Research has suggested that police corruption is a continuing problem in South Carolina and therefore it is an ongoing issue in Berkeley County’s Hanahan Police Department. This issue has three key parts. The first is Failure to charge Sheriff Wayne Dewitt for resisting arrest which shows a potential issue with ethics in the department. The second part is the fact that by allowing him to stay in office for an extended time the Department may or may not have given the impression of an acceptance of police corruption. Lastly, there is the fact that the news of Sheriff Dewitt’s arrest, and important information was kept from the public for a period of time. These factors have created a local issue in which a workable solution would not only be
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One key point is The Hiring in the Spirit of Service (HSS) program which has the goal of open communication between the community and their Police Departments (Simmons ). The Hanahan Police Department already has a Cadet Program in place for youth who have shown interest in the Police Occupation. “This program is sponsored by Hanahan’s Police Department with cooperation of the Boy Scouts of America’s Exploring Division” (“Hanahan Police Department”). This Cadet Program serves as a recruiting plan of sorts for the Department. The program is for youth ages 14-21 who are interested in being informed of how the Hanahan Police Department runs. It also serves the purpose of oproviding students with the background behind law enforcement (Hanahan Police Department). “Members have the opportunity to work with officers in various assignments. Explorers can receive additional training in Officer safety, arrest, search, traffic control, accident investigation, firearm use and safety, fingerprinting, first aid and CPR, report writing, and crime prevention. Explorers are allowed to ride with Police Officers up to 20 hours per month (“Hanahan Police …show more content…
One of the main local issues created by Sheriff Dewitt’s offenses has been a loss of trust and faith of some citizens in regards to the law enforcers in the community. Choosing young people who have been trained and mentored by the officers of the local Police Department in the Cadet Program is not only beneficial, but necessary. Once the Department trains the Cadets when they become old enough to pursue a career in law enforcement they would be eligible recruits to be voted for by the community. Allowing the community to vote on who they feel will be a good applicant for the Hanahan Police force is a good way to make the Cadet Program more effective and it gives it an even bigger purpose. This would also give the community’s citizens a sense of importance as well as camaraderie with the police officers who would also be at the meeting to weigh in on who they think the best candidates
One key point is The Hiring in the Spirit of Service (HSS) program which has the goal of open communication between the community and their Police Departments (Simmons ). The Hanahan Police Department already has a Cadet Program in place for youth who have shown interest in the Police Occupation. “This program is sponsored by Hanahan’s Police Department with cooperation of the Boy Scouts of America’s Exploring Division” (“Hanahan Police Department”). This Cadet Program serves as a recruiting plan of sorts for the Department. The program is for youth ages 14-21 who are interested in being informed of how the Hanahan Police Department runs. It also serves the purpose of oproviding students with the background behind law enforcement (Hanahan Police Department). “Members have the opportunity to work with officers in various assignments. Explorers can receive additional training in Officer safety, arrest, search, traffic control, accident investigation, firearm use and safety, fingerprinting, first aid and CPR, report writing, and crime prevention. Explorers are allowed to ride with Police Officers up to 20 hours per month (“Hanahan Police …show more content…
One of the main local issues created by Sheriff Dewitt’s offenses has been a loss of trust and faith of some citizens in regards to the law enforcers in the community. Choosing young people who have been trained and mentored by the officers of the local Police Department in the Cadet Program is not only beneficial, but necessary. Once the Department trains the Cadets when they become old enough to pursue a career in law enforcement they would be eligible recruits to be voted for by the community. Allowing the community to vote on who they feel will be a good applicant for the Hanahan Police force is a good way to make the Cadet Program more effective and it gives it an even bigger purpose. This would also give the community’s citizens a sense of importance as well as camaraderie with the police officers who would also be at the meeting to weigh in on who they think the best candidates