This video regarding police workloads and officer discretion allowed me to learn a lot about police personality, hirings, education, and corruption. The video mentioned that ninety-eight percent of departments have education requirements. This is becoming more important in the hiring process of police officers because with education comes better communication, fewer disciplinary problems, and less use of force from these individuals. It also allows officers to have higher chances of promotion on the force. The video also went into detail about how Washington, D.C. was te first state to hire a Native American in 1861, whereas Los Angeles was the first to hire a women on the force in 1910. These are both big milestones for the policing world because it allowed for minorities to have the same opportunities as everyone else. I think the police personality was important to mention in the video because some people view officers differently than others. The video said that police personalities are shaped by the exposure to danger and the length of service. This means that, for example, the tragedies and workload build up on someone, in which reflects how they act towards certain situations and people. Also mentioned in the video was how twenty percent of officers cause eighty percent of problems. In other words, these are the bad apples. As Dr. White mentioned in class, regardless of where you police in the world, there will always be a handful of "bad cops." Cops who are not worthy of the title and in some ways make all police seem "bad." I think this is a huge statistic that everyone should look into and see how it negatively effects the policing world and how it is viewed by all outsiders. This video was beneficial in many ways. behappy001
I agree that the "bad apples" put a black eye on officers everywhere. I know people personally who have only dealt with 1 or 2 cops in their life, and they have a very negative perception of the police in general. Hopefully with the continued preaching of procedural justice and community policing this can change in the future. RustyPete001
I completely agree with the education section as well. With higher educated officers police forces can become more effective, and less lethal. Now I noticed it also said that no real numbers exist yet on whether or not a correlation exists between officers preforming better and having higher educations, but it can only help. If not with actual policing, then it can help with the progression through the ranks of an officer.-OKC001
yes its good that police departments are requiring some kind of education to be hired it makes for a better officer in one way but not all ways they have what they should know now they have to figure out how to use it and apply it affectively.- wreked001
I thought this video from class made some good observations about police culture and the personalities of officers after they’ve been working for a while. Having a dad who was a police officer, I always noticed the sense of camaraderie he seemed to share with other officers. It’s almost like playing team sports. You build a bond with your fellow officers and learn everything about them. Like the video said, you view them as your family. While I think it’s great to have that type of bond, I don’t think your police brothers and sisters should come before your family at home. In my opinion, that’s a recipe for disaster as far as your home life is concerned. I also thought the video brought out some good points about how officer’s attitudes can change after they’ve been working for a while. It talked about becoming more cynical, losing empathy, and just becoming burned out in general. I think that this can happen with any job. After a while it becomes boring and you just don’t put forth as much effort as you used to. I think it’s a bigger problem with regards to policing because officers have to deal with the public everyday and are sometimes faced with life or death situations. It should be a priority to make sure cops are getting enough time off and have a chance to take a break from the grind. Police officers have a high stress job and it’s important for them to be fresh and alert. RustyPete001
I agree family life and work life need to have their distance in a law enforcement personals life as they have different values into the officers life. The lose of empathy and the cynical of it was a really fact pointed out by the video as this illustrates the stressful of what the job requires of those who are sworn in to protect lives. Family at home if not placed first can cause more stress unto that officer as their are trying to balance the stress of home life with the stress that their work requires on a day to day bases. Officers like you said should be fresh and alert as protecting the presence of life is the most important factor that this job entails. Eagle001
I agree with the concept of it being like a sports team. In sports you obviously build that bond as well as with you partner in your police department. They start to learn a lot about you. Then by the end of your season your a family as well as when it's almost time to retire if you still have the same partner he/she would be a family member basically.CRC001
I agree with the concept that the police officer becomes your family. My dad was in the police force for 30 years and as a kid I can remember his partner coming over to family dinners. I could also remember him picking me up from schools and taking me to games whenever my parents could not. He became so close yo my family that my brothers and I started to call him Uncle. As my dad would say "You start picking up each others slack rather it was at work to outside of work". I agree that many officers do change after being on a police force rather it good or bad. Many people become an officer with a midst of how many people they can arrest. But over time they realize that they can help people with other things other than just arresting them. I also agree that we should give officers lots of time off. They risk their life everyday trying to protect us so they should get days off to keep they sanity and so that they don't get burnout. Many people rather they are a police officer or not get burnout while doing their job. So yes I agree they should get time off to keep on their feet. Hawk001
The Police and Discretion video highlighted a lot of problems between the public and law enforcement along with other social issues within the country related to relationship that revolve around law enforcement. I also liked how this video pointed out that the common job of police work can help to effect or determine what the laws will be in the area city, or nationwide. One important fact that was stated by this video is that law enforcement has the highest risk factors because of what the job requires, from seeing a hectic scene occur to handling other individual’s personal problems or while the officer may have personal problems of their own they may have to deal with while having to fix situations that are occurring in others individual’s life’s. Another important aspect of this video is that it also states the disconnect between law enforcement and certain communities the negative aspects of doing the job of law enforcement into how to fix each of these issues as they have so it doesn’t other cause any problems that may seriously affect others life’s o the extent that this prohibits positive changes that are going on within the given communities. One thing that really stock out was that if officers get hired into a community that are not part of the community this makes this ineffective for officers to do their job as they don’t understand the culture, background of even some of the streets name which makes them less effective compared to an officer that grew up around that given area. There was definitely a good from the video women are benefiting law enforcement more greatly by having less arrest which causes less social issues going on within a given community, by being more effective on handling the situation form the less use of force and more with some communication skills. Eagle001
Being able to understand the culture and communicate with the people of a community are essential to the success of a police officer. If he/she is not able to effectively establish a positive relationship with the community, it can make their job a lot more difficult because people will not want to cooperate with someone who does not respect them or someone who they do not know. Being able to effectively police in communities is greatly effected by the relationship the officers have with their community. Pack001
I agree with you Walking your beat or even just getting out of the car more will help you become more tied into your community and they will develop a good respect for you as an officer and help you be a more successful police officer. If your'e not aware of the people in your community and they don't like you they are not going to want to give you any information thus making your job alot harder. Bike001
The first thing that caught my attention with this video was how they talked about the police culture and mindset. All jobs have a certain culture to them, but policing is one of the strongest and most apparent. I love how it is an unspoken rule that all police officers look out for eachother no matter what, as it should be. I feel like this can also however, hinder the effectiveness of the justice system when it comes to holding cops to higher standards. Now I am being a hypocritical though, because unless he or she committed murder or a very serious offense, I know I would not rat on my partner. I also feel that the idea of “There are no other crime fighters out there” is more harmful than good. On one hand, I believe that statement to be true. There are no crime stopping entities out there besides law enforcement. I think this thought can give a lot of men and women in the law enforcement community a purpose and help them, but I also feel that it can make them feel helpless. Knowing that you “alone” so to speak, are the only person to actually try and stop crimes can be pretty daunting and discouraging. This thought also leads into my next point, that police should talk to somebody about their mental health problems when they arise. It is not healthy to just hold in all of those terrible things and hope that they go away, and it helps to talk to a professional. Whether or not they have been through what you’ve been through, medically they can most likely help you. So regardless of who you are or what you’ve seen, you should always try to seek help. I believe if more officers tried to seek help, the officer suicide rate wouldn’t be nearly as high as it sadly is.-OKC001
I like how you mentioned the police culture and mindset. There is no other job I feel like where you have people who are in the same profession (policing) and can work in two different areas and even if they do not know each other, they still have each others backs and that is how the thin blue line works. Blackhawks001
I admire the brotherhood and loyalty that partners have for each other, placing your partners well being above your own, covering for them in all situations. Of course a line has to be drawn as to how far one can go to protect their partner, for example if your partner happened to kill someone, I don't think that is something you can protect your partner from. But in close to all situations, I admire the partnership found among police officers. gh_blackhawks001
I agree I also admire the loyalty to one another like a brotherhood or similar to how the military is. Covering them in in most situations, I say that because their is a line that has to be drawn due to morals and beliefs. I would say becoming like family with other officers is good for the job to help the officers with the stresses of the job. Steel001
I agree OKC001, it is very saddening that the suicide rate for cops is so high. Police officers who are feeling the need to commit suicide should seek help immediately. This really applies to everyone, not just police, but the suicide rate is just too high and we really need to do something about it zmw001
The loyalty found between partners is very interesting to me. It seems like a gray area, where exactly is that line drawn? Obviously if a murder was committed, I do not know that I would have a choice. But besides that, where do you draw that line of protecting your partner, and protecting your own career. Even though I have heard it several times, I still find it interesting that women, especially women police officers, have such good communication skills. I think men are generally more stubborn and ready to get down and physical, since they are usually bigger in stature and hard-headed. However, women have a way of calming others down, talking them out of situations, and keeping all of the parties involved in a state of calm. I find discretion very interesting as well. Laws are laws, but some petty things can be looked past in my opinion. Like we heard in class the other day, it’s not all about arresting every single person that you can. It’s bigger than that, there are more important things than throwing someone in the back of a police car. A ticket does not always need to be handed out, in some situations, there is no avoiding it of course, but other situations may call for a warning and a lesson that gives the suspect a better opinion about police as a whole. There will always be some bad cops that ruin the name of the police, but good cops can change that by getting involved with the community and treating people with fairness and with the respect that every individual deserves. The better relationship that is formed between police and the community, the less crime that will be committed, and the more people will be willing to cooperate with our law enforcement throughout our communities. gh_blackhawks001
The idea of protecting your career or protecting your partner seems a little confusing for me. No matter how important your job is to you I would think that would be sacrificed in a heart beat for someone's life. Furthermore, you would have plenty of time to build a very close connection and trust me, battle buddies always come first.Ghost003
I found that ninety-eight percent of local police require education. This is very important to have because we need educated police officers out on the streets who can handle situations. I found form watching the video that it’s better to get an education because there are a lot more benefits that come with it. For instance, getting promotions is easier to get when you have some sort of education rather then not having any. Fun fact that I found out also was that the first African American that was hired on to the police department was in Washington D.C. in 1861. Minorities take more action which shows that the police department isn’t bias. Women are starting to take a role in policing and I never knew a women had harder physical test than men I would have thought it was the other way around. The first women that was hired on was in L.A. in 1920. I believe it’s a good thing for more women being in the police force because women can calm more people down and actually communicate to people better who are getting arrested. Women have a way better way of communicating then men so I wasn’t surprised by that at all. It would be very hard for a women police officer just for an example they said that women are too weak of risk but too aggressive and then they threaten male officers. I do agree with the police being the only real crime fighters and that’s because police are the only ones who see the worse of the worse. Just like in anything though you always have to have loyalty whenever you have a bond or a partner. It’s just a must especially if you want to be very successful in what you do. CRC001
Interesting to see that not all of police departments require education standards. Education is very important in the role of a police officer. Knowing goo communication skills and how to think logically and function efficiently. I agree that we need educated officers out paroling the streets and working behind the desks. Man or woman, does not matter what gender is in the uniform, only the fact that they can do their job properly. Bry001
I also found it interesting that so many police departments are now requiring an education for new officers. I wonder just how much of an advantage that an education would give a new officer. Other than meaning easier employment and promotions do you think college experience would bring any tangible benefit to how well an officer would perform? CoolGuy001
