which are: 1.) a preconceived notion about which form of
justice should be administered based on political affiliation, and 2.) the views of the individual(s) who they
encountered in a specific police-citizen situation. In other words, the news media influences
police officers’ administrations of law based on the dissent or admiration of their
services and what the individuals’ perception of police officers are in any
situation that they (police officers) come upon (Kulchitskaya, 2014; Morin,
Parker, Stepler, & Mercer, 2017; Nix & Pickett, 2017; Oliver, 2017). Of course, this depiction can change because
of the various situations that come about.
Nonetheless, there is still merit to the idea that police officers base their
law enforcement tactics on their political beliefs and the beliefs of the person(s)
who they are interacting with. Citizens’
attitudes can impede this theory as well, and, in turn, demonstrate how perceived
aggression or respectful behaviors can influence a police officer’s use of the
law regardless of political affiliation or desired methods of police work.
The Repugnance of Political Policing
Politically
motivated police work is an unchecked atrocity that destroys the fundamental
rights that citizens have in the United States.
Case in point, it should not be occurring and police officers are supposed
to be free from prejudices while in the line of duty. The society that we live in makes this extremely
difficult to do, but when the underlying premises of law enforcement and the Bill
of Rights are comprehended, one should glean the serious problems that arise
when politically motivated police work enters the profession. Not only do miscarriages of justice occur,
but also a police officer-citizen divide that acts as a barrier to positive
relationships that could improve the profession of law enforcement. Typically, when clashing views meet there is
a psychological impact that lasts a lifetime.
Again, depending on the outcome of the interaction between police
officers and citizens and the facts of the matters. This phenomenon appears to be rarely
understood or applied by police officers while engaging in their professional duties.
Because
of politically motivated work, other believed prejudices are radiated into
society (El-Enany, 2015; Donovan & Klahm, 2017; Nix & Pickett, 2017; Simmons,
2008). Thoughts about racism, ethnic biases,
gender discrimination, and many other forms of preconceptions – regardless if
they are true or not – come about and spread in communities in the United
States (El-Enany, 2015; Donovan & Klahm, 2017; Nix & Pickett, 2017;
Simmons, 2008). Thus, the reciprocal
effects of political affiliation entering the police profession have more
negative outputs than any good for the profession or for the public. Checking these motivations ought to be done
by senior police officers, yet the dilemmas of what their political and law
enforcement beliefs are is a relevant sociological inquiry that one should take
in (El-Enany, 2015; Donovan & Klahm, 2017; Nix & Pickett, 2017;
Simmons, 2008). Finding and hiring fair
and impartial police officers is something that would deter the harms that have been
mentioned in this essay.
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