The police department is the most criticised security organ by the society due to various challenges noted in the course of their operations. Little is known of the challenges the police department face in their pursuit to keep law and order. Ideally, the responsibility of police department is primarily oriented on safeguarding both public and private rights and property by enforcing the rule of law. Therefore, it is essential to understand the challenges faced by this department as well as the sociological, economic and political factors that determine their existence. Also, the acquisition of knowledge processes by the law enforcement officers is a critical factor to understand since it is among the determinants of how effective, productive, and efficient the officers perform their duties. Additionally, it is crucial for the member of the public to know various ways or input that they can give to the police department to help in service delivery.
In the same aspect, I took the initiative to engage with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in an internship program to understand more about police or law enforcement agencies. In the program, I purposed to understand the facets of law enforcement officials and most importantly the training and educational programs which acts as imperative features for the success of police department. The program, therefore, included day-to-day activities such as training, patrols, and office-based activities. The rationale of this was to develop an insight on the various issues that the police department undergoes through and possible remedy that the public can establish in helping the department in service delivery. This report, therefore, focuses majorly on police training processes and the factors influencing this program and its outcome.
Background Information
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) is law enforcement organ serving Los Angeles in California. The department, therefore, is mandated to extend its services in this county which has an area of 4082 square miles and a population of 10 million people according to 2010 United States census (LASD). The department is considered as the largest sheriff organ with approximately of 18000 employees (LASD). Additionally, the department offers law enforcement services to 42 contract cities, 216 facilities, 141 unincorporated communities, Metropolitan Transit Authority and community colleges. LASD offers training services to other law enforcement agencies in the LA County as well as securing 18000 inmates in 7 custody facilities across the county (LASD).
The department is committed to humane treatment under its jurisdiction and care, and therefore they are guided by specific core values. The principle values guiding this department are; integrity, accountability, service, and ethics (LASD).
LASD Mission
The mission of the department is to enforce the law in a fair manner within the jurisdiction of the constitution, being proactive in their approach to crime prevention, foster public trust through accountability as well as maintaining peace an order (LASD). The department also seeks to maintain a constitutionally oriented and rehabilitative approach to incarceration and the provision of a safe and secure court system.
According to the mission statement, the department's goal is oriented at protecting the community and reducing crime by the jurisdiction of the constitution. In that case, therefore it is essential to consider various steps involved in training the officers to align them with organization's goals and mission. This draws attention to the importance of comparing this training with other law enforcement agencies either from the same county or in a different locale.
Police Training
The training of law enforcement officers in most cases is oriented on what the police department or the security agency is in business to do. In that respect, most of these activities are oriented towards the realization of department’s mission or goals in service delivery. In Los Angeles police department, an academic program is adopted to ensure law enforcement is carried in accordance with the law. Therefore, the structure of the training includes academics, driving, firearms training, human relations, law, physical training, and tactics.
Academics
This activity comprises the booking procedures, investigation techniques communications report writing traffic investigation and enforcement. The essence of this program is to equip the officers with the necessary skills and essential professional socialization in the line of law enforcement (Blumberg, Giromini and Jacobson 66). In most cases, this training is undertaken to influence and develop positive attitudes of the recruits, but the attitude may change following the assigned law enforcement agencies (Ghoston 17). For instance, the training acquired in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department may be twisted when an individual joins another law enforcement firm to conform to organizational cultures.
The Relevance of Education in Police Department
As aforementioned, professional skills is a critical factor in the performance of the law enforcement officials. However, debates still escalate on the level of education recruits need to join the law enforcement agencies (University of San Diego). In most cases, the recruits are required to present a minimum of high school diploma with some asking for a four-year degree. Therefore, it is essential to analyze the relevance this advanced education brings to the police department or law enforcement agencies. For instance, the recommendation from the President’s Task Force on 21st
century policing asserted that extensive education has an imperative role in addressing the current issues in the society (University of San Diego). Such issues include evolving technologies, immigration, changing laws, advanced cultures and the growing mental health crisis. The issues would require the officers to have broader knowledge and skills which supersedes traditional policing knowledge.
Secondly, new programs such as community policing would require the recruits to have background knowledge of socioeconomic groups and ethnicities. The rationale of such knowledge is to have officers who are socially intelligent and are culturally aware, and thus, law enforcement would be guided by knowledge on decision-making as well as critical thinking. Also, the evolving technologies and rapidly changing field of criminal justice necessitate the need for advanced educational backgrounds. Officers may join the force without this knowledge, and thus, the department role would be to program its training to make its recruits are well conversant with the technology in the field of law enforcement.
Firearm Training
The process encompasses weapon care and safety, tactical manipulation with the firearms as well as chemical handling. The primary rationale of this part of the training is to avoid poor marksmanship habits. Improper handling of firearms has put law enforcement agencies on the spotlight and some such as the LASD is trying to form mitigating measures to the issue. The accidental shootings that once experienced in the transition of firearms to Smith and Wesson M and P 9mm guns is a good example and lesson that the department is learning from in developing training programs to help weaponry transition (Glover). The transition created a gap in the need for refresher training due to the increased injuries to the users which in most cases were sheriff’s deputies. Additionally, the incidents appraised the importance of recurrent training on firearm management since the incidents proved insufficient knowledge in weapon management (Glover).
Firearm training is associated with essential variables in the police department such as the use of force on the subject or the suspected person. The result or the consequences of the used force is the determinant on whether the force used is lethal or not. Therefore, it is essential for the recruits to understand types of force and the circumstances constraining the law enforcement agencies from applying force. In most cases, circumstances define the decision to be followed in the use of force (Bengtson 7). Additionally, the decision to use force may depend on the magnitude of the cognitive factors based on police perception of the event or the situation. This raises some questions to the officer on the complexity of the situation and the results of the decision to be followed as well as the emotional state of the law enforcement officers (Bengtson 7).
Law Training
Training on law allows the officer to have an imperative knowledge on general criminal statutes under the jurisdiction of the California Penal code, Federal Laws, Los Angeles Municipal Code and the Welfare and Institution Code. Specifically, the department is based on state law (Penal Code) 835A, federal law-4th Amendment as well as the case law (Graham vs. Connor) (McDonnell 7). The knowledge of the law and the constitution of the country is essential to officers as it helps in giving direction in accordance with the set statutes. For instance, the court case Graham vs. Connor [1989] allows the officers to understand the jