A Clear Understanding of Joining the Police Force
A lot of people are interested in joining the police forces and contributing in different ways. But there isn't enough information in the public realm to enable them to gain a clear understanding of the operations and risks involved. Exaggeration is a common practice in information that reaches the public, particularly in the form of media like film and television. It is important to educate the general public about the requirements for joining the different police departments as well as the duties of the officers. On what is anticipated of the officers and the dangers they face, particularly those that increase stress, many myths and misconceptions have been developed. Many people who have had interests of enrolling in federal law enforcement agencies have been discouraged. In addition, the twisted beliefs on the operations of security forces has compromised the support of the public to law enforcers, with some individuals being hostile to law enforcers because of not understanding the challenges that they go through. This paper focuses on a specific agency under the federal government. This paper will discuss the role that the FBI plays in homeland security, the factors surrounding stressors of officers in the service. The essay will also discuss the issue of implementing search and seizure by the police, especially its contribution as a stressor to the officers.
The Role of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is a government agency under the Department of Homeland Security that enforces a number of federal laws such as those that deal with human rights violations, corruption in the public sectors and cybercrime. The agency is also expected to work in conjunction with international bodies such as Interpol to curb both domestic and international terrorism. Gaines and Miller (2008) note that the FBI underwent vigorous positive transformation after the September 11 2001 attacks. This was motivated by the need of the United States to secure her borders after it occurred that terrorists and perpetuators of other forms of organized crime had created better avenues of ensuring that they escape being caught before and after the incidents. Therefore, the FBI primarily focuses on counterterrorism. The organization may also get involved in investigations on emergent crimes, especially those that require extensive application of information technology (Careers in criminal justice [Video file], 2002). Many officers within the FBI have found it hard to adapt to the new developments after the attack, especially the fact thirty they had to adopt a lot of new technology. However, the rate at which they took up the new challenge has been encouraging and the bureau has been effective in investigating terrorism and cybercrimes that are committed to abet many modern crimes.
The Stressors Faced by FBI Officers
The work of officers in police forces is often vigorous with numerous demands that deal to a buildup of stressors that may result in burnout if not taken care of. According to the Careers in criminal justice Video file (2002) the FBI special agents are usually prepared for anything that may come up in the course of their work such as civil rights, drugs and organized crime. Unlike the state law enforcement agencies, officers in federal agencies have to coordinate activities across the nation and in the world. In this regard, the FBI is a special agency that must work with different people to develop information. The officers have to work in both open communication and undercover capacities to develop information that can lead to crime detection and prevention. The officers have to support each other through these roles. Most of the time, police officers only keep friends from the forces because they are the only ones who seem to understand the demands of their work and why they behave in a certain manner. This means that law enforcement officers have to isolate themselves from the rest of the civilians. This creates mistrust between the police officers and the public that views them as enemies because of the isolation. This contributes towards the piling of stressors that compromises the mental wellbeing of police officers (Gaines & Miller, 2008).
The Issue of Search and Seizure as a Stressor
Law enforcement agencies in the US, just like their counterparts around the world, have had a poor relationship with the public, a n issue that has contributed towards the stressors affecting the wellbeing of the offers. However, this has been improving with the sensitization of officers on professionalism. One of the issues that has affected the relations between police officers and the public has been the law on searches and seizures (Gaines & Miller, 2008). The Fourteenth Amendment defines searches and seizures as the process of searching and confiscating evidence by law enforcers. It goes ahead to define the probable causes and limitations. The law also explains cases when searches can be made without warrant. Despite these exceptions it is the responsibility of officers, especially those in investigative departments such as the FBI to ensure that they apply it without straining their relations with the public as this contributes to stress and burnout.
Conclusion
Law enforcement is a rigorous procedure, especially for investigative departments such as the FBI. The agency has to work under different conditions and its officers often find themselves affected by stressors at work. The agency has to implement laws that have received criticism such as search and seizure. The videos provided ion the curriculum do not cover the challenges that investigative departments face in the course of their work. The application of such laws is likely to turn the public against the officers. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the bureau to ensure that it sensitizes the people on what the law entails in regard to the subject and ensure that its officers follow it to prevent straining relations with the public in the course of performing their duties.
References
Careers in criminal justice [Video file]. (2002). Retrieved January 27, 2017, from http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=-1&xtid=29135
Gaines, L. K., & Miller, R. L. (2008). Criminal justice in action. Nelson Education.
