Each job has distinct requirements and obligations. For instance, because it involves law enforcement, a police position requires higher ethical and responsibility standards. According to the law, police officers must behave honorably, with respect for others, and with integrity in order to protect the public. (Macleod & Schneiderman, 2008). Therefore, compared to other professionals, police should be held to a greater standard.
In addition, the police's main goal is to deter crime and unrest. In accordance with Peel's policing principles, officers should be responsible for their work and assume the burden of fostering law and order in society to reduce crime. (William, 2014). Usually, law enforcement requires a lot of accountability to ensure that specific individuals are not favored hence, enhance public confidence in police service.
Similarly, police have extraordinary powers such as authority to detain, arrest and suspend personal property. It requires a high level of accountability to ensure that the police do not violate the powers given by the state (Denise, 2017). Police are expected to be trustful and honest to make sure that their duty performance is not based on favor.
Furthermore, police duty performance is dependent upon public approval. Police have a responsibility to serve the general public and act as a role model (Wankhade & Weir, 2015). In fact, the police service board of accountability has been instituted to monitor and evaluate the performance of the police officers to ensure citizen's needs are met (Macleod & Schneiderman, 2008).
To sum up, police officers should be held to a higher standard since they deal with the public in enhancing law and order (Sewell, 2010). Also, they should be accountable since the Judiciary gives them a lot of powers as compared to other professions. Finally, public trust depends on their performance hence police should act as role models.
References
Denise, B. (2017). For Canada's police, status quo is not an option. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/for-canadas-police-the-status-quo-is-not-an-option/article33898368/
Macleod, R.C., & Schneiderman, D. (2008). Police Powers in Canada: The evolution and practice of authority. Toronto: Published in association with the Centre for Constitutional Studies, University of Alberta, by University of Toronto Press.
Sewell, J. (2010). Police in Canada: The real story. Toronto: J. Lorimer & Co.
Wankhade, P., & Weir, D. (2015). Police Services: Leadership and Management Perspectives. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
William, J.B. (2014). Sir Robert Peel's Nine Principles of Policing. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/16/nyregion/sir-robert-peels-nine-principles-of-policing.html?_r=0
