Issues Surrounding Deviant Behavior of Police Officers

Different attributes of patrol agriculture ar stupefyed and sustained in the course of selecting, culture and accepting guard officers into the variant ranks where they fit. By passing through the rigorous upgradement and training process, the practice of law are subjected to a group or organization in which they are expected to portray a sense of admirable assimilation of culture (Stoddard, 1968 Barker, 1978 Williams, 1984 Atkinson & Housley, 2003). However, this is not ordinarily the case.According to Barker (1978), a considerable aggregate of research celebrateings shows that that there has been a chronicled increase in cases of legal philosophy officers becoming obscure and therefore adopting aberrant behavior. This form of isolation has been perceived to be meant to cling to the natural law in their assignments, some of which involve dangerous undertakings such(prenominal) as dealing in drugs cases, protecting victims of curse and so forth (Stoddard, 1968 B arker, 1978 Atkinson & Garcia, 2005).The subdivision of danger in activities that the constabulary tint in develops a lean of the constabulary to be suspicious. The suspiciousness is raised by the accompaniment that the law of nature officers become wary of doable abhorrence instances and develop general suspicion towards everyone (Atkinson & Housley, 2003). This behavior leads the guard officers to alienate themselves from friends, the comm unity, the legal system an even from their spo ingestions and families (Garcia, 2005). yet the continued isolation results in the patrol officers having the potential to ingest in deviant behavior (Stoddard, 1968 Barker, 1978).According to Williams (1984), divagation is not an attribute of the act perpetrate by a person rather, it is the consequence of the rules and sanctions applied to others by an offender (Stoddard, 1968 Garcia, 2005). Thus a deviant person is one to whom the label of deviance has successfully been applied. W hen various definitions of deviance apply to specific firms of criminal laws, it roaring for sociologists to neglect the aspect of behavior (Atkinson & Housley, 2003). Therefore, acts of deviance by the patrol officers in many aspects of their delivery of service whitethorn be ignored (Atkinson & Housley, 2003).Along the occupancy legal affairs, courts, the legislature and the citizens also affect the behavior of police officers. guard officers are liable for questioning from the legislature, the courts and the citizenry in the process of handling various types of crimes and administering laws (Garcia, 2005). There gestate been wide concerns that the manner in which police officers handle different cases affects the outcome of various proceedings a extensive deal (Paoline, 2001 Atkinson & Housley, 2003).Of great concern is that if police officers portray any from of prejudice in handling legal issues, this results in a wide mutation in the bureau in which laws are administ ered (Paoline, 2001 Atkinson & Housley, 2003). Since the 1970s, various authors such as Barker (1978) and Stoddard (1968) bring in highlighted the fact that there is a proliferation of police cynicism. A review of other literature works done by other authors such as Paoline (2001) and Atkinson and Garcia (2005) shows that there is a correlation among deviant behavior among a studyity of police officers and the contours of the anomie theory.Thus, it is not strike that police may exhibit deviance in handling cases involving intoxicant and general drug ab engage they may be twisty in provokeual misconduct as well portraying acts of laxity in responding to cases that involve fetch upual personnel- because for one, they may be the culprits in the cases (Paoline, 2001 Atkinson & Housley, 2003 Barker, 1978 Stoddard, 1968). Police deviance and m vocal philosophy There are many issues environ the work of police officers. The tasks that the officers engage in during in their day-to -day subprograms are of a slippery nature.This is highlighted by the fact that there is a potential for reformist deterioration of social and moral inhibitions and the perceived sense of acceptability of gentle in deviant conduct (Paoline, 2001 Atkinson & Housley, 2003). Police officers are involved in a variety of undercover activities that may involve putting up with out of true identities as well as inducing crime. (Paoline, 2001 Atkinson & Housley, 2003). In this context, it is possible for police officers to be involve in criminal activities since they may use their hidden identity to mastermind criminal acts.This is why Paoline (2001) suggests that there contain been many instances where the police have been involved in inducing crime rather than reducing it. There are many other issues skirt the work that police officers do. Paoline (2001) also notes that police are allowed to distinguish false promises in order to bust criminal activities. But this freedom makes subje cts civilians to instances that may be dehumanizing because of the way in which the police portray deviance.Police officers also adventure themselves handling sensitive court cases in which they are able to evade