This video a lot of helpful insight into the everyday life of a police and many other aspects of policing. One thing that i found very interesting within the video was that of which that shows the loyalty and brotherhood of the police force. Also the fact that some officers believe that the only way to win the war against is to bend the rules like the criminals they are going after do. It brings up an interesting point that sometimes officers do bend the rules a little to get what they need to arrest someone or to get a conviction of someone. being able to do things legally and convict people legally should be the goal of every officer, you should not have to disobey rule and regulations in order to catch some, that defeats the purpose. Another things that was very interesting to hear is that a police officer's job is not just to hand out tickets and arrest every one they see committing a crime, often times being able to give the person a warning or teach them a lesson so they can learn from their mistake with no real repercussions. Getting involved with the community in which they police in can help an officer create a better image not just for himself but the police force as a whole. Being able to create a good relationship with the public can help the police in many ways and can often help them keep their communities safer and in turn their citizens safer as well. A better relationship with the community could also help the police force because citizens will be more willing to help the police out and cooperate with them during investigations and other police operations. A good public relationship is crucial to the success of the police force as well as the success of the community. Pack001
The video did a good job showing the different sides to being an officer. Some of those sides we don't think about, like how people don't know what it's like to see a murder scene unless they've seen one before. Having a better relationship with the public though will be benefit them in the long run for ever needing something later on. Pie001
This video really does give a nice view of the other sides of being an officer (by nice, I mean a better viewpoint). It gives us a better understanding of the struggles officers face and what we may see when we someday are more into the field. - AJC001
After watching the videos over Police Discretion in class I learned a lot of new and interesting information about law enforcement that i did now know before. The fist thing that stood out to me was about how the eighty/twenty rule also applies to cops. I remember when I was in Juvenile Delinquency last semester and we learned about the eighty/twenty rule and how it was only twenty percent of the juvenile offenders who become adult offenders and become the chronic ten percent. But back to the 80/20 rule for cops. The video said that all cops are either cops for the wrong reasons or are not actually being good cops and are dirty. 80 percent of cops are good, and 20 percent of them are bad and do 80 percent of the bad habits that makes everyone look bad. Because police officers all where the same uniform at a department, people tend to see police officers as the same person. If you have one officer who does his best to truly make a difference and another officer from the same department that is a asshole to people. People are going to have a stigma against all the officers on that department just because how that one officer was bad. Also i thought it was interesting how the video said that officers are usually so stressed out and have all these stress problems not because they are stressed all the time, but because they are constantly changing between low and high stress. It can either be very laid back day and the calls are easy, the all of a sudden there is a murder or a chase that ends with a resisting offender and the whole day could be ruined. A lot of people do not know what it is like to actually fear for your life, sadly a lot of officers due and I am sure that has a giant impact on someone. Blaclkhawks001
The video we watched in class was really interesting because I just didn’t think about some of the topics that were talked about. Say that during your shift you had to help with a murder of a child. It will be almost impossible for someone to know how you are doing because they haven’t seen what you have seen. The same goes for when you leave for work having to worry about if you are going to make it home at the end of your shift because how the public sees officers right now. Once the officers are seen out in the community just even talking to get to know who's in the area the citizens will see those officers doing that and have more respect for them. Being a female going into this field it was unsettling to hear that women have been given harsher punishment compared to what the men receive. The women receive the harsher punishments just so then the men can still feel that they aren’t being challenged on their “power” because a women wouldn’t be doing the correct thing. Pie001
I learned quite a bit from this video about Police Workloads and officer discretion. I think it is a good idea to have an education requirement for new recruits, just because they will gain the knowledge to effectively do their jobs in the long run. I also think it is important for the departments to hire more minorities and women just because when it comes to talking to the public some will more likely talk to an officer of the same race or gender or vice versa. I would like to see more women than just the 15% that are reported being police officers. I didn’t like the fact that women receive harsher punishments than their male counter parts though just because we are women does not make us any different than men by any means. I also think that Police Officers have their own culture because like the video states no one on the outside knows the job the way they do and it is harder for them to talk to someone that is not in that line of work compared to those that are. They have their own belief system which is cool to me. The video also touched base on police personality and how it changes the longer they are exposed to the dangers of the job. I think stress plays a big role in their personality change over time because it’s not the job per say that is the cause but the constant exposers to low and high stress throughout the day in their job. Overall this was a good informational video and it really helps to know some background in Police work overall. Ciaccio001
This video is very informational on the topics of police discretion and workloads. One of the first topics mentioned is about policing and education. They say that college educated police officers have better communication skills but there is little evidence to prove that educated police officers are better crime fighters which I found surprising. A big topic in my studies this year in college was women in policing which they had a section on in the video. Women today in policing still face discrimination and sexual harassment. One thing that women do have over men which is so crucial in the police force is the "Verbal Judo" that a lot of men lack. This makes them more effective communicators which helps with getting respect on the streets and they use less physical force. Discretion is a big topic in the criminal justice system and police officers have the most power of discretion. This is because different situations require different levels of discretion. No officer is going to be able to stop all of the crime in the world so this is why we need discretion. Officer stress is an underlying cause of family issues and officers being fatigued on the job. This is influenced by the long hours and overtime some officers are required to work. An interesting rule was spoke about in this video and that is the 80/20 rule. This consists of the theory that 80% of officers cause 20% of the departments problems and that 20% of the officers cause 80% of the departments problems. This is interesting to show how a little percentage of the police department can cause a ad reputation on the rest of the officers. There should definitely be training for officers who are high risk officers to prevent them from causing any issues. Bike001
In this video I have learned a lot. I have never heard of the rule of 80/20 rule until this video. That 20% cause the problem in the department with 80% that are on the right track. Also i did not know that women had it so hard in the department i figured it would be more like how the military is were everyone is equal. Since women are so vital to the police force because of their ability to communicate and their "verbal judo". I have heard that life would be hard being a police officer, but I did not realize how stressful it would be not only at work but also at home. especially if your working over time, you become fatigue and start to make wrong use of discretion because you tired. Steel001
I liked that you pointed out that police officers can experience fatigue, and much more from long hours and hard work. Additionally, I think it is very important that we all noticed the 80/20 rule the video discusses because even Dr. White stressed the massive problem we are experiencing with bad cops. The fact that cops are responsible for 80% of the issues our country deals with is absurd in my opinion. Police officers are supposed to strive to serve and protect to the best of their ability, but they are 80% of the problem with our crime rates. Purple003
The video that was shown in class was all about the style of police, the culture of police, and the hiring of police officers. Every work environment has its own culture, and police departments are no different. For example, the camaraderie between police officers is great, especially between partners. These are your brothers in blue, and they will be the ones who have your back in the streets. In the police culture, there are six core beliefs. Police officers are the only real crime fighters, no one really understands the work of police officers, loyalty to your colleagues is above all else, the war against crime can't be won without bending the rules, members of the public are unreasonably demanding, and patrol work is the pits. I think these are reasonable beliefs and I with what knowledge I have of policing I agree with them. The video also talks about police style and personalities. It is said that styles can range from social worker to crime fighter, and a police officer's personality is shaped by their continued exposure to danger and the need to use force. So however the officer's personality may be will most likely change over time, in turn causing their style to change. A new officer who is ready to fight crime and whoop down some criminals may eventually see that is not the best way to police and will change to a more understanding personality and a friendlier style of policing. In the hiring of police, ninety eight percent of police departments are requiring some sort of education, even though there is no correlation seen between education and good crime fighting skills. While there has been a huge push to hire more minorities, they still only make up twenty five percent of the police force while women make up fifteen percent. This video was very interesting and informative and I am glad we watched it in class. zmw001
This video goes over several things in detail: the personality of police officers, the hiring of officers, the educational requirements, and corruption within the enforcement agencies, and other important things like the makeup of the officers and their representation of their community, and more. The first thing to note is that law enforcement agencies (98% of them, according to the video) are requiring some sort of educational degree for new officers joining the force. As the importance of education continues to grow, the police agencies are following that trend. Another part of the video tells us about the difficulties of women in the police force. Women are struggling to find a happy medium between force and kindness (as viewed by their peers.) Women, however, are known to be much more capable of using verbal language to de-escalate a situation rather than the physical use of male officers. Another growing issue is the trouble of giving proper representation of minorities in the community. This being, that if 15% of the community is african american, then the law enforcement agency should try to get an equivalent percentage of their police force to be around that number as well. This allows for the police and community to feel they are one with each other, rather than the police being an alien and brutal force of the law. This promotes legitimacy and procedural justice, as well. Also, this video goes over some of the sad parts of an officer’s life. That being the suicide and depression, and the cynical views that form with extended time in the force. Cynical views of officers is rather common. As individuals grow old in the police force, they begin to lose interest in supporting their communities and they return to a more self-centered way. Basically, they grow salty of their job. The video is a good view inside the force, and is a helpful tool for us to use in our judgements of the job and our ideals in pursuing a career in it. - AJC001
This video goes over several things in detail: the personality of police officers, the hiring of officers, the educational requirements, and corruption within the enforcement agencies, and other important things like the makeup of the officers and their representation of their community, and more. The first thing to note is that law enforcement agencies (98% of them, according to the video) are requiring some sort of educational degree for new officers joining the force. As the importance of education continues to grow, the police agencies are following that trend. Another part of the video tells us about the difficulties of women in the police force. Women are struggling to find a happy medium between force and kindness (as viewed by their peers.) Women, however, are known to be much more capable of using verbal language to de-escalate a situation rather than the physical use of male officers. Another growing issue is the trouble of giving proper representation of minorities in the community. This being, that if 15% of the community is african american, then the law enforcement agency should try to get an equivalent percentage of their police force to be around that number as well. This allows for the police and community to feel they are one with each other, rather than the police being an alien and brutal force of the law. This promotes legitimacy and procedural justice, as well. Also, this video goes over some of the sad parts of an officer’s life. That being the suicide and depression, and the cynical views that form with extended time in the force. Cynical views of officers is rather common. As individuals grow old in the police force, they begin to lose interest in supporting their communities and they return to a more self-centered way. Basicly, they grow salty of their job. The video is a good view inside the force, and is a helpful tool for us to use in our judgements of the job and our ideals in pursuing a career in it. - AJC001
The three police educational videos released by Tapsti address police culture, discretion, and use of force. The first video focused on police culture. One of the interesting things that it mentioned was how many police departments across the country are implementing an increased educational requirement on new potential officers and how many large departments are looking for people with college degrees. The first video also mentioned the difficulties faced by police departments in hiring a diverse work force, as well as the difficulties faced by african american and female officers. It also talks about the way that people in the profession of law enforcement can tend to segregate themselves from the normal population due to the nature of the job and form their own close nit groups. It talks about how the separation of police from normal society can lead to police becoming cynical and can even lead to police lying for each other when they do something wrong. Towards the end of the first video it talks about how being exposed to stress and violence can change an officers personality. The second video begins by focusing on police discretion and how it can be up to a police officer decides what the law is and how an officers use of discretion can be influenced by the suspected criminal or by any peers observing the officer. It also addresses stress, police brutality, and corruption. The third video focuses mainly on police use of force. It talks about how police culture and training have changed to cause officers to be more willing to present and use deadly force. One example the video gives is how a 16 year old wielding a screwdriver was shot by a responding officer. The video says that this was wrong and that police should be trained better. I personally think that if I were an officer and somebody pulls what has the potential to be a lethal weapon capable of killing or incapacitating on me then I should be justified in presenting or using deadly force on them. It's not an issue of a fair fight or an officer being afraid of getting hurt, its that if a weapon can be used to incapacitate is used to incapacitate an officer then the suspect who has already proven themselves to be violent would then have access to an officer's firearm and everything else on their duty belt. coolguy001
This video explained policing very well and it ran through a lot of important things such as police culture. What i found important and effective was that ninety-eight percent of local police require education. It is very important that inviduals who are here to protect us and enforce our laws have some type of knowledge in order for citizens and for our community to feel safe and confident in our policemen and policewomen. What i don't understand is why it is just ninety-eight percent and where does that left over two percent lead? I feel like anyone, especially in the profession should have prior knowledge learning that the benefits of education include better communication skills, few disciplinary problems, and less use of force. More than what they give at the police academy. I also find it interesting how policewomen are targeted more for disciplinary actions by administrators and are more likely to receive harsher punishments than male officers and what might that "harsh" punishment might be. In this video i wish the narrator could have went into more detail with that. Like what type of mis conduct behaviors would be wrong for a male officer or women officer or if they're the same. I also would have liked more information of the variations of punishments between the two. But other than that and besides those two points, this video gave out a lot of interesting information. Kt001
The video offers some very interesting information, especially about gender bias and the struggle women face when they are on and off duty. I had no idea women received harsher punishments than male officers and were even better communicators than most men. Rather than using physical force, a woman can deescalate a heated situation gentle communication skills with a softer tone of voice. This would eliminate the possibility of intimidating a persons manhood. The video also mentions something about the blue curtain, which provides a great summary of what the job is like with your partner, home life, and decision making. He describes the comradery of the police force to the same as a gang or army. Which is really something to think about. You must have your partners and co-workers back, no matter the situation at hand. Lastly, the video gives some good information about minority officers being more popular to hire and how they can be better fitted for a certain environment. Different places have different kinds of culture, races, religions, etc... so in some situations it is the smarter choice to have a person who is a certain race work the beat according to what kind of people are there and the area. It was a good video overall, had lots of interesting information. Bry001
In the Police and Discretion video it states that education and policing is teaming up. Education is becoming more important for individuals to join the police force. About 98 percent of police departments have a educational requirements for new recruitment. They are recognizing the importance of education in the police force especially when it comes to promotion. I think it is good that they have realized and now require new recruitment to get a higher education. This will and can come in handy when trying to create a learning environment within the department. It is also stated in the video that many officers who have a higher education within the department have fewer write up disciplinary reports. They also have more alternatives to dealing with problems in the community. Another issue that this video talks about is the minority's on the police force. I believe that this an important topic because it not only affects the police force but also the community. I as well as many other people believe that the police force should represent the community. So ideally if the community was 20 percent blacks then the police force would represent 20 percent blacks also. This would make it where the community will be more opened to go to the police about more things. In the society that we live in today people are more likely to tell things to someone who looks more like them. It may not seem right but we as people find more comfort in doing this. So by making the police departments reflect the community it can help the department more then you can think. This video talks about women in the police force. Women plays and contributes a lot to the police force. The main thing that they bring to the table is the calmness and communication skills. Most Women officers can calm a situation down without using force and by just talking. This video talks about a lot of other things such as the relationship within department. As stated in not only the video but also in class you become really close to these co-workers and start to know everything about them. You become more involved in each lives such as the family life. You are more loyal to your partner. Eventually you guys will not just be co-workers you will become close friends. This video overall is very helpful and informative when thinking about joining a police force or when wanting to know more about a police force. Hawk001
In the video police workloads and officer discretion I learned a lot of things. Knowing that education is becoming a big part of police departments (98%) is very refreshing. It's refreshing to know that all of the work and sleepless nights will benefit me and others in the long run. The video stated that education benefits in many ways, education allows you to be a better communicator and in your years as a police officer you will use, use of force less. I agree with that statement as a police officer communication is key. You need to know how to deescalate situations in proper ways. It's still confusing to me as why women are still targeted by social and administrative barriers. I believe that women bring a huge benefit to policing. I believe women bring the compassion back into policing. Not to say that men don't have compassion, but I think women tend to be more understanding than men. 75% of women report that policing is still male-dominated, I think it's up to us as a new generation of women to recruit more women into the criminal justice field. One of the biggest things that stuck out to me during this video was the 80-20 rule. 20% of the officers will cause 80% of the problem. This is an very important thing to remember and to teach to people who have doubts about police officers. During this day and age and on social media all cops are just portrayed as the bad guy, when in reality it only takes that one officer to ruin it for all. I always say "If you have one bad apple are you going to throw the whole bag away?" Just something to think about. I don't think people realize what goes into being a police officer. Most people believe anyone can be a police officer, false. It takes a very special person to be a police officer. If your heart is not in it and you are just in the job because you get a gun or you get to arrest people, should you really be a police officer? Like the video stated someone who wants to be a police officer should be situational and adaptive, good communication skills. Police styles go from social worker to crime fighter. Unless you are a police officer, you don't fully understand.Overall this video was very informational. -dicaprio001
I also agree that women play a huge role in policing. The communication skills are defiantly the female officer's strong points. I strongly agree with your statement that not everyone has what it takes to be a police officer. It defiantly takes a different type of human being to protect and serve. KLICK001
The video explains officer discretion and police culture. It explained the problems with law enforcement. Law enforcement has more risk factors than what some other everyday jobs have. I really like how Dr. White said in class the other day how you become close with your partner. I just think it’s cool that someone will/should always have your back, although I can’t imagine it’s always cool with the things you’d have to deal with. I also didn’t know there are different types of stress. I thought stressed could mean anything, but knowing there’s 4 different types of stressors. I think knowing that 98% of departments are now requiring education. I think it’s helpful that our police officers are not only protecting our community, but are educated to handle almost any situation. Hopefully needing more education can help the “bad apples” in every department situation. stlblues002
This talked about the culture around police officers and how they act towards one another. It is nice to see that if i ever joined the police force that i would have a group of people that would always have my back no matter what. I don't think i would be a person who would tell on my partner for something silly. But, if it was a serious crime then i would have no choice but to do so. I also thought that it was interesting how the higher of an education someone has the better that they will have a chance to get onto the police force and to move up into ranks. I thought this was interesting because i was talking to a police officer and he mentioned that to get onto the police force where he was located that one wouldnt need a lot of education and they would still higher them. I like the fact that they are starting to require more education because the better educated one is then the better the outcome will be in a situation. Police officers have to think fast and using critical thinking that they had to do in school will help on the job. bball001
Police work loads and officer discretion are two very interesting topics when thinking about going into law enforcement. This video was very informative and it gave tons of useful tips. One of the interesting things mentioned in the video were the six core beliefs. One of them stated that The war on crime will not end without breaking the rules. Another one was that the cops are the only crime fighters. This video showed me how strong the band between cops really is. If you are putting your life on the line along side people that are their for the same reason you are it really forms a strong relationship. The adrenaline rush's you share and also the fear. The loyalty is what keeps cops going everyday. Also all of the police officers personalities are shaped by the things they see and deal with. A police officer feels that nobody understands what they do and they are absolutely right. The job often changes people's whole outlook on life and is why the alcohol abuse and stress have been issues. The stress is a major problem for many police officers as well, which can lead to lack of enthusiasm and family issues. It is crazy to think that 20% of officers cause 80% of the problems. If one cop makes a poor judgment call or flat out does something ignorant it gives the whole law enforcement community a black eye. This definitely ties in with the bias media videos and broadcasts that force people to choose a side and argue about it. Most of the things put on the media are to get under people's skin and anger them. For law enforcement it means random acts of hate and riots. While these police officers are stressed about family problems and heavy work loads he also has to be worried getting shot eating lunch. Which is why 98% of all police departments require some form of education to be a cop. Being more intelligent is the main thing i got out of this video. If you get a higher education you can move through the ranks and be less stressed and have a little more time for a social life. KLICK001
Minorities in our police forces are uncommon in the smaller towns and cities due to maybe the lack of minorities living in those areas or the fear they feel of applying because of discrimination. That goes for females to they add a unique and different advantage to police forces like there ability to talk and diffuse a situation without the use of force. Stress within the work community or ones self because of work is common also. In the video they mention external like home life, organizational stress being work related and individual witch could be personal issues.- wreked001
I think the only reason why people don't see minorities in smaller cities would be because they want to show themselves in front of their colleagues. I know as a woman, if the only reason I received the job was because I was a woman, I would want to show that I deserve the job and that it was not handed to me. I would never want to work in a smaller town for that reason. hotfox003
In the videos that were shown in class, the officer talked a lot about discretion and how it plays a role if policing. Police officers are given a lot of discretion, they have the power to send a person to jail or prison or let said person go home. They can fine the crap out of a person, make said person’s day a thousand times better, save said person’s live and the lives of others, etc. Anyways, they have a lot of discretionary power. It is our job and prospects in the field to know about this power, respect it, and not let it control us. New officers can fear how much power they have and let it control them, that isn’t the plan. That leads to more problems further down the line. In our discretionary field of interest, we can choose to see, hear, or smell offenses or we can choose to not see, hear, or smell said offenses. I am so glad for our teacher telling us about it and helping us to understand our discretionary power we will receive as police officers. Thanks. Paddle001 Paddle002
The Police and Discretion video highlighted a lot of problems between the public and law enforcement along with other social issues within the country related to relationship that revolve around law enforcement. I also liked how this video pointed out that the common job of police work can help to effect or determine what the laws will be in the area city, or nationwide. One important fact that was stated by this video is that law enforcement has the highest risk factors because of what the job requires, from seeing a hectic scene occur to handling other individual’s personal problems or while the officer may have personal problems of their own they may have to deal with while having to fix situations that are occurring in others individual’s life’s. Another important aspect of this video is that it also states the disconnect between law enforcement and certain communities the negative aspects of doing the job of law enforcement into how to fix each of these issues as they have so it doesn’t other cause any problems that may seriously affect others life’s o the extent that this prohibits positive changes that are going on within the given communities. One thing that really stock out was that if officers get hired into a community that are not part of the community this makes this ineffective for officers to do their job as they don’t understand the culture, background of even some of the streets name which makes them less effective compared to an officer that grew up around that given area. There was definitely a good from the video women are benefiting law enforcement more greatly by having less arrest which causes less social issues going on within a given community, by being more effective on handling the situation form the less use of force and more with some communication skills. Eagle002
