dismissals due to unreliability of police officer’s testimony or inadequate investigations.
Public Perception
Uniformed police officers are highly visible figures in the community. They are held to a higher standard and are expected to display a moral character with sound decision making and leadership. Unfortunately, according to Kooken (1947, p. 173), the police have been dubbed the “world’s greatest ‘moochers’”, and as a result, it has done no favors to improve the police reputation in the public’s mind.
Depending on what the deputies decide to do, whether they pay or accept Mamma’s offer of a free meal, their decision affects how the public perceives them and law enforcement as a whole. If the deputies choose to politely decline the free …show more content…
Some may ask what that means and also wonder how accepting a free cup of coffee can lead to a career of corruption. It is believed that once an officer accepts a small gratuity, according to Coleman (2004), he shows a willingness to be corrupted and the inability to refuse more substantial gifts, which could lead to more serious practices of corruption and illegal activities, hence the “slippery slope” effect.
As mentioned before, law enforcement officers are constantly being watched and therefore expected to be professional and above reproach. Many police departments have adopted a zero tolerance policy on accepting gratuities in order to maintain a high regard of integrity of their officers and to protect the image of their department. This prohibition, as Coleman (2004) suggests, is intended to eliminate the risk of officers heading down the slope by blocking the downward motion …show more content…
When an officer has the belief that he should be given special treatment just because of his profession and has the attitude that he is owed something because of the oath he took to protect and serve the public, he exudes a sense of entitlement (Ruiz & Bono, 2004). This rationalization only creates a sense of distrust in the police and erodes the appearance of professionalism. Another law enforcement abuse of authority is extortion. Demanding a service for free by way of threat or fear is a common act of extortion and an example of this would be threatening to (or implying a threat) start writing tickets to parking violators when a merchant suddenly stops giving free meals to an officer (Ruiz & Bono, 2004). Pressuring someone into giving gratuities by instilling fear simply because of your position of authority is just another way of eroding the public’s trust in law
Public Perception
Uniformed police officers are highly visible figures in the community. They are held to a higher standard and are expected to display a moral character with sound decision making and leadership. Unfortunately, according to Kooken (1947, p. 173), the police have been dubbed the “world’s greatest ‘moochers’”, and as a result, it has done no favors to improve the police reputation in the public’s mind.
Depending on what the deputies decide to do, whether they pay or accept Mamma’s offer of a free meal, their decision affects how the public perceives them and law enforcement as a whole. If the deputies choose to politely decline the free …show more content…
Some may ask what that means and also wonder how accepting a free cup of coffee can lead to a career of corruption. It is believed that once an officer accepts a small gratuity, according to Coleman (2004), he shows a willingness to be corrupted and the inability to refuse more substantial gifts, which could lead to more serious practices of corruption and illegal activities, hence the “slippery slope” effect.
As mentioned before, law enforcement officers are constantly being watched and therefore expected to be professional and above reproach. Many police departments have adopted a zero tolerance policy on accepting gratuities in order to maintain a high regard of integrity of their officers and to protect the image of their department. This prohibition, as Coleman (2004) suggests, is intended to eliminate the risk of officers heading down the slope by blocking the downward motion …show more content…
When an officer has the belief that he should be given special treatment just because of his profession and has the attitude that he is owed something because of the oath he took to protect and serve the public, he exudes a sense of entitlement (Ruiz & Bono, 2004). This rationalization only creates a sense of distrust in the police and erodes the appearance of professionalism. Another law enforcement abuse of authority is extortion. Demanding a service for free by way of threat or fear is a common act of extortion and an example of this would be threatening to (or implying a threat) start writing tickets to parking violators when a merchant suddenly stops giving free meals to an officer (Ruiz & Bono, 2004). Pressuring someone into giving gratuities by instilling fear simply because of your position of authority is just another way of eroding the public’s trust in law