evidence and earn a lot of money from those involved (Atkinson & Housley, 2003). Paoline (2001) has say that there are many cases where police officers strain truth that could be use as evidence in a suit in order to protect their friends and or relatives. In pursuit of truth in cases involving alcoholic beverage and drugs, Atkinson and Housley (2003) have noted that police do invade the strategic drug locations but may cause more losses than the amount that would be recovered by colluding with the drug dealers.Along this line, what is more perturbing is the way in which some police officers handle the offenders in drugs cases (Atkinson & Housley, 2003). For instance, the police division is a system that condemns dealing min drugs, but it is common to find police office rs involved in drug trafficking because of the perverted institutional exemplar (Atkinson & Housley, 2003). It is also common for place officer to condemn civilians who deal in drugs and contraband, but is amazing how the same department condones officers who deal in drugs. Issues surrounding deviance and the impact of deviant behaviorAlthough deviance by police officers is inculcated callable to their isolation from many members of the society, it is vice that also relates to other vices such as baffleion, misconduct and favoritism. All these terms are characterized by friction between vices and virtues (Paline, 2001 Atkinson & Housley, 2003). digression per se is a kind of behavior that is incompatible with norms, ethics and values (Ben-Yehuda, 1990). On the other hand corruption is a disallow act that involves inappropriate use of office for gain (Ben-Yehuda, 1990).Deviance and corruption are both epitomes of misconduct since misconduct is any kind of violation of fit(p) o ut procedures in various departments (Ben-Yehuda, 1990). Yet, closely related to deviance is favoritism, which is characterized by unfair breaks from of procedures in order to please friends and relatives or to accommodate their interests (Ben-Yehuda, 1990). It is not surprising therefore, that even favoritism is one of the characteristics of deviance as exhibited by police officers. Drinking and use of drugs while on barter or off dutyIt is hackneyed for police officers to be engaged in drinkable of alcohol or use of other drugs while on duty and even when they off duty (Ben-Yehuda, 1990). This is augmented by the fact that approximately duties at the stations involve interviews with victims, which give the police a find to solicit for drugs or alcohol (Ben-Yehuda, 1990). Disposal of contraband drugs is one of the major sources of the drugs used by police officers in that instead of disposing the drugs, some of the police officers keep the drugs for their own use (Ben-Yehuda, 1990).The drugs are taken as a means to reduce stress, to lose high, or develop an alienation from the reflect (Barker, 1978). But obviously, this has far-reaching consequences such as low productivity and consequently, proliferation of crime (Barker, 1978). outside(a) from the duty station, some officers engage in drinking and use of drugs as a form of recreation but this in most cases emanates from corrupt deals (Stoddard, 1968 Barker, 1978). This is because the officers obtain the drugs from rip-offs from victims and perpetrators of crime (Stoddard, 1968 Barker, 1978).This in effect sets a bad mannikin to the public domain in regard to the behavior of the police. The effect of alcohol use among police officers is evident in the slow process in which cases are handled, poor processing of documents, and so forth because it affects mental sound judgment (Stoddard, 1968). According to Barker (1978) and Stoddard (1968), police officers have a tendency to miscellanea drugs and i llicit drugs because of the wide sub cultural support for alcohol and alcoholism, thereof the drug abusers cover up the drug deal with alcoholism.According to Atkinson (2003), the problem of police officers engaging in use of drugs becomes more intriguing when police partake in the drug syndicate as dealers or sellers. It is common to uplift of stories of police officers supplying drugs in rock concerts (Atkinson, 2003). The situation is undoubtedly caused by the police officers greed for monetary gain (Atkinson, 2003). Nevertheless, some police officers have been on record suggesting that they supply drugs in the concerts as an undercover operation to identify the drugs users (Atkinson, 2003).In spite of such an excuse, it is obvious that the officers use gatherings to make quick money from drugs (Atkinson, 2003). The trend of police involvement in drug syndicates has been widespread in many states of the United States. But the police take inm to be comfortable with the status q uo. Police Officer Associations in many regions save for a few places like Hawaii have respondd suggestions to carry out random drug testing (Atkinson, 2003).In particular, the associations oppose suggestions to work out drug tests on police officers who are involved in shooting incidents, as doing so immediately after the shooting take tends to taint the image of the police officer (Atkinson, 2003). The irony is that the same groups of police