By: Bailey Van Tassell
The issue of police misconduct is a terribly violent issue that must stop at all costs to protect the lives and well being of innocent people and stop the hostility of rogue Law Enforcement Agents. Police Misconduct stretches past the threshold of only affecting singular persons, and crosses into the realm of affecting whole neighborhoods and cities, which is a key part in why it has to discontinue. The degree and type of Police Misconduct varies, however, all examples are equally unacceptable.
The many forms of Police Misconduct include the following: police corruption, falsified evidence, off-duty misconduct, racial profiling, false imprisonment, police brutality, surveillance abuse, and intimidation. Other examples of Police Misconduct are kickbacks, brutality, bribery, abuse of authority, false arrest, falsifying evidence, and evading consequences (Champion).
Police Misconduct is a product of inconsistency in the government and corrupt officials. In fact, the inconsistency between states about what constitutes a Police Officer is astounding and, frankly, quite frightening. According to the National Conference of State Legislature’s website, there is at least one different definition of a "Public Official" and "Public Officer" for every state (Ncsl.org). This makes it difficult to paint an accurate picture of how a Police Officer is supposed to act. However, institutes similar to the Cato Institute, which specialize in Police Misconduct, have a compelling and honest definition of what a Police Officer is.
According to David Packman, a member of the Cato Institute and Policemisconduct.net, a Police Officer is defined as “Any individual entrusted by a governmental agency with the legal authority to and granted special legal protections with the purpose of allowing that person to enact an arrest or use force in the course of enforcing established laws” (Packman). If this definition is true, then should we surmise that our government condones police misconduct?
Now knowing what a Police Officer is, what is Police Misconduct? Police Misconduct is defined as “Any action performed by a law enforcement officer that is unethical, against established employment guidelines, unconstitutional, or criminal in nature” or “Any action, on duty or off, by a person entrusted with police powers which would violate that trust to an extent that would cause those who entrusted the officer with said powers to reasonably question whether continuing that trust would expose the public safety to an unacceptable level of risk” (Packman). Californiainnocenceproject.org, a project that works to prove innocence of the wrongly accused, explains that:
“Police misconduct encompasses illegal or unethical actions or the violation of individuals' constitutional rights by police officers in the conduct of their duties.” (Californiainnocenceproject.org).
Police Misconduct is not a new crime, and in fact, Anthony Kurzweil of KTLA 5 News released a story on March 28, 2013, which said:
“Officials told the Los Angeles Times that Jordan defied the officers’ orders to remain in her car and began challenging them.
Surveillance video then shows officers slammed Jordan to the ground a second time while she was standing near the patrol car in handcuffs…
Jordan names the two officers, Christopher Hajduk and Christopher Carr, and Capt. Joseph Hiltner, who at the time was commander of the Foothill Division, as defendants.
The suit states that officer Hajduk was present during the LAPD’s beating of Rodney King in 1991” (Kurzweil).
With the facts and definitions set straight, it is time to introduce evidence and statistical data that will compel even the most stubborn person to evaluate the detriment that is Police Misconduct.
According to data from census.gov from December 31, 2013, the population of the United States of America was 317,292,487 people. The total population of the United States, compared to a meager 6,613 members of law enforcement charged with misconduct, is gargantuan (Packman). While the number of charge police officers seems small in comparison, think of the 6,826 victims of police misconduct and the 247 individuals who lost their lives due to police misconduct and the families of the victims (Packman). Furthermore, think about the money that it costs taxpayers. Just in 2010, about 346,512,800 dollars was “spent on misconduct-related civil judgments and settlements excluding sealed settlements, court costs, and attorney fees” (Packman). Police Misconduct causes a sense of distrust and fear that other Police Officers are similar to the accused Officer. For this reason, it affects neighborhoods and cities, rather than just individuals.
In order to protect our neighborhoods and cities, we have to reform our Law Enforcement and governmental organizations so that people can feel safe once again and know that trustworthy members of Law Enforcement are putting the correct people behind bars.