The loyalty found between partners is very interesting to me. It seems like a gray area, where exactly is that line drawn? Obviously if a murder was committed, I do not know that I would have a choice. But besides that, where do you draw that line of protecting your partner, and protecting your own career. Even though I have heard it several times, I still find it interesting that women, especially women police officers, have such good communication skills. I think men are generally more stubborn and ready to get down and physical, since they are usually bigger in stature and hard-headed. However, women have a way of calming others down, talking them out of situations, and keeping all of the parties involved in a state of calm. I find discretion very interesting as well. Laws are laws, but some petty things can be looked past in my opinion. Like we heard in class the other day, it’s not all about arresting every single person that you can. It’s bigger than that, there are more important things than throwing someone in the back of a police car. A ticket does not always need to be handed out, in some situations, there is no avoiding it of course, but other situations may call for a warning and a lesson that gives the suspect a better opinion about police as a whole. There will always be some bad cops that ruin the name of the police, but good cops can change that by getting involved with the community and treating people with fairness and with the respect that every individual deserves. The better relationship that is formed between police and the community, the less crime that will be committed, and the more people will be willing to cooperate with our law enforcement throughout our communities. gh_blackhawks002
As the video said, 98% of police departments require educational backgrounds, which I think is very important. Educated policing leads to better policing in my opinion; simply because I think that those who are supposed to protect and serve in my community should have higher education requirements than those who are not in charge of protecting me and those in my community. When police officers are educated I think it will overall lead to better police officers, and in return I think there could be lesss violence from the police officer’s negligence. I like that the video mentioned that there are certain aspects of the job that can shape and reform a police officer’s personality. This can be both good and bad depending on the situations the officer is exposed to. Additionally, the video said that officers are responsible for 80% of problems; these are the bad cops that Professor White mentioned. These cops are corrupt, and simply let the power they have get into their heads. These cops are the ones who are taking bribes, and committing crimes like common criminals. They have no concern for others, and have no intentions of doing the job they are responsible for. Purple003
The video did a good job showing the different sides to being an officer. Some of those sides we don't think about, like how people don't know what it's like to see a murder scene unless they've seen one before. Having a better relationship with the public though will be benefit them in the long run for ever needing something later on. Pie001
I am surprised that there is little evidence that concludes education makes a difference in the long run when it comes to fighting crime. The video did say that better educated people have less disciplinary problems and use less force, so it is strange to me that there is little evidence that education makes a little difference. The minority representation part of the video also brought up many good points. It is better to have the minority representation of law enforcement in minority communities, but it is also a social burden for minorities because people of their own race make fun of them for being police officers. To have officers patrolling a community that is not of their color makes it more difficult for them and their use of discretion. I thought it was interesting that minority officers are more willing than white officers to use their authority to take official action; I think this implies that white officers have to think twice when it comes to taking official action because of different skin colors involved. The first law enforcement woman was hired in 1910; considering the time, that is very important. During that time, women were seen as dainty and fragile. Society basically said women’s place was in the house cooking and cleaning. Women also did not have the right to vote during that time. Women in policing today are still underrepresented. They also have to have a good balance of strength. As the video mentioned, if women are too weak they are at risk in street confrontations, but if they are too powerful then they threaten the male officer’s manhood. Scuba002
It is great that the police departments are requiring more school before just coming onto the force. There may not be a big difference between someone with more education than someone without, but it helps in the long run. You have someone who understands the full extent of the law. You have confidence in them to know they are prepared and ready to handle the job or task at hand. Having more education is also helpful down the line regarding promotions. Women still have a tough time in policing even with more educating than the man. Women are underrepresented in smaller jurisdictions, also looked down upon because it’s not believed that they can handle the job that a man can. What is worse is that there is a high rate of sexual harassment in the force. On the plus side is women officers are believed to handle more situations verbally instead of physically. Women handling situations without being violent is wonderful for the department, it shows that the department really cares. This can also be touched with the argument of officers with more schooling are better a handling situations without being physical. If a woman officer has those skills, then that’s a great combination to have on the force. Bread003
This was a very interesting video in all actuality. Our narrator goes into detail about many aspects of police life that people may not think about. I found it interesting how the narrator quotes "two shades of blue", regarding minorities in police work. I assumed there were bad connections between races in police work, but I did not think it was to the point of establishing two shades of blue. In fact, the video states only about 25% of local police officers are minorities, and 15% are women. These statistics, though aged, are alarming. Gender and racial differences within the police community will always generate conflict in some areas or departments but looking at the big picture I would hope it would not be as large of a problem as it seems to be. Furthermore, our narrator describes his view on police culture and what that means to both police officers and to those in the community. I can directly relate to some of the points he makes by drawing a comparison with the military. I can see how police could form a sort of "band of brothers" like you do in the military. This type of inner social society is largely due to the high stress and high risk situations of these types of employments. When it's life or death and you rely on your co-worker to help get you out of those situations with your life, it's easy to see how people grow close over time. However, as a police officer, it is their primary duty to serve the public, so becoming distant with the social aspects of society could raise several problems. It is up to departments to get their officers out there and in the mix with the public sample they are policing. Nevertheless, the most important lessons to keep in mind are equality for all genders and races within the police force, and the focus on enforcing and maintaining safety and liberty to all people within our society. Ghost003
I guess I am the weird to say that if I was to become a police officer, I would not want them to hire me solely for the purpose that I am considered a minority. I want them to select me because I deserve the job. I know the police departments need to have a mixture of different people, but I would not want my fellow officers to look at me and know that they only reason I got this job was because I am a woman. hotfox003
The video we watched in class was really interesting because I just didn’t think about some of the topics that were talked about. Say that during your shift you had to help with a murder of a child. It will be almost impossible for someone to know how you are doing because they haven’t seen what you have seen. The same goes for when you leave for work having to worry about if you are going to make it home at the end of your shift because how the public sees officers right now. Once the officers are seen out in the community just even talking to get to know who's in the area the citizens will see those officers doing that and have more respect for them. Being a female going into this field it was unsettling to hear that women have been given harsher punishment compared to what the men receive. The women receive the harsher punishments just so then the men can still feel that they aren’t being challenged on their “power” because a women wouldn’t be doing the correct thing. Pie002
This video a lot of helpful insight into the everyday life of a police and many other aspects of policing. One thing that i found very interesting within the video was that of which that shows the loyalty and brotherhood of the police force. Also the fact that some officers believe that the only way to win the war against is to bend the rules like the criminals they are going after do. It brings up an interesting point that sometimes officers do bend the rules a little to get what they need to arrest someone or to get a conviction of someone. being able to do things legally and convict people legally should be the goal of every officer, you should not have to disobey rule and regulations in order to catch some, that defeats the purpose. Another things that was very interesting to hear is that a police officer's job is not just to hand out tickets and arrest every one they see committing a crime, often times being able to give the person a warning or teach them a lesson so they can learn from their mistake with no real repercussions. Getting involved with the community in which they police in can help an officer create a better image not just for himself but the police force as a whole. Being able to create a good relationship with the public can help the police in many ways and can often help them keep their communities safer and in turn their citizens safer as well. A better relationship with the community could also help the police force because citizens will be more willing to help the police out and cooperate with them during investigations and other police operations. A good public relationship is crucial to the success of the police force as well as the success of the community. Pack002
I really liked how this video talked a lot about the police culture. Most people just think cops are standing around at gas station eating doughnuts because that's "a cop thing to do", but it's more than that. The culture is to protect the citizens at all costs and that also includes your brothers in blue. Another thing that they touched base on was police discretion. After hearing Dr. White explain it in full, discretion is probably the most important thing you have to deal with day to day as an officer. You as the police have to carefully pick apart each situation and decide on how to act on the case. If a kid gets caught with marijuana, which is decriminalized in some states, do you just take it from him and give him a stern talking to? Or do you throw the book at him because at the end of the day it's still illegal? These are questions you have to ask yourself everyday as an officer because you don't know when a situation will occur where you have to make a split decision and also be coherent enough to make the correct one in a tough situation. RM001, RM002
This video opened my mind to many things. Even though it is not bad as it was a long time ago minority still effects us today in everyday life and in jobs just like policing. In my opinion it shouldn't matter what race, religion, gender you are if you can do your job correctly and effectively then you should be given the chance to, no different then being hired a job just because of your race or gender. Even though the stats are there there about women policing, I once again believe that they are capable of doing what male officers do. No different then male officers and women. It drives me insane how minority and gender still are a factor and are still being used in judgement by others and by getting a job, like policing. I thought it was great how the video also talked about the police officers police culture, and made a good point in saying about how nobody will understand what it is they go through on the job until you do it yourself.Bell003
I learned quite a bit from this video about Police Workloads and officer discretion. I think it is a good idea to have an education requirement for new recruits, just because they will gain the knowledge to effectively do their jobs in the long run. I also think it is important for the departments to hire more minorities and women just because when it comes to talking to the public some will more likely talk to an officer of the same race or gender or vice versa. I would like to see more women than just the 15% that are reported being police officers. I didn’t like the fact that women receive harsher punishments than their male counter parts though just because we are women does not make us any different than men by any means. I also think that Police Officers have their own culture because like the video states no one on the outside knows the job the way they do and it is harder for them to talk to someone that is not in that line of work compared to those that are. They have their own belief system which is cool to me. The video also touched base on police personality and how it changes the longer they are exposed to the dangers of the job. I think stress plays a big role in their personality change over time because it’s not the job per say that is the cause but the constant exposers to low and high stress throughout the day in their job. Overall this was a good informational video and it really helps to know some background in Police work overall. Ciaccio001/002
This video on Discretion and Workload along with several other topics it touched base on minorities on the force and how this affects policing in some neighborhoods. The reason it is important to include other races among a police force is because when in high minority populated neighborhoods it is important to have representation of that on the force. Public who sees someone that looks like them could potentially deescalate a situation that otherwise could have turned negatively. This includes minorities based on gender and race. Women also have a hard time proving themselves in this field because they tend to be smaller and looked down on as if they aren't strong enough or smart enough. Speaking of education, it does mention that typically someone who is educated does not necessarily mean they preform the job better. I do think education is important simply for the fact that someone who has gone through 2-4 years of extra education just knows a little more about a lot of things and that can really influence how they speak to a suspect or others in their unit, or affect in a good way their communication or understanding of situations. This video is a webinar for incoming/new officers, it's important that they are learning here that police culture is going to be unlike anything they have experiences before and no one else will be able to understand it. These people around them and in their unit are their family in blue now and it's important they remember that and remember to work together. Police learn a lot in their time on the force from how situations can change or alter their personalities and just what police culture will do to their personal lives and shaping who they are. One thing I took away from this video is that as they were talking about minorities and lack of women on the force it makes me think of working with retired police officers and army at my job now. They say nowadays because so many places like Peoria want to hire minorities to help with the community seeing police as them aspect that white males who still are the majority of those being hired can be easily beat out by a minority who may not even have the same education or background so it really does depend on the area. Marras002
