Good Example Of Term Paper On Crimes Against Police Officers
Type of paper: Term Paper
Topic: Crime, Police, Social Issues, Violence, Criminal Justice, Victimology, Law, Arrest
Pages: 10
Words: 2750
Published: 2020/11/09
Our society changed with the advent of time and crimes raged not only towards general public but certain police officers face this scenario too. Crimes against police officers refer to all criminal activities that endanger the physical health or professional responsibilities of police officers. These crimes enhanced with the passage of time and police officers suffered from such events. Perpetrators may indulge in criminal activities against police officers due to their personal association with criminal elements or prejudices or biases against police officers. Most of the criminal activities rage against police officers due to the negative perception of their job and the biasness against them. However, in certain scenarios police officers negative behavior towards the citizens rage these events.
Crimes against police officers may also stem from the personal hatred or vendetta against specific individuals in the police department. Some crimes against police officers also stem from the personal vendetta against specific officers due to past activities or actions of the police officers. The apprehension of a specific individual can lead to the development of hatred against specific individuals and elevate to crimes against law enforcement officials. The crimes against police officers may involve assault against police officers or obstruction of the duties and responsibilities of police officers. This would create havoc in the society as certain gangs initiate these aspects and hurt police officers through their criminal activities. The inability or failure to cooperate in criminal investigations due to prejudices or biases can also lead to crimes against police officers. This paper explains the nature and causes of crimes against police officers along with the analysis of the types of crimes.
Police officers are the representatives of the government responsible for maintaining law, order, and peace in the country. The absence of police officers from a society can lead towards numerous crimes and that is nearly all the nations of the world have a police force. The primary responsibility of law enforcement officials including police officers is to prevent crimes and criminal activities in their respective regions. The police officers have the authority to utilize force to curb criminal activities and maintain the rule of law. Police officers possess a significant amount of authority as compared to civilians specifically with respect to stopping and questioning civilians. The excessive level of authority of police officers creates negative perceptions among civilians based on personal experiences or encounters with other individuals. Different individual’s believe they cannot trust police officers because of their past performance and involvement in numerous violent activities. Certain people have a feeling that nearly all the police officers are corrupt and that is why they should try their level best not to comply with these individuals. Aggressive people at times consider that police officers take bribe from the gangsters and they do not fulfill their responsibilities. Society should take strict measures against police officers and people should not take law into their own hands.
The recent debates regarding the excessive authority of police officers especially due to the shooting of unarmed individuals adversely affected public opinion. However, the hatred and negative perception of police officers increased considerably in recent years due to the level of authority possessed by police officers. This authority enhanced the approach of police officers and certain police officers opted the technique of extreme violence in dealing with criminals. The recent incidents of shootings, excessive force, and corruption in the police elevated the negative perceptions of police officers in the society. Children and other members of the society at times feel scared from police officers because they believe that they might frisk with them without any reason. However, this might not always be the case but at times people feel scared of these officers. Racial prejudice can at times play a negative role in this regard as certain police officers question several citizens mainly because of their race and religion.
The role, responsibilities, and duties of law enforcement create specific risks for police officers primarily due to the prevention of crime. The retaliation and retribution of criminals against police departments or specific police officers is an expected phenomenon. Many police officers face assault and battery due to the reprisal of criminals they apprehended and prosecuted in the past. However, a significant amount of police officers also faces risks due to the negative perceptions, prejudices, and hatred towards the police. Citizens believe that the police officers are not the same these days and they should not take appropriate care of the citizens. In certain scenarios, some of the aggressive forces of the society initiate violent activities against police officers to develop a scenario of ill law and order situation in the nation.
The actions of corrupt police officers are one of the primary causes of the hatred and negative opinions regarding the police. The abuse of power or corruption of some police officers creates a negative perception of all police officers regardless of their involvement in corruption. Many police officers also face risks due to the abuse of power by their coworkers in specific areas or against specific races or ethnicities. The prejudices or hatred of specific races against the police officers also leads to an increase in crime against police officers. Certain races believe that police officers cannot take care of the citizen that is why they should not protect them. Most of the individuals at times out of no reason hurt these officers and this would rage up the violence in the city.