The Cato Institute’s website provides details on how to deal with Police Misconduct. There are six main steps to follow: “Step 1 – Remember Your Most Important Right,” “Step 2 – Document EVERYTHING,” “Step 3 – Take Care of You Before You Take On The System,” “Step 4 – Organize Your Thoughts and Build Your Case,” “Step 5 – Find A Lawyer…,” and “Step 6 – Be Patient” (Packman). The other remedies for avoiding and battling Police Misconduct are to know one’s rights and actively document any instance of Police Misconduct that you come across, especially if it involves said person or a loved one. The reason that the Cato Institute’s solution is problematic is that it is an active way of ending of Police Misconduct, which means that Police Misconduct is still occurring while it is being fought against. A more realistic and probable solution is to inform the public about the issue through media, such as print, the internet, news, and advertisements. The cost could get high, but it would be for a worthy cause. By informing the public about Police Misconduct and corrupt officials, the community will vote for trusted officials that can solve and not add to the problem of Police Misconduct.
In conclusion, the act of police misconduct is a horrible crime that not only affects the direct victims of the crime, but also affects the citizens who trust Law Enforcement, which must end at all cost to preserve the rights and safety of all U.S. citizens.
The many forms of Police Misconduct include the following: police corruption, falsified evidence, off-duty misconduct, racial profiling, false imprisonment, police brutality, surveillance abuse, and intimidation. Other examples of Police Misconduct are kickbacks, brutality, bribery, abuse of authority, false arrest, falsifying evidence, and evading consequences (Champion).
Police Misconduct is a product of inconsistency in the government and corrupt officials. In fact, the inconsistency between states about what constitutes a Police Officer is astounding and, frankly, quite frightening. According to the National Conference of State Legislature’s website, there is at least one different definition of a "Public Official" and "Public Officer" for every state (Ncsl.org). This makes it difficult to paint an accurate picture of how a Police Officer is supposed to act. However, institutes similar to the Cato Institute, which specialize in Police Misconduct, have a compelling and honest definition of what a Police Officer is.
According to David Packman, a member of the Cato Institute and Policemisconduct.net, a Police Officer is defined as “Any individual entrusted by a governmental agency with the legal authority to and granted special legal protections with the purpose of allowing that person to enact an arrest or use force in the course of enforcing established laws” (Packman). If this definition is true, then should we surmise that our government condones police misconduct?
Now knowing what a Police Officer is, what is Police Misconduct? Police Misconduct is defined as “Any action performed by a law enforcement officer that is unethical, against established employment guidelines, unconstitutional, or criminal in nature” or “Any action, on duty or off, by a person entrusted with police powers which would violate that trust to an extent that would cause those who entrusted the officer with said powers to reasonably question whether continuing that trust would expose the public safety to an unacceptable level of risk” (Packman). Californiainnocenceproject.org, a project that works to prove innocence of the wrongly accused, explains that:
“Police misconduct encompasses illegal or unethical actions or the violation of individuals' constitutional rights by police officers in the conduct of their duties.” (Californiainnocenceproject.org).
Police Misconduct is not a new crime, and in fact, Anthony Kurzweil of KTLA 5 News released a story on March 28, 2013, which said:
“Officials told the Los Angeles Times that Jordan defied the officers’ orders to remain in her car and began challenging them.
Surveillance video then shows officers slammed Jordan to the ground a second time while she was standing near the patrol car in handcuffs…
Jordan names the two officers, Christopher Hajduk and Christopher Carr, and Capt. Joseph Hiltner, who at the time was commander of the Foothill Division, as defendants.
The suit states that officer Hajduk was present during the LAPD’s beating of Rodney King in 1991” (Kurzweil).
With the facts and definitions set straight, it is time to introduce evidence and statistical data that will compel even the most stubborn person to evaluate the detriment that is Police Misconduct.