I found that ninety-eight percent of local police require education. This is very important to have because we need educated police officers out on the streets who can handle situations. I found form watching the video that it’s better to get an education because there are a lot more benefits that come with it. For instance, getting promotions is easier to get when you have some sort of education rather then not having any. Fun fact that I found out also was that the first African American that was hired on to the police department was in Washington D.C. in 1861. Minorities take more action which shows that the police department isn’t bias. Women are starting to take a role in policing and I never knew a women had harder physical test than men I would have thought it was the other way around. The first women that was hired on was in L.A. in 1920. I believe it’s a good thing for more women being in the police force because women can calm more people down and actually communicate to people better who are getting arrested. Women have a way better way of communicating then men so I wasn’t surprised by that at all. It would be very hard for a women police officer just for an example they said that women are too weak of risk but too aggressive and then they threaten male officers. I do agree with the police being the only real crime fighters and that’s because police are the only ones who see the worse of the worse. Just like in anything though you always have to have loyalty whenever you have a bond or a partner. It’s just a must especially if you want to be very successful in what you do.CRC002
Something that I found interesting from this video was the statistics about women. I can see that women don't get into quite as many fights as men do just because they aren't so aggressive compared to men. Think their way through confrontations before having to use physical force to control the situation. I would like to say that that is better than having to fight someone. I say this because there is a lot less trouble when there's no violence. Violence is one of the last few resources you want to use when in a confrontation. It just makes everything easier to not have to use violence. Another thing that I found interesting is that 75% of females felt male dominated and that officers were female friendly. When I rode along with some departments over the summer all of the officers I rode with dealt with everyone the same. Granted all of the officers at both of the departments I rode along with only had male officers, but still they did a fine job of treating everyone equally. From watching this video I learned a lot about police workloads and officer discretion. Flannel002
This video regarding police workloads and officer discretion allowed me to learn a lot about police personality, hirings, education, and corruption. The video mentioned that ninety-eight percent of departments have education requirements. This is becoming more important in the hiring process of police officers because with education comes better communication, fewer disciplinary problems, and less use of force from these individuals. It also allows officers to have higher chances of promotion on the force. The video also went into detail about how Washington, D.C. was te first state to hire a Native American in 1861, whereas Los Angeles was the first to hire a women on the force in 1910. These are both big milestones for the policing world because it allowed for minorities to have the same opportunities as everyone else. I think the police personality was important to mention in the video because some people view officers differently than others. The video said that police personalities are shaped by the exposure to danger and the length of service. This means that, for example, the tragedies and workload build up on someone, in which reflects how they act towards certain situations and people. Also mentioned in the video was how twenty percent of officers cause eighty percent of problems. In other words, these are the bad apples. As Dr. White mentioned in class, regardless of where you police in the world, there will always be a handful of "bad cops." Cops who are not worthy of the title and in some ways make all police seem "bad." I think this is a huge statistic that everyone should look into and see how it negatively effects the policing world and how it is viewed by all outsiders. This video was beneficial in many ways. behappy001
ReplyDeleteI agree that the "bad apples" put a black eye on officers everywhere. I know people personally who have only dealt with 1 or 2 cops in their life, and they have a very negative perception of the police in general. Hopefully with the continued preaching of procedural justice and community policing this can change in the future. RustyPete001
DeleteI completely agree with the education section as well. With higher educated officers police forces can become more effective, and less lethal. Now I noticed it also said that no real numbers exist yet on whether or not a correlation exists between officers preforming better and having higher educations, but it can only help. If not with actual policing, then it can help with the progression through the ranks of an officer.-OKC001
Deleteyes its good that police departments are requiring some kind of education to be hired it makes for a better officer in one way but not all ways they have what they should know now they have to figure out how to use it and apply it affectively.- wreked001
DeleteI thought this video from class made some good observations about police culture and the personalities of officers after they’ve been working for a while. Having a dad who was a police officer, I always noticed the sense of camaraderie he seemed to share with other officers. It’s almost like playing team sports. You build a bond with your fellow officers and learn everything about them. Like the video said, you view them as your family. While I think it’s great to have that type of bond, I don’t think your police brothers and sisters should come before your family at home. In my opinion, that’s a recipe for disaster as far as your home life is concerned. I also thought the video brought out some good points about how officer’s attitudes can change after they’ve been working for a while. It talked about becoming more cynical, losing empathy, and just becoming burned out in general. I think that this can happen with any job. After a while it becomes boring and you just don’t put forth as much effort as you used to. I think it’s a bigger problem with regards to policing because officers have to deal with the public everyday and are sometimes faced with life or death situations. It should be a priority to make sure cops are getting enough time off and have a chance to take a break from the grind. Police officers have a high stress job and it’s important for them to be fresh and alert. RustyPete001
ReplyDeleteI agree family life and work life need to have their distance in a law enforcement personals life as they have different values into the officers life. The lose of empathy and the cynical of it was a really fact pointed out by the video as this illustrates the stressful of what the job requires of those who are sworn in to protect lives. Family at home if not placed first can cause more stress unto that officer as their are trying to balance the stress of home life with the stress that their work requires on a day to day bases. Officers like you said should be fresh and alert as protecting the presence of life is the most important factor that this job entails. Eagle001
DeleteI agree with the concept of it being like a sports team. In sports you obviously build that bond as well as with you partner in your police department. They start to learn a lot about you. Then by the end of your season your a family as well as when it's almost time to retire if you still have the same partner he/she would be a family member basically.CRC001
DeleteI agree with the concept that the police officer becomes your family. My dad was in the police force for 30 years and as a kid I can remember his partner coming over to family dinners. I could also remember him picking me up from schools and taking me to games whenever my parents could not. He became so close yo my family that my brothers and I started to call him Uncle. As my dad would say "You start picking up each others slack rather it was at work to outside of work". I agree that many officers do change after being on a police force rather it good or bad. Many people become an officer with a midst of how many people they can arrest. But over time they realize that they can help people with other things other than just arresting them. I also agree that we should give officers lots of time off. They risk their life everyday trying to protect us so they should get days off to keep they sanity and so that they don't get burnout. Many people rather they are a police officer or not get burnout while doing their job. So yes I agree they should get time off to keep on their feet. Hawk001
DeleteThe Police and Discretion video highlighted a lot of problems between the public and law enforcement along with other social issues within the country related to relationship that revolve around law enforcement. I also liked how this video pointed out that the common job of police work can help to effect or determine what the laws will be in the area city, or nationwide. One important fact that was stated by this video is that law enforcement has the highest risk factors because of what the job requires, from seeing a hectic scene occur to handling other individual’s personal problems or while the officer may have personal problems of their own they may have to deal with while having to fix situations that are occurring in others individual’s life’s. Another important aspect of this video is that it also states the disconnect between law enforcement and certain communities the negative aspects of doing the job of law enforcement into how to fix each of these issues as they have so it doesn’t other cause any problems that may seriously affect others life’s o the extent that this prohibits positive changes that are going on within the given communities. One thing that really stock out was that if officers get hired into a community that are not part of the community this makes this ineffective for officers to do their job as they don’t understand the culture, background of even some of the streets name which makes them less effective compared to an officer that grew up around that given area. There was definitely a good from the video women are benefiting law enforcement more greatly by having less arrest which causes less social issues going on within a given community, by being more effective on handling the situation form the less use of force and more with some communication skills. Eagle001
ReplyDeleteBeing able to understand the culture and communicate with the people of a community are essential to the success of a police officer. If he/she is not able to effectively establish a positive relationship with the community, it can make their job a lot more difficult because people will not want to cooperate with someone who does not respect them or someone who they do not know. Being able to effectively police in communities is greatly effected by the relationship the officers have with their community. Pack001
DeleteI agree with you Walking your beat or even just getting out of the car more will help you become more tied into your community and they will develop a good respect for you as an officer and help you be a more successful police officer. If your'e not aware of the people in your community and they don't like you they are not going to want to give you any information thus making your job alot harder. Bike001
DeleteThe first thing that caught my attention with this video was how they talked about the police culture and mindset. All jobs have a certain culture to them, but policing is one of the strongest and most apparent. I love how it is an unspoken rule that all police officers look out for eachother no matter what, as it should be. I feel like this can also however, hinder the effectiveness of the justice system when it comes to holding cops to higher standards. Now I am being a hypocritical though, because unless he or she committed murder or a very serious offense, I know I would not rat on my partner. I also feel that the idea of “There are no other crime fighters out there” is more harmful than good. On one hand, I believe that statement to be true. There are no crime stopping entities out there besides law enforcement. I think this thought can give a lot of men and women in the law enforcement community a purpose and help them, but I also feel that it can make them feel helpless. Knowing that you “alone” so to speak, are the only person to actually try and stop crimes can be pretty daunting and discouraging. This thought also leads into my next point, that police should talk to somebody about their mental health problems when they arise. It is not healthy to just hold in all of those terrible things and hope that they go away, and it helps to talk to a professional. Whether or not they have been through what you’ve been through, medically they can most likely help you. So regardless of who you are or what you’ve seen, you should always try to seek help. I believe if more officers tried to seek help, the officer suicide rate wouldn’t be nearly as high as it sadly is.-OKC001
ReplyDeleteI like how you mentioned the police culture and mindset. There is no other job I feel like where you have people who are in the same profession (policing) and can work in two different areas and even if they do not know each other, they still have each others backs and that is how the thin blue line works. Blackhawks001
DeleteI admire the brotherhood and loyalty that partners have for each other, placing your partners well being above your own, covering for them in all situations. Of course a line has to be drawn as to how far one can go to protect their partner, for example if your partner happened to kill someone, I don't think that is something you can protect your partner from. But in close to all situations, I admire the partnership found among police officers.
Deletegh_blackhawks001
I agree I also admire the loyalty to one another like a brotherhood or similar to how the military is. Covering them in in most situations, I say that because their is a line that has to be drawn due to morals and beliefs. I would say becoming like family with other officers is good for the job to help the officers with the stresses of the job. Steel001
DeleteI agree OKC001, it is very saddening that the suicide rate for cops is so high. Police officers who are feeling the need to commit suicide should seek help immediately. This really applies to everyone, not just police, but the suicide rate is just too high and we really need to do something about it zmw001
DeleteThe loyalty found between partners is very interesting to me. It seems like a gray area, where exactly is that line drawn? Obviously if a murder was committed, I do not know that I would have a choice. But besides that, where do you draw that line of protecting your partner, and protecting your own career. Even though I have heard it several times, I still find it interesting that women, especially women police officers, have such good communication skills. I think men are generally more stubborn and ready to get down and physical, since they are usually bigger in stature and hard-headed. However, women have a way of calming others down, talking them out of situations, and keeping all of the parties involved in a state of calm. I find discretion very interesting as well. Laws are laws, but some petty things can be looked past in my opinion. Like we heard in class the other day, it’s not all about arresting every single person that you can. It’s bigger than that, there are more important things than throwing someone in the back of a police car. A ticket does not always need to be handed out, in some situations, there is no avoiding it of course, but other situations may call for a warning and a lesson that gives the suspect a better opinion about police as a whole. There will always be some bad cops that ruin the name of the police, but good cops can change that by getting involved with the community and treating people with fairness and with the respect that every individual deserves. The better relationship that is formed between police and the community, the less crime that will be committed, and the more people will be willing to cooperate with our law enforcement throughout our communities.