officers support stiff punishment for any persons involved in transaction that involve illicit drugs. This partisan stance by police depicts a point that they are not ready discard totally overtake rid of deviant acts. Cases of devolve onual misconduct and furyAccording to many police sources, the police usually come in contacts with many cases that are sexually- arousing (Atkinson, 2003). Thus it commonplace for police to be in play off with promiscuous women (Atkinson, 2003). This causes the police to develop ties after some time. In addition, a significant number of women who get attracted to police uniform because they guaranteed of security when they are with the police (Atkinson, 2003). These women commonly flourish at the police, and wait for them at stopovers where they hold meetings and even have sex with them.The police do this in spite of them being aware that such acts amount to deviance (Stoddard, 1968). There are situations such as that in which police officers take advantage of the vulnerability of women and use it to extend their deviance (Kraska & Kappeler, 1995). One is at traffic stops in which the officers get approximate looks at the women and note further information about them (Stoddard, 1968). The impact of this is that such women become vulnerable and easily give in to the officers demands when they meet resultant times.Secondly, police officers do fox hunting in which they target college girls and make sexual demands, threatening the girls with arrest if they are not wiling to give in (Kraska & Kappeler, 1995). Thirdly, the police also practice voyeurism in which they peep through windows to see naked women under they pretext that they are on security patrols (Stoddard, 1968). early(a) instances of sexual misconduct involve police officers making emphasized victim recontacts in which they always ensure that they remain with the contacts of the female victims of crime who acquire psychological help (Kraska & Kappeler, 1995).Using the excuse of consoling the victims, many police officers usually end up harassing the women. Some police officers go further to touch the inmates of the opposite sex during routine searches or even worse, have sex with them. (Stoddard, 1968). In other cases, male police officers have been noted to allow prostitutes go free if they have sex with them. The deviant behavior of police officers is further portrayed by the point that some officers get involved in rape (Kraska & Kappeler, 1995).Many rogue officers have been known to coerce women into having sex or raping victims who come to report other crimes. Some officers even perform second rapes to victims of rape. The case in San Francisco in 1985 where a police recruit was handcuffed on a chair and a prostitute brought to perform oral sex on him is a stark indicator that some police officers are hostile towards each other (Kraska & Kappeler, 1995). The effects of sexual harassment have been grave, including mental torture and psychological trauma. Police brutalityIn spite of the fact that police officers usually undergo training to gain skills of handling the public, they seem to forget them once they are deployed, perhaps due the effect of in any case much isolation. Hence, they commonly exhibit use of excessive force while handling perpetrators of crime, and are fond of name-calling, ridicule, sarcasm and disrespect. Some of the instances in which brutality is exhibited by the police include use of obscene language, random and forceful searches, us of phy sical force approaching offenders with pistols.Conclusion In spite of the training that police officers usually undergo, it is apparent that isolation from other people inculcates in them some behavior that is unbecoming. The deviant behavior is shown when he police engage in drug abuse, get involved in sexual violence and other forms of unpleasant behavior. Deviance is characterized by behavior that is incompatible with norms, ethics and values and leads to the publics loss of confidence in the police. worsened still, victims of police torture suffer a lot of trauma.ReferencesAtkinson, P & Housley, W. (2003). Interactionism An strain in Sociological AmnesiaLondon SAGEBarker, T. (1978). An Empirical Study of Police Deviance Other Than Corruption. Journal of Police Science and Administration 6(3) 258-72Ben-Yehuda, N. (1990). The Politics and morals of Deviance Moral Panics, Drug Abuse, Deviant Science, and Reversed Stigmatization. naked York SUNY twingeGarcia V. (2005). Construct ing the other within police culture an analysis of a deviant unit within the police organization. Police Practice and Research An International Journal, 6 (1) 78 80Kraska P. B. & Kappeler V. E.(1995). To serve and pursue exploring police sexual violence against women. Justice Quarterly, 12(1) 85 111Paoline, E A. (2001). Rethinking Police Culture Officers Occupational Attitudes. New York LFB Scholarly PublishingStoddard, E. (1968). The Informal Code of Police Deviancy A group Approach to Blue-Coat Crime. Journal of Criminal rectitude, Criminology and Police Science 59 210-13.Williams, G.H. (1984). The Law and Politics of Police Discretion. Westport, CT Greenwood Press