The negative perceptions and opinion of the public in relation to police officers paves the way for hatred and crimes against police officers. Many police officers abuse their authority for personal gains or due to their personal prejudice and bias against specific races or ethnicities. Many police officers also utilize their authoritative positions for personal financial gains or retribution against specific individuals. However, many law abiding, ethical, and exceptional police officers do not abuse their authority and power over civilians. The lack of action against corrupt police officers by the department and principled police officers also increases negative perceptions of police officers. General individuals of the society believe that they can take revenge from different police officers by initiating violent activities against them. The negative perceptions along with the hatred of the excessive authority of police officers are the primary reason for crimes against police officers. The crimes against police officers can seriously harm police officers or interfere with the professional duties of law enforcement officials. The seriousness of the crimes depends on the nature of the crime along with the impact of the actions of the perpetrators. In certain countries, these crimes de-motivate young police officers as they feel that their nation is against them. However, most of the police officers get training about this perspective so that they can manage this perspective proactively.
Crimes against police officers may include direct or indirect crimes against police officers and other law enforcement officials. The direct crimes include criminal activities that directly affect the personal, professional, and physical activities of police officers along with their health. This would include direct physical attacks on officers and trainees. Conversely, the indirect crimes include obstruction of the justice system and do not affect physical or personal health of the relevant police officers. Conspiracy against the police department is a strategy that indirectly affects the police officers. This would include bribing certain members of the department and forcing other members to accept the bribe. Assaulting police officers and resisting arrest or escaping police custody are some of the most common crimes against police officers. Crimes against police officers can refer to any offences that hinder the operations of police officers with respect to their duties, responsibilities, and health. The offences or crimes against police officers can include direct or aggravated assault, escape from custody, resistance to arrest, and flight to avoid arrest. Obstructing the professional, administrative, and functional activities of police officers along with creating hurdles in professional duties also constitute crimes against police officers. Different gangs at times plan horrendous crimes against police officers so that they can develop a scenario of unrest in the city. The criminal justice system provides special privileges and protection against physical damage, harm, and injuries. Different governments provide security and welfare to the police department because of the fact that they are saviors of society.
The offence may constitute as crimes against police officers even when the actions of a perpetrator do not inflict injuries to a police officer. Individuals that attack police officers can face charges of assault even when their actions are minor and do not cause injuries to police officers. The charges can become serious if police officers face injuries or other physical assaults from the perpetrators. The perpetrators can face serious misdemeanor crimes and felony charges including resisting arrest, deterring apprehension, and aggravated assault. The perpetrators or offenders can face several charges for crimes against police officers depending on the extent and nature of the offence. The penalties for crimes against police officers can comprise imprisonment, fines or both depending on the nature and extent of the crime. The penalties or punishment for crimes against police officers resembles the punishment for crimes against the justice system.
The crimes against police officers also resemble crimes against the criminal justice system. Criminal justice strategists claim that people that are involved in such horrendous crimes face numerous charges. Different states consider them as perpetrators against the state and this would affect them in the longer-run. However, the crimes against police officers are personal or individual in nature as compared to cries against the criminal justice system. Police officers and certain authorities react strictly against these criminal activities.
Aggravated assault on police officers refers to causing injury or harm to police officers through direct attack. The attack or attempt to attack a police officer with intent to cause bodily injury or harm may lead to charges of aggravated assault. The persons that attempt to attack police officers even without the intent to cause bodily injury can also face charges of aggravated assault. This would affect the individual who initiated this attack in the longer-run. On the other hand, battery against police officers refers to the intentional actions of an individual to cause harm to police officers. For example, if the person hits another person with an object with the intent of hurting the other individual, it comprises battery. If the object hits and hurts the victim, it comprises battery but if the object misses, it entails assault. Aggravated assault refers to the serious form of assault that comprises the attempt to attack another individual with a deadly object or weapon. Aggravated assault may lead to attempted murder of a police officer if the offender succeeds in causing serious injuries to the police officer. This would result in issues for that individual and he/she might face serious charges based on the current legal status.
There are certain individuals in the society that often resists an arrest. Resisting arrest is also an indirect crime against police officers that involves the hindrance in the lawful arrest of a specific individual. The offender utilizes force or creates hurdles in the effective duties of a police officer attempting to arrest an individual. Resisting arrest also comprises the hindrances created to resist personal arrest or arrest of another culprit. There are individuals that inform culprits about the arrest, as they do not feel that it is a criminal activity. However, the excessive utilization of force can constitute battery or assault depending on the intent and nature of the attack to resist arrest. The police can charge an individual with resisting arrest for any actions or activities that make a lawful arrest difficult for the police officers. The flight to avoid arrest or apprehension involves the willful travel or concealment of an individual to avoid apprehension or arrest. The police can charge an individual that travels or hides from police officers to avoid apprehension, arrest, trial, and punishment or penalties. For example, if a person involved in a crime travels to another state or country can face flight to avoid apprehension charges.