ReplyDeletegh_blackhawks001
The idea of protecting your career or protecting your partner seems a little confusing for me. No matter how important your job is to you I would think that would be sacrificed in a heart beat for someone's life. Furthermore, you would have plenty of time to build a very close connection and trust me, battle buddies always come first.Ghost003
DeleteI found that ninety-eight percent of local police require education. This is very important to have because we need educated police officers out on the streets who can handle situations. I found form watching the video that it’s better to get an education because there are a lot more benefits that come with it. For instance, getting promotions is easier to get when you have some sort of education rather then not having any. Fun fact that I found out also was that the first African American that was hired on to the police department was in Washington D.C. in 1861. Minorities take more action which shows that the police department isn’t bias. Women are starting to take a role in policing and I never knew a women had harder physical test than men I would have thought it was the other way around. The first women that was hired on was in L.A. in 1920. I believe it’s a good thing for more women being in the police force because women can calm more people down and actually communicate to people better who are getting arrested. Women have a way better way of communicating then men so I wasn’t surprised by that at all. It would be very hard for a women police officer just for an example they said that women are too weak of risk but too aggressive and then they threaten male officers. I do agree with the police being the only real crime fighters and that’s because police are the only ones who see the worse of the worse. Just like in anything though you always have to have loyalty whenever you have a bond or a partner. It’s just a must especially if you want to be very successful in what you do. CRC001
ReplyDeleteInteresting to see that not all of police departments require education standards. Education is very important in the role of a police officer. Knowing goo communication skills and how to think logically and function efficiently. I agree that we need educated officers out paroling the streets and working behind the desks. Man or woman, does not matter what gender is in the uniform, only the fact that they can do their job properly. Bry001
DeleteI also found it interesting that so many police departments are now requiring an education for new officers. I wonder just how much of an advantage that an education would give a new officer. Other than meaning easier employment and promotions do you think college experience would bring any tangible benefit to how well an officer would perform? CoolGuy001
DeleteThis video a lot of helpful insight into the everyday life of a police and many other aspects of policing. One thing that i found very interesting within the video was that of which that shows the loyalty and brotherhood of the police force. Also the fact that some officers believe that the only way to win the war against is to bend the rules like the criminals they are going after do. It brings up an interesting point that sometimes officers do bend the rules a little to get what they need to arrest someone or to get a conviction of someone. being able to do things legally and convict people legally should be the goal of every officer, you should not have to disobey rule and regulations in order to catch some, that defeats the purpose. Another things that was very interesting to hear is that a police officer's job is not just to hand out tickets and arrest every one they see committing a crime, often times being able to give the person a warning or teach them a lesson so they can learn from their mistake with no real repercussions. Getting involved with the community in which they police in can help an officer create a better image not just for himself but the police force as a whole. Being able to create a good relationship with the public can help the police in many ways and can often help them keep their communities safer and in turn their citizens safer as well. A better relationship with the community could also help the police force because citizens will be more willing to help the police out and cooperate with them during investigations and other police operations. A good public relationship is crucial to the success of the police force as well as the success of the community. Pack001
ReplyDeleteThe video did a good job showing the different sides to being an officer. Some of those sides we don't think about, like how people don't know what it's like to see a murder scene unless they've seen one before. Having a better relationship with the public though will be benefit them in the long run for ever needing something later on. Pie001
DeleteThis video really does give a nice view of the other sides of being an officer (by nice, I mean a better viewpoint). It gives us a better understanding of the struggles officers face and what we may see when we someday are more into the field. - AJC001
DeleteAfter watching the videos over Police Discretion in class I learned a lot of new and interesting information about law enforcement that i did now know before. The fist thing that stood out to me was about how the eighty/twenty rule also applies to cops. I remember when I was in Juvenile Delinquency last semester and we learned about the eighty/twenty rule and how it was only twenty percent of the juvenile offenders who become adult offenders and become the chronic ten percent. But back to the 80/20 rule for cops. The video said that all cops are either cops for the wrong reasons or are not actually being good cops and are dirty. 80 percent of cops are good, and 20 percent of them are bad and do 80 percent of the bad habits that makes everyone look bad. Because police officers all where the same uniform at a department, people tend to see police officers as the same person. If you have one officer who does his best to truly make a difference and another officer from the same department that is a asshole to people. People are going to have a stigma against all the officers on that department just because how that one officer was bad. Also i thought it was interesting how the video said that officers are usually so stressed out and have all these stress problems not because they are stressed all the time, but because they are constantly changing between low and high stress. It can either be very laid back day and the calls are easy, the all of a sudden there is a murder or a chase that ends with a resisting offender and the whole day could be ruined. A lot of people do not know what it is like to actually fear for your life, sadly a lot of officers due and I am sure that has a giant impact on someone. Blaclkhawks001
ReplyDeleteThe video we watched in class was really interesting because I just didn’t think about some of the topics that were talked about. Say that during your shift you had to help with a murder of a child. It will be almost impossible for someone to know how you are doing because they haven’t seen what you have seen. The same goes for when you leave for work having to worry about if you are going to make it home at the end of your shift because how the public sees officers right now. Once the officers are seen out in the community just even talking to get to know who's in the area the citizens will see those officers doing that and have more respect for them. Being a female going into this field it was unsettling to hear that women have been given harsher punishment compared to what the men receive. The women receive the harsher punishments just so then the men can still feel that they aren’t being challenged on their “power” because a women wouldn’t be doing the correct thing. Pie001
ReplyDeleteI learned quite a bit from this video about Police Workloads and officer discretion. I think it is a good idea to have an education requirement for new recruits, just because they will gain the knowledge to effectively do their jobs in the long run. I also think it is important for the departments to hire more minorities and women just because when it comes to talking to the public some will more likely talk to an officer of the same race or gender or vice versa. I would like to see more women than just the 15% that are reported being police officers. I didn’t like the fact that women receive harsher punishments than their male counter parts though just because we are women does not make us any different than men by any means. I also think that Police Officers have their own culture because like the video states no one on the outside knows the job the way they do and it is harder for them to talk to someone that is not in that line of work compared to those that are. They have their own belief system which is cool to me. The video also touched base on police personality and how it changes the longer they are exposed to the dangers of the job. I think stress plays a big role in their personality change over time because it’s not the job per say that is the cause but the constant exposers to low and high stress throughout the day in their job. Overall this was a good informational video and it really helps to know some background in Police work overall. Ciaccio001
ReplyDeleteThis video is very informational on the topics of police discretion and workloads. One of the first topics mentioned is about policing and education. They say that college educated police officers have better communication skills but there is little evidence to prove that educated police officers are better crime fighters which I found surprising. A big topic in my studies this year in college was women in policing which they had a section on in the video. Women today in policing still face discrimination and sexual harassment. One thing that women do have over men which is so crucial in the police force is the "Verbal Judo" that a lot of men lack. This makes them more effective communicators which helps with getting respect on the streets and they use less physical force. Discretion is a big topic in the criminal justice system and police officers have the most power of discretion. This is because different situations require different levels of discretion. No officer is going to be able to stop all of the crime in the world so this is why we need discretion. Officer stress is an underlying cause of family issues and officers being fatigued on the job. This is influenced by the long hours and overtime some officers are required to work. An interesting rule was spoke about in this video and that is the 80/20 rule. This consists of the theory that 80% of officers cause 20% of the departments problems and that 20% of the officers cause 80% of the departments problems. This is interesting to show how a little percentage of the police department can cause a ad reputation on the rest of the officers. There should definitely be training for officers who are high risk officers to prevent them from causing any issues. Bike001
ReplyDeleteIn this video I have learned a lot. I have never heard of the rule of 80/20 rule until this video. That 20% cause the problem in the department with 80% that are on the right track. Also i did not know that women had it so hard in the department i figured it would be more like how the military is were everyone is equal. Since women are so vital to the police force because of their ability to communicate and their "verbal judo". I have heard that life would be hard being a police officer, but I did not realize how stressful it would be not only at work but also at home. especially if your working over time, you become fatigue and start to make wrong use of discretion because you tired. Steel001
ReplyDeleteI liked that you pointed out that police officers can experience fatigue, and much more from long hours and hard work. Additionally, I think it is very important that we all noticed the 80/20 rule the video discusses because even Dr. White stressed the massive problem we are experiencing with bad cops. The fact that cops are responsible for 80% of the issues our country deals with is absurd in my opinion. Police officers are supposed to strive to serve and protect to the best of their ability, but they are 80% of the problem with our crime rates. Purple003
DeleteThe video that was shown in class was all about the style of police, the culture of police, and the hiring of police officers. Every work environment has its own culture, and police departments are no different. For example, the camaraderie between police officers is great, especially between partners. These are your brothers in blue, and they will be the ones who have your back in the streets. In the police culture, there are six core beliefs. Police officers are the only real crime fighters, no one really understands the work of police officers, loyalty to your colleagues is above all else, the war against crime can't be won without bending the rules, members of the public are unreasonably demanding, and patrol work is the pits. I think these are reasonable beliefs and I with what knowledge I have of policing I agree with them. The video also talks about police style and personalities. It is said that styles can range from social worker to crime fighter, and a police officer's personality is shaped by their continued exposure to danger and the need to use force. So however the officer's personality may be will most likely change over time, in turn causing their style to change. A new officer who is ready to fight crime and whoop down some criminals may eventually see that is not the best way to police and will change to a more understanding personality and a friendlier style of policing. In the hiring of police, ninety eight percent of police departments are requiring some sort of education, even though there is no correlation seen between education and good crime fighting skills. While there has been a huge push to hire more minorities, they still only make up twenty five percent of the police force while women make up fifteen percent. This video was very interesting and informative and I am glad we watched it in class. zmw001
ReplyDeleteThis video goes over several things in detail: the personality of police officers, the hiring of officers, the educational requirements, and corruption within the enforcement agencies, and other important things like the makeup of the officers and their representation of their community, and more. The first thing to note is that law enforcement agencies (98% of them, according to the video) are requiring some sort of educational degree for new officers joining the force. As the importance of education continues to grow, the police agencies are following that trend. Another part of the video tells us about the difficulties of women in the police force. Women are struggling to find a happy medium between force and kindness (as viewed by their peers.) Women, however, are known to be much more capable of using verbal language to de-escalate a situation rather than the physical use of male officers. Another growing issue is the trouble of giving proper representation of minorities in the community. This being, that if 15% of the community is african american, then the law enforcement agency should try to get an equivalent percentage of their police force to be around that number as well. This allows for the police and community to feel they are one with each other, rather than the police being an alien and brutal force of the law. This promotes legitimacy and procedural justice, as well. Also, this video goes over some of the sad parts of an officer’s life. That being the suicide and depression, and the cynical views that form with extended time in the force. Cynical views of officers is rather common. As individuals grow old in the police force, they begin to lose interest in supporting their communities and they return to a more self-centered way. Basically, they grow salty of their job. The video is a good view inside the force, and is a helpful tool for us to use in our judgements of the job and our ideals in pursuing a career in it. - AJC001
ReplyDeleteThis video goes over several things in detail: the personality of police officers, the hiring of officers, the educational requirements, and corruption within the enforcement agencies, and other important things like the makeup of the officers and their representation of their community, and more. The first thing to note is that law enforcement agencies (98% of them, according to the video) are requiring some sort of educational degree for new officers joining the force. As the importance of education continues to grow, the police agencies are following that trend. Another part of the video tells us about the difficulties of women in the police force. Women are struggling to find a happy medium between force and kindness (as viewed by their peers.) Women, however, are known to be much more capable of using verbal language to de-escalate a situation rather than the physical use of male officers. Another growing issue is the trouble of giving proper representation of minorities in the community. This being, that if 15% of the community is african american, then the law enforcement agency should try to get an equivalent percentage of their police force to be around that number as well. This allows for the police and community to feel they are one with each other, rather than the police being an alien and brutal force of the law. This promotes legitimacy and procedural justice, as well. Also, this video goes over some of the sad parts of an officer’s life. That being the suicide and depression, and the cynical views that form with extended time in the force. Cynical views of officers is rather common. As individuals grow old in the police force, they begin to lose interest in supporting their communities and they return to a more self-centered way. Basicly, they grow salty of their job. The video is a good view inside the force, and is a helpful tool for us to use in our judgements of the job and our ideals in pursuing a career in it. - AJC001
ReplyDeleteThe three police educational videos released by Tapsti address police culture, discretion, and use of force. The first video focused on police culture. One of the interesting things that it mentioned was how many police departments across the country are implementing an increased educational requirement on new potential officers and how many large departments are looking for people with college degrees. The first video also mentioned the difficulties faced by police departments in hiring a diverse work force, as well as the difficulties faced by african american and female officers. It also talks about the way that people in the profession of law enforcement can tend to segregate themselves from the normal population due to the nature of the job and form their own close nit groups. It talks about how the separation of police from normal society can lead to police becoming cynical and can even lead to police lying for each other when they do something wrong. Towards the end of the first video it talks about how being exposed to stress and violence can change an officers personality.
ReplyDeleteThe second video begins by focusing on police discretion and how it can be up to a police officer decides what the law is and how an officers use of discretion can be influenced by the suspected criminal or by any peers observing the officer. It also addresses stress, police brutality, and corruption.
The third video focuses mainly on police use of force. It talks about how police culture and training have changed to cause officers to be more willing to present and use deadly force. One example the video gives is how a 16 year old wielding a screwdriver was shot by a responding officer. The video says that this was wrong and that police should be trained better. I personally think that if I were an officer and somebody pulls what has the potential to be a lethal weapon capable of killing or incapacitating on me then I should be justified in presenting or using deadly force on them. It's not an issue of a fair fight or an officer being afraid of getting hurt, its that if a weapon can be used to incapacitate is used to incapacitate an officer then the suspect who has already proven themselves to be violent would then have access to an officer's firearm and everything else on their duty belt. coolguy001
This video explained policing very well and it ran through a lot of important things such as police culture. What i found important and effective was that ninety-eight percent of local police require education. It is very important that inviduals who are here to protect us and enforce our laws have some type of knowledge in order for citizens and for our community to feel safe and confident in our policemen and policewomen. What i don't understand is why it is just ninety-eight percent and where does that left over two percent lead? I feel like anyone, especially in the profession should have prior knowledge learning that the benefits of education include better communication skills, few disciplinary problems, and less use of force. More than what they give at the police academy. I also find it interesting how policewomen are targeted more for disciplinary actions by administrators and are more likely to receive harsher punishments than male officers and what might that "harsh" punishment might be. In this video i wish the narrator could have went into more detail with that. Like what type of mis conduct behaviors would be wrong for a male officer or women officer or if they're the same. I also would have liked more information of the variations of punishments between the two. But other than that and besides those two points, this video gave out a lot of interesting information. Kt001
ReplyDeleteThe video offers some very interesting information, especially about gender bias and the struggle women face when they are on and off duty. I had no idea women received harsher punishments than male officers and were even better communicators than most men. Rather than using physical force, a woman can deescalate a heated situation gentle communication skills with a softer tone of voice. This would eliminate the possibility of intimidating a persons manhood. The video also mentions something about the blue curtain, which provides a great summary of what the job is like with your partner, home life, and decision making. He describes the comradery of the police force to the same as a gang or army. Which is really something to think about. You must have your partners and co-workers back, no matter the situation at hand. Lastly, the video gives some good information about minority officers being more popular to hire and how they can be better fitted for a certain environment. Different places have different kinds of culture, races, religions, etc... so in some situations it is the smarter choice to have a person who is a certain race work the beat according to what kind of people are there and the area. It was a good video overall, had lots of interesting information. Bry001
ReplyDeleteIn the Police and Discretion video it states that education and policing is teaming up. Education is becoming more important for individuals to join the police force. About 98 percent of police departments have a educational requirements for new recruitment. They are recognizing the importance of education in the police force especially when it comes to promotion. I think it is good that they have realized and now require new recruitment to get a higher education. This will and can come in handy when trying to create a learning environment within the department. It is also stated in the video that many officers who have a higher education within the department have fewer write up disciplinary reports. They also have more alternatives to dealing with problems in the community. Another issue that this video talks about is the minority's on the police force. I believe that this an important topic because it not only affects the police force but also the community. I as well as many other people believe that the police force should represent the community. So ideally if the community was 20 percent blacks then the police force would represent 20 percent blacks also. This would make it where the community will be more opened to go to the police about more things. In the society that we live in today people are more likely to tell things to someone who looks more like them. It may not seem right but we as people find more comfort in doing this. So by making the police departments reflect the community it can help the department more then you can think. This video talks about women in the police force. Women plays and contributes a lot to the police force. The main thing that they bring to the table is the calmness and communication skills. Most Women officers can calm a situation down without using force and by just talking. This video talks about a lot of other things such as the relationship within department. As stated in not only the video but also in class you become really close to these co-workers and start to know everything about them. You become more involved in each lives such as the family life. You are more loyal to your partner. Eventually you guys will not just be co-workers you will become close friends. This video overall is very helpful and informative when thinking about joining a police force or when wanting to know more about a police force. Hawk001
ReplyDeleteIn the video police workloads and officer discretion I learned a lot of things. Knowing that education is becoming a big part of police departments (98%) is very refreshing. It's refreshing to know that all of the work and sleepless nights will benefit me and others in the long run. The video stated that education benefits in many ways, education allows you to be a better communicator and in your years as a police officer you will use, use of force less. I agree with that statement as a police officer communication is key. You need to know how to deescalate situations in proper ways. It's still confusing to me as why women are still targeted by social and administrative barriers. I believe that women bring a huge benefit to policing. I believe women bring the compassion back into policing. Not to say that men don't have compassion, but I think women tend to be more understanding than men. 75% of women report that policing is still male-dominated, I think it's up to us as a new generation of women to recruit more women into the criminal justice field. One of the biggest things that stuck out to me during this video was the 80-20 rule. 20% of the officers will cause 80% of the problem. This is an very important thing to remember and to teach to people who have doubts about police officers. During this day and age and on social media all cops are just portrayed as the bad guy, when in reality it only takes that one officer to ruin it for all. I always say "If you have one bad apple are you going to throw the whole bag away?" Just something to think about. I don't think people realize what goes into being a police officer. Most people believe anyone can be a police officer, false. It takes a very special person to be a police officer. If your heart is not in it and you are just in the job because you get a gun or you get to arrest people, should you really be a police officer? Like the video stated someone who wants to be a police officer should be situational and adaptive, good communication skills. Police styles go from social worker to crime fighter. Unless you are a police officer, you don't fully understand.Overall this video was very informational. -dicaprio001
ReplyDeleteI also agree that women play a huge role in policing. The communication skills are defiantly the female officer's strong points. I strongly agree with your statement that not everyone has what it takes to be a police officer. It defiantly takes a different type of human being to protect and serve.
DeleteKLICK001
The video explains officer discretion and police culture. It explained the problems with law enforcement. Law enforcement has more risk factors than what some other everyday jobs have.
ReplyDeleteI really like how Dr. White said in class the other day how you become close with your partner. I just think it’s cool that someone will/should always have your back, although I can’t imagine it’s always cool with the things you’d have to deal with.
I also didn’t know there are different types of stress. I thought stressed could mean anything, but knowing there’s 4 different types of stressors.
I think knowing that 98% of departments are now requiring education. I think it’s helpful that our police officers are not only protecting our community, but are educated to handle almost any situation. Hopefully needing more education can help the “bad apples” in every department situation. stlblues002
This talked about the culture around police officers and how they act towards one another. It is nice to see that if i ever joined the police force that i would have a group of people that would always have my back no matter what. I don't think i would be a person who would tell on my partner for something silly. But, if it was a serious crime then i would have no choice but to do so. I also thought that it was interesting how the higher of an education someone has the better that they will have a chance to get onto the police force and to move up into ranks. I thought this was interesting because i was talking to a police officer and he mentioned that to get onto the police force where he was located that one wouldnt need a lot of education and they would still higher them. I like the fact that they are starting to require more education because the better educated one is then the better the outcome will be in a situation. Police officers have to think fast and using critical thinking that they had to do in school will help on the job. bball001
ReplyDeletePolice work loads and officer discretion are two very interesting topics when thinking about going into law enforcement. This video was very informative and it gave tons of useful tips. One of the interesting things mentioned in the video were the six core beliefs. One of them stated that The war on crime will not end without breaking the rules. Another one was that the cops are the only crime fighters. This video showed me how strong the band between cops really is. If you are putting your life on the line along side people that are their for the same reason you are it really forms a strong relationship. The adrenaline rush's you share and also the fear. The loyalty is what keeps cops going everyday. Also all of the police officers personalities are shaped by the things they see and deal with. A police officer feels that nobody understands what they do and they are absolutely right. The job often changes people's whole outlook on life and is why the alcohol abuse and stress have been issues. The stress is a major problem for many police officers as well, which can lead to lack of enthusiasm and family issues.
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy to think that 20% of officers cause 80% of the problems. If one cop makes a poor judgment call or flat out does something ignorant it gives the whole law enforcement community a black eye. This definitely ties in with the bias media videos and broadcasts that force people to choose a side and argue about it. Most of the things put on the media are to get under people's skin and anger them. For law enforcement it means random acts of hate and riots. While these police officers are stressed about family problems and heavy work loads he also has to be worried getting shot eating lunch. Which is why 98% of all police departments require some form of education to be a cop. Being more intelligent is the main thing i got out of this video. If you get a higher education you can move through the ranks and be less stressed and have a little more time for a social life.
KLICK001
Minorities in our police forces are uncommon in the smaller towns and cities due to maybe the lack of minorities living in those areas or the fear they feel of applying because of discrimination. That goes for females to they add a unique and different advantage to police forces like there ability to talk and diffuse a situation without the use of force. Stress within the work community or ones self because of work is common also. In the video they mention external like home life, organizational stress being work related and individual witch could be personal issues.- wreked001
ReplyDeleteI think the only reason why people don't see minorities in smaller cities would be because they want to show themselves in front of their colleagues. I know as a woman, if the only reason I received the job was because I was a woman, I would want to show that I deserve the job and that it was not handed to me. I would never want to work in a smaller town for that reason. hotfox003
DeleteIn the videos that were shown in class, the officer talked a lot about discretion and how it plays a role if policing. Police officers are given a lot of discretion, they have the power to send a person to jail or prison or let said person go home. They can fine the crap out of a person, make said person’s day a thousand times better, save said person’s live and the lives of others, etc. Anyways, they have a lot of discretionary power. It is our job and prospects in the field to know about this power, respect it, and not let it control us. New officers can fear how much power they have and let it control them, that isn’t the plan. That leads to more problems further down the line. In our discretionary field of interest, we can choose to see, hear, or smell offenses or we can choose to not see, hear, or smell said offenses. I am so glad for our teacher telling us about it and helping us to understand our discretionary power we will receive as police officers. Thanks. Paddle001 Paddle002
ReplyDeleteThe Police and Discretion video highlighted a lot of problems between the public and law enforcement along with other social issues within the country related to relationship that revolve around law enforcement. I also liked how this video pointed out that the common job of police work can help to effect or determine what the laws will be in the area city, or nationwide. One important fact that was stated by this video is that law enforcement has the highest risk factors because of what the job requires, from seeing a hectic scene occur to handling other individual’s personal problems or while the officer may have personal problems of their own they may have to deal with while having to fix situations that are occurring in others individual’s life’s. Another important aspect of this video is that it also states the disconnect between law enforcement and certain communities the negative aspects of doing the job of law enforcement into how to fix each of these issues as they have so it doesn’t other cause any problems that may seriously affect others life’s o the extent that this prohibits positive changes that are going on within the given communities. One thing that really stock out was that if officers get hired into a community that are not part of the community this makes this ineffective for officers to do their job as they don’t understand the culture, background of even some of the streets name which makes them less effective compared to an officer that grew up around that given area. There was definitely a good from the video women are benefiting law enforcement more greatly by having less arrest which causes less social issues going on within a given community, by being more effective on handling the situation form the less use of force and more with some communication skills. Eagle002
ReplyDeleteThe loyalty found between partners is very interesting to me. It seems like a gray area, where exactly is that line drawn? Obviously if a murder was committed, I do not know that I would have a choice. But besides that, where do you draw that line of protecting your partner, and protecting your own career. Even though I have heard it several times, I still find it interesting that women, especially women police officers, have such good communication skills. I think men are generally more stubborn and ready to get down and physical, since they are usually bigger in stature and hard-headed. However, women have a way of calming others down, talking them out of situations, and keeping all of the parties involved in a state of calm. I find discretion very interesting as well. Laws are laws, but some petty things can be looked past in my opinion. Like we heard in class the other day, it’s not all about arresting every single person that you can. It’s bigger than that, there are more important things than throwing someone in the back of a police car. A ticket does not always need to be handed out, in some situations, there is no avoiding it of course, but other situations may call for a warning and a lesson that gives the suspect a better opinion about police as a whole. There will always be some bad cops that ruin the name of the police, but good cops can change that by getting involved with the community and treating people with fairness and with the respect that every individual deserves. The better relationship that is formed between police and the community, the less crime that will be committed, and the more people will be willing to cooperate with our law enforcement throughout our communities.
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As the video said, 98% of police departments require educational backgrounds, which I think is very important. Educated policing leads to better policing in my opinion; simply because I think that those who are supposed to protect and serve in my community should have higher education requirements than those who are not in charge of protecting me and those in my community. When police officers are educated I think it will overall lead to better police officers, and in return I think there could be lesss violence from the police officer’s negligence. I like that the video mentioned that there are certain aspects of the job that can shape and reform a police officer’s personality. This can be both good and bad depending on the situations the officer is exposed to. Additionally, the video said that officers are responsible for 80% of problems; these are the bad cops that Professor White mentioned. These cops are corrupt, and simply let the power they have get into their heads. These cops are the ones who are taking bribes, and committing crimes like common criminals. They have no concern for others, and have no intentions of doing the job they are responsible for. Purple003
ReplyDeleteThe video did a good job showing the different sides to being an officer. Some of those sides we don't think about, like how people don't know what it's like to see a murder scene unless they've seen one before. Having a better relationship with the public though will be benefit them in the long run for ever needing something later on. Pie001
DeleteI am surprised that there is little evidence that concludes education makes a difference in the long run when it comes to fighting crime. The video did say that better educated people have less disciplinary problems and use less force, so it is strange to me that there is little evidence that education makes a little difference. The minority representation part of the video also brought up many good points. It is better to have the minority representation of law enforcement in minority communities, but it is also a social burden for minorities because people of their own race make fun of them for being police officers. To have officers patrolling a community that is not of their color makes it more difficult for them and their use of discretion. I thought it was interesting that minority officers are more willing than white officers to use their authority to take official action; I think this implies that white officers have to think twice when it comes to taking official action because of different skin colors involved. The first law enforcement woman was hired in 1910; considering the time, that is very important. During that time, women were seen as dainty and fragile. Society basically said women’s place was in the house cooking and cleaning. Women also did not have the right to vote during that time. Women in policing today are still underrepresented. They also have to have a good balance of strength. As the video mentioned, if women are too weak they are at risk in street confrontations, but if they are too powerful then they threaten the male officer’s manhood. Scuba002
ReplyDeleteIt is great that the police departments are requiring more school before just coming onto the force. There may not be a big difference between someone with more education than someone without, but it helps in the long run. You have someone who understands the full extent of the law. You have confidence in them to know they are prepared and ready to handle the job or task at hand. Having more education is also helpful down the line regarding promotions. Women still have a tough time in policing even with more educating than the man. Women are underrepresented in smaller jurisdictions, also looked down upon because it’s not believed that they can handle the job that a man can. What is worse is that there is a high rate of sexual harassment in the force. On the plus side is women officers are believed to handle more situations verbally instead of physically. Women handling situations without being violent is wonderful for the department, it shows that the department really cares. This can also be touched with the argument of officers with more schooling are better a handling situations without being physical. If a woman officer has those skills, then that’s a great combination to have on the force. Bread003
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting video in all actuality. Our narrator goes into detail about many aspects of police life that people may not think about. I found it interesting how the narrator quotes "two shades of blue", regarding minorities in police work. I assumed there were bad connections between races in police work, but I did not think it was to the point of establishing two shades of blue. In fact, the video states only about 25% of local police officers are minorities, and 15% are women. These statistics, though aged, are alarming. Gender and racial differences within the police community will always generate conflict in some areas or departments but looking at the big picture I would hope it would not be as large of a problem as it seems to be. Furthermore, our narrator describes his view on police culture and what that means to both police officers and to those in the community. I can directly relate to some of the points he makes by drawing a comparison with the military. I can see how police could form a sort of "band of brothers" like you do in the military. This type of inner social society is largely due to the high stress and high risk situations of these types of employments. When it's life or death and you rely on your co-worker to help get you out of those situations with your life, it's easy to see how people grow close over time. However, as a police officer, it is their primary duty to serve the public, so becoming distant with the social aspects of society could raise several problems. It is up to departments to get their officers out there and in the mix with the public sample they are policing. Nevertheless, the most important lessons to keep in mind are equality for all genders and races within the police force, and the focus on enforcing and maintaining safety and liberty to all people within our society. Ghost003
ReplyDeleteI guess I am the weird to say that if I was to become a police officer, I would not want them to hire me solely for the purpose that I am considered a minority. I want them to select me because I deserve the job. I know the police departments need to have a mixture of different people, but I would not want my fellow officers to look at me and know that they only reason I got this job was because I am a woman. hotfox003
ReplyDeleteThe video we watched in class was really interesting because I just didn’t think about some of the topics that were talked about. Say that during your shift you had to help with a murder of a child. It will be almost impossible for someone to know how you are doing because they haven’t seen what you have seen. The same goes for when you leave for work having to worry about if you are going to make it home at the end of your shift because how the public sees officers right now. Once the officers are seen out in the community just even talking to get to know who's in the area the citizens will see those officers doing that and have more respect for them. Being a female going into this field it was unsettling to hear that women have been given harsher punishment compared to what the men receive. The women receive the harsher punishments just so then the men can still feel that they aren’t being challenged on their “power” because a women wouldn’t be doing the correct thing. Pie002
ReplyDeleteThis video a lot of helpful insight into the everyday life of a police and many other aspects of policing. One thing that i found very interesting within the video was that of which that shows the loyalty and brotherhood of the police force. Also the fact that some officers believe that the only way to win the war against is to bend the rules like the criminals they are going after do. It brings up an interesting point that sometimes officers do bend the rules a little to get what they need to arrest someone or to get a conviction of someone. being able to do things legally and convict people legally should be the goal of every officer, you should not have to disobey rule and regulations in order to catch some, that defeats the purpose. Another things that was very interesting to hear is that a police officer's job is not just to hand out tickets and arrest every one they see committing a crime, often times being able to give the person a warning or teach them a lesson so they can learn from their mistake with no real repercussions. Getting involved with the community in which they police in can help an officer create a better image not just for himself but the police force as a whole. Being able to create a good relationship with the public can help the police in many ways and can often help them keep their communities safer and in turn their citizens safer as well. A better relationship with the community could also help the police force because citizens will be more willing to help the police out and cooperate with them during investigations and other police operations. A good public relationship is crucial to the success of the police force as well as the success of the community. Pack002
ReplyDeleteI really liked how this video talked a lot about the police culture. Most people just think cops are standing around at gas station eating doughnuts because that's "a cop thing to do", but it's more than that. The culture is to protect the citizens at all costs and that also includes your brothers in blue. Another thing that they touched base on was police discretion. After hearing Dr. White explain it in full, discretion is probably the most important thing you have to deal with day to day as an officer. You as the police have to carefully pick apart each situation and decide on how to act on the case. If a kid gets caught with marijuana, which is decriminalized in some states, do you just take it from him and give him a stern talking to? Or do you throw the book at him because at the end of the day it's still illegal? These are questions you have to ask yourself everyday as an officer because you don't know when a situation will occur where you have to make a split decision and also be coherent enough to make the correct one in a tough situation. RM001, RM002
ReplyDeleteThis video opened my mind to many things. Even though it is not bad as it was a long time ago minority still effects us today in everyday life and in jobs just like policing. In my opinion it shouldn't matter what race, religion, gender you are if you can do your job correctly and effectively then you should be given the chance to, no different then being hired a job just because of your race or gender. Even though the stats are there there about women policing, I once again believe that they are capable of doing what male officers do. No different then male officers and women. It drives me insane how minority and gender still are a factor and are still being used in judgement by others and by getting a job, like policing. I thought it was great how the video also talked about the police officers police culture, and made a good point in saying about how nobody will understand what it is they go through on the job until you do it yourself.Bell003
ReplyDeleteI learned quite a bit from this video about Police Workloads and officer discretion. I think it is a good idea to have an education requirement for new recruits, just because they will gain the knowledge to effectively do their jobs in the long run. I also think it is important for the departments to hire more minorities and women just because when it comes to talking to the public some will more likely talk to an officer of the same race or gender or vice versa. I would like to see more women than just the 15% that are reported being police officers. I didn’t like the fact that women receive harsher punishments than their male counter parts though just because we are women does not make us any different than men by any means. I also think that Police Officers have their own culture because like the video states no one on the outside knows the job the way they do and it is harder for them to talk to someone that is not in that line of work compared to those that are. They have their own belief system which is cool to me. The video also touched base on police personality and how it changes the longer they are exposed to the dangers of the job. I think stress plays a big role in their personality change over time because it’s not the job per say that is the cause but the constant exposers to low and high stress throughout the day in their job. Overall this was a good informational video and it really helps to know some background in Police work overall. Ciaccio001/002
ReplyDeleteThis video on Discretion and Workload along with several other topics it touched base on minorities on the force and how this affects policing in some neighborhoods. The reason it is important to include other races among a police force is because when in high minority populated neighborhoods it is important to have representation of that on the force. Public who sees someone that looks like them could potentially deescalate a situation that otherwise could have turned negatively. This includes minorities based on gender and race. Women also have a hard time proving themselves in this field because they tend to be smaller and looked down on as if they aren't strong enough or smart enough. Speaking of education, it does mention that typically someone who is educated does not necessarily mean they preform the job better. I do think education is important simply for the fact that someone who has gone through 2-4 years of extra education just knows a little more about a lot of things and that can really influence how they speak to a suspect or others in their unit, or affect in a good way their communication or understanding of situations. This video is a webinar for incoming/new officers, it's important that they are learning here that police culture is going to be unlike anything they have experiences before and no one else will be able to understand it. These people around them and in their unit are their family in blue now and it's important they remember that and remember to work together. Police learn a lot in their time on the force from how situations can change or alter their personalities and just what police culture will do to their personal lives and shaping who they are. One thing I took away from this video is that as they were talking about minorities and lack of women on the force it makes me think of working with retired police officers and army at my job now. They say nowadays because so many places like Peoria want to hire minorities to help with the community seeing police as them aspect that white males who still are the majority of those being hired can be easily beat out by a minority who may not even have the same education or background so it really does depend on the area. Marras002
ReplyDeleteI found that ninety-eight percent of local police require education. This is very important to have because we need educated police officers out on the streets who can handle situations. I found form watching the video that it’s better to get an education because there are a lot more benefits that come with it. For instance, getting promotions is easier to get when you have some sort of education rather then not having any. Fun fact that I found out also was that the first African American that was hired on to the police department was in Washington D.C. in 1861. Minorities take more action which shows that the police department isn’t bias. Women are starting to take a role in policing and I never knew a women had harder physical test than men I would have thought it was the other way around. The first women that was hired on was in L.A. in 1920. I believe it’s a good thing for more women being in the police force because women can calm more people down and actually communicate to people better who are getting arrested. Women have a way better way of communicating then men so I wasn’t surprised by that at all. It would be very hard for a women police officer just for an example they said that women are too weak of risk but too aggressive and then they threaten male officers. I do agree with the police being the only real crime fighters and that’s because police are the only ones who see the worse of the worse. Just like in anything though you always have to have loyalty whenever you have a bond or a partner. It’s just a must especially if you want to be very successful in what you do.CRC002
ReplyDeleteSomething that I found interesting from this video was the statistics about women. I can see that women don't get into quite as many fights as men do just because they aren't so aggressive compared to men. Think their way through confrontations before having to use physical force to control the situation. I would like to say that that is better than having to fight someone. I say this because there is a lot less trouble when there's no violence. Violence is one of the last few resources you want to use when in a confrontation. It just makes everything easier to not have to use violence. Another thing that I found interesting is that 75% of females felt male dominated and that officers were female friendly. When I rode along with some departments over the summer all of the officers I rode with dealt with everyone the same. Granted all of the officers at both of the departments I rode along with only had male officers, but still they did a fine job of treating everyone equally. From watching this video I learned a lot about police workloads and officer discretion. Flannel002
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