Police Roles: Descriptions in the Media - Essay Example

Police Roles: s in the Media September 8, 2008 Police Roles: s in the Media Laws have played a big role in the incline of mankind. For some choose to make a living out of enforcing those laws. This is a description of how the media and the public, view police affairs and how police officers view their jobs. This is a short reality check into Police Roles. Police Roles: Descriptions in the Media Ever hear the phrase, "Where is a cop when you need one" At some point in history that question may have held some validity. Today, we have surveillance cameras, neighborhood watches, and satellite technology to keep an eye out for little brother, and for those in law enforcement. Milwaukee Police Capture Escaped Convict An inmate while being transferred overpowered a corrections officer and took off on foot. Milwaukee's Sheriff's Department and the local Police were quick on the scene, dispatching more than adequate numbers of officers to search the area. Then the K-9 unit was brought in some time later, and the inmate was found shortly. In the story of how the inmate overpowered the corrections officer, the inmate pleaded that he had to use the restroom. Preying on the corrections officer's compassion and empathy, the inmate was allowed to break free. The efficiency of teamwork and manpower was phenomenal in this story. "The 24/7 operational demands of a police officer's job can have serious consequences. A significant body of scientific and operational literature clearly establishes that around the clock operations can degrade safety, performance, health, mood, and alertness" (Amendola, Hamilton, Wyckoff, 2006, p. 3) In Findlay, Ohio; the police force knows all too well that the hours can be long and the job can be stressful. But in the same sense, the officers know that community involvement is key in order to keep in touch with the public. The County has started a program named NEAT (Neighborhood Enhancement & Abatement Team). The program was established in 2004, and helps deal with nuisance problems and neighborhood cleanups. California Cops Deliver Baby at Gas Station In Modesto, California two police officer while on duty working on a holiday (labor day), assisted a woman in giving birth to a baby boy in a parked car, not very far from the nearest medical center. The role of social servant rings true in this story, where the call of duty was performed in an over exceeded amount of time. When officers are placed in position, like in this story, they have to keep the "victim" calm and focused, using amateur psychology tactics. In crime shows on television, such as Law & Order, SVU, The Shield, or COPS; they show a sort of distorted view of how officers have to handle situations with quick reflex's and snap decisions. What normally would take hours to handle in real life, in television the situation is under wraps in a matter of minutes. In fact, the real scenario in life takes a major amount of time in order to achieve a positive outcome. The Fine, Fading Art of Directing Traffic Albeit, it takes a certain amount of talent, the art of flowing ease, and knowing your fellow humans in order to direct traffic. It's about multi-tasking and by not bringing the spotlight on yourself as an entertainer with your orange vest and white gloves, but keeping the driver focused on the road. The role of order maintainer in this story is depicted in such a way that it seems almost glamorized. The job in itself can be dangerous, but for the most part, directing traffic is a basic act of maintaining order where there is chaos. Simple as that. In the Findlay County Police Station, they too have had to direct traffic several times. Not one officer is in charge of this, instead one is assigned from the list of officers that are on duty. Several times even while on their "beat", officers have had to come to a site and direct traffic without getting prepared until medical crews or backup has arrived. They take this part of the job in stride, and do very well from what I have seen in their reports. LA Police Hunt Serial Killer of 11 The hunt for a serial killer who has killed ten black women and one black man has been going since 1988. The bodies of the victims were all dumped in the same alley in South Los Angeles. Investigators are checking through the prison and jail records for anyone with violent histories that might have been in custody during the breaks in between the murders. One of the victims father's said that he felt like the investigators were, "dragging their heals." This is a classic case of the role of crime fighter, and this is as real as it gets. While in crime shows on television the murder gets solved in one hour, in real life there are thousands upon thousands of cases that are still left open or still being investigated, even after many years. "The profession's customary luxury of playing 'catch-up' to technological advances is no longer a viable option. The accelerated speed of change in the information age requires police agencies to adopt a new approach and redefine missions in new, strategic terms. Otherwise law enforcement will forfeit the advantages of technology to criminal networks and dedicated terrorists, at too high a cost to public safety and confidence" (Cowper, Buerger, 2007, p. 26). In many of the shows you see on television that portray police going after the violator, they track down information on the street using "connections". In the real world we turn to more technological advancements in order to find information. The initial interview of witnesses still plays a key role in getting vital information leading to the whereabouts of the violator, but when a case becomes cold, the only solution is to wait until the violator makes a mistake, or some forgotten information becomes relevant. Once the location of the violator is discovered, law enforcement acts professionally and as quietly as possible. In police procedure, there is no statement that says that you are to drive excessive speeds onto a residential street, brake hard, jump out of your car with your gun firing at what you assume to be the violator. However, on television, this seems to be the case the majority of the time. "Only part of the problem is that many people have no idea of the capabilities and limitations of different kinds of guns, much less how much difference it makes if the shooter is in the stress of a life-and-death battle. What is a bigger and wider problem is that too many people feel no hesitation to go spouting off about things (such as excessive force), they know nothing about. In reality, a range of six feet or less, only 57% of bullets fired don't make their mark, only 43% do. At seventy-five feet, only 7% hit" (Sowell, 2007). The Findlay County Police Force has hardly has to use excessive force, although their record of drug arrests are amazing, their police force only has seven detectives on schedule. Under funding for police officers and their respected fields is another subject, but in reality is very low. Conclusion I believe that society should focus on police officers and their roles in the community a little more. Take the time to see how your local police handle situations, not by reading about it, but actually getting involved and talking with an officer. Granted, the media is great at telling the facts of a story, but often times sensationalize the human interest part. References Amendola, K. & Wyckoff, L. & Hamilton, E. (2006) The Impact of Law Enforcement Shift Practices and Extra Duty Employment on Various Health, Safety, Performance and Quality-of-life Measures. Cowper, T. & Buerger, M. (2007) Improving Our View of the World: Police and Augmented Reality Technology. Sowell, T. (2007) Thomas Sowell: Critics of Police Shootings Often Off Target. Syndicated Columnist. Read More