Hindering prosecution or apprehension is also a crime against police officers that involves the willful attempts to deter prosecution, conviction, apprehension, and punishment. Police officers can charge an individual with hindering apprehension for creating barriers to the apprehension, arrest, prosecution, conviction, and punishment of a specific individual. An individual that conceals a culprit or creates barriers in the effective duties of police officers commits a crime against police officers. The person that facilitates the escape or concealment of a criminal, defendant, and the offender can also face charges of hindering prosecution or apprehension. Escaping custody of police officers is also a crime against police officers that involves escaping the lawful custody of police officers.
The unlawful escape from the official detention of police officers or the failure to return to the custody of police officers comprises escape. Parolees that fail to report to their parole officers in a timely manner can also face charges of escaping custody of police officers. The obstruction of lawful activities of police officers also constitutes a crime against police officers. The police officers can charge individuals that create hindrances in the effective accomplishment of duties and responsibilities. Police officers can charge civilians, public servants, and other police officers for crimes against police officers.
Police strategists and psychologists believe that most of the incidents of such stature arise as a reaction. When unarmed people die at the hands of armed police officers usually in chaotic situations and in scenarios of protests then several people decide to take revenge. Most of the people raise their voice and some of them opt for a negative scenario that is initiating violent activities against the police officers. An event occurred when an armed man ended up killing two NYPD police officers. The NYPD and other related departments focused on this incident, and they believe in the ideology that they should change the efforts of policing because the general policing policies rage such issues.
It is difficult for police officers to manage their tasks too as they believe that different societies at times view them negatively. This is because individuals can act as negative agents of the society. Similarly, in certain societies stereotyping might enhance the aspect of criminal activities, as most of the people believe that police officers work with racism and they favor the majority. This at times creates negative connotations in the minds of certain groups and they might feel so disturbed that they even opt for a violent channel.
In the initial days, police possess a strong influence on people and youngsters usually respect them. However, in the current era most of the people do not take them seriously and this would hurt the image of police officers. The utilization of force by different police officials is not a viable stance on number of occasions because this can easily rage violence in different scenarios. People should try their level best to control this scenario and the government officials should reduce the aspect of crimes against different police officers to attain long-term benefits for the society.
Police officials should change themselves too and the department can play a major role in this regard, as they can develop a platform for officers through which they can coordinate with people. The gap between people and police officers is relatively huge and that is why people create assumptions about them. This would increase ambiguities about police officers and at times, this might end up in a negative scenario.
Reducing crimes against police officers would be similar as reducing the general crime scenario in a society. Different social service organizations can play a proactive role in this regard and they should try their level best to curtail this perspective to attain viable results. Individuals as well as the societal forces should join hands with each other to attain positive results in both the short and the long run.
Conclusively, crimes against police officers would depict that a society does not possess ethical standards and this would depict the negative scenario of a society. General citizens and different governmental forces of a nation should join hands together to stop this scenario. The decision makers should focus on training and development of police officers so that they do not question people because of their race, religion, cast or social status. Police officers on the other hand should focus on this perspective so that they can develop a peace loving society. Crimes against police officers can only reduce if peace prevails in a society and police officers should enhance their sphere of operations by working with different improved standards. This would not only benefit them but this would benefit the entire society in both the short and the long run.
References
McShane, L. (1999). Cops Under Fire: The Reign of Terror Against Hero Cops. New York : Regnery Publishing.
Mueller, B., & Bernstein, N. (2014, December 23). With Attack, Wounds From Violent, Angry Era in the City Are Reopened. The New York Times, p. A23.
Shinkman, P. (2014, December 23). Outrage at Police Could Bring Return of Dark Ages of Crime. Retrieved February 12, 2015, from US News : http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/12/23/outrage-at-police-could-return-cities-to-dark-ages-of-crime
Vesely-Flad, R. (2014). New York city under siege: The moral politics of policing practices, 1993-2013. Wake Forest Law Review, 49(3), 889-912.
Violanti, J., & Paton, D. (1999). Police Trauma: Psychological Aftermath of Civilian Combat. New York : Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd.
Willits, D. W. (2014). The organisational structure of police departments and assaults on police officers. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 16(2), 140-154.
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