According to data from census.gov from December 31, 2013, the population of the United States of America was 317,292,487 people. The total population of the United States, compared to a meager 6,613 members of law enforcement charged with misconduct, is gargantuan (Packman). While the number of charge police officers seems small in comparison, think of the 6,826 victims of police misconduct and the 247 individuals who lost their lives due to police misconduct and the families of the victims (Packman). Furthermore, think about the money that it costs taxpayers. Just in 2010, about 346,512,800 dollars was “spent on misconduct-related civil judgments and settlements excluding sealed settlements, court costs, and attorney fees” (Packman). Police Misconduct causes a sense of distrust and fear that other Police Officers are similar to the accused Officer. For this reason, it affects neighborhoods and cities, rather than just individuals.
In order to protect our neighborhoods and cities, we have to reform our Law Enforcement and governmental organizations so that people can feel safe once again and know that trustworthy members of Law Enforcement are putting the correct people behind bars.
The Cato Institute’s website provides details on how to deal with Police Misconduct. There are six main steps to follow: “Step 1 – Remember Your Most Important Right,” “Step 2 – Document EVERYTHING,” “Step 3 – Take Care of You Before You Take On The System,” “Step 4 – Organize Your Thoughts and Build Your Case,” “Step 5 – Find A Lawyer…,” and “Step 6 – Be Patient” (Packman). The other remedies for avoiding and battling Police Misconduct are to know one’s rights and actively document any instance of Police Misconduct that you come across, especially if it involves said person or a loved one. The reason that the Cato Institute’s solution is problematic is that it is an active way of ending of Police Misconduct, which means that Police Misconduct is still occurring while it is being fought against. A more realistic and probable solution is to inform the public about the issue through media, such as print, the internet, news, and advertisements. The cost could get high, but it would be for a worthy cause. By informing the public about Police Misconduct and corrupt officials, the community will vote for trusted officials that can solve and not add to the problem of Police Misconduct.
In conclusion, the act of police misconduct is a horrible crime that not only affects the direct victims of the crime, but also affects the citizens who trust Law Enforcement, which must end at all cost to preserve the rights and safety of all U.S. citizens.
Works Cited
Californiainnocenceproject.org. 1980. Police Corruption Cases \| Police Misconduct Statistics \| CIP. [online] [Accessed: 27 Jan 2014].
Champion, Dean. Police Misconduct in America: A Reference Handbook. Santa Clarita: ABC-CLIO, 2001. Print.
Christoffersen, John. 2010. East Haven Police Bias: More Than Half Of Tickets Issued Went To Hispanics Who Make Up 6% Of Population. [online] [Accessed: 21 Jan 2014].
Kurzweil, A. 2013. Nurse Roughed Up in Traffic Stop Sues LAPD Officers. [online] [Accessed: 5 Feb 2014].
Ncsl.org. 2013. 50 State Table: Definitions of Public Official and Public Officer. [online] [Accessed: 5 Feb 2014].
Packman, David. 2010. 2010 Annual Report. [online] [Accessed: 27 Jan 2014].
Roman, Kristen. "The Officer's Pledge: To Serve And Deflect?." Newsweek 148.19 (2006): 18. TOPICsearch. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
Rosen, Jeffrey. "Excessive Force." New Republic 222.15 (2000): 24. TOPICsearch. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
Californiainnocenceproject.org. 1980. Police Corruption Cases \| Police Misconduct Statistics \| CIP. [online] [Accessed: 27 Jan 2014].
Champion, Dean. Police Misconduct in America: A Reference Handbook. Santa Clarita: ABC-CLIO, 2001. Print.
Christoffersen, John. 2010. East Haven Police Bias: More Than Half Of Tickets Issued Went To Hispanics Who Make Up 6% Of Population. [online] [Accessed: 21 Jan 2014].
Kurzweil, A. 2013. Nurse Roughed Up in Traffic Stop Sues LAPD Officers. [online] [Accessed: 5 Feb 2014].
Ncsl.org. 2013. 50 State Table: Definitions of Public Official and Public Officer. [online] [Accessed: 5 Feb 2014].
Packman, David. 2010. 2010 Annual Report. [online] [Accessed: 27 Jan 2014].
Roman, Kristen. "The Officer's Pledge: To Serve And Deflect?." Newsweek 148.19 (2006): 18. TOPICsearch. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
Rosen, Jeffrey. "Excessive Force." New Republic 222.15 (2000): 24. TOPICsearch. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.