Download CJAUnit V EssayColumbia Southern UniversityCritical Analysis and more Lecture notes Accounting in PDF only on Docsity! CJA Unit V Essay Columbia Southern University Critical Analysis of Criminal Justice Administration Transparency in Law Enforcement Transparency in law enforcement agencies across the United States is one of the core values of police departments. Transparency is a core factor determining how well police officers carry out their duties and how the community perceives them. Law enforcement agencies are required to exercise their roles and responsibilities while showcasing high transparency levels. However, law enforcement officers may lack transparency in certain cases, which is usually a blemish to their department. In this sense, this essay explores use- of-force policies and their impact, communication of the policies, pros, and cons, and the necessary training. Specific Use of Force Policies Several use of force policies can be used to increase transparency in law enforcement. First, the police departments need to ensure police officers identify themselves as government law enforcement officials and issue a verbal warning before using force. Secondly, the law enforcement departments must consider discharging a firearm by police officers a distinct use of force aspect that requires justification. Additionally, the police officers should be required not to use force if the suspect or target is not visible. These use of force policies can help increase responsibility and transparency among police officers. Impacts of the Policies The established policies are linked with various consequences in terms of law enforcement and transparency. First, the policies will ensure police officers do not use force in situations where accountability and transparency can be compromised. For example, the case of Breonna Taylor’s shooting lacked essential transparency because the officers used force and shot at a target they could not see clearly (The New York Times, 2020). Secondly, these policies also ensure that community members are not engaged with unnecessary use of force by police officers. The policies are significant and crucial in keeping the community safe from excessive use of unnecessary force by law enforcement officers. Policy Communication to Personnel Establishing policies is important and communicating these policies to the working personnel is even more substantial. However, the communication process should be effective to ensure the police officers understand them. First, holding scheduled face-to-face meetings with personnel is a vital way to pass information regarding the policies. These meetings are effective because the personnel have a chance to ask questions. Additionally, as a leader, I would use email to inform the personnel about these policies. Effective communication ensures that the personnel receive information regarding the policies and understand them significantly. Thus, using email and face-to-face meetings is the most desirable way of communicating with the personnel. Pros and Cons of Policy Influence The use of force policies may lead to negative behavior by police officers, including concealing evidence when they compromise transparency in the line of duty. Since the policies are strict in terms of using force, officers may use force and hide their use of force. Secondly, officers may also consider going easy on people who break the law because of the strict policies regarding using force. Required Training The most effective and significant training for police officers involves the use of force training. The use of force training is among the most desirable techniques for law enforcement officers because it helps maintain the use of force at a minimum (Andersen & Gustafsberg, 2016). Providing this type of training will ensure that police officers adhere to the policies on the use of force by utilizing less force and power to overcome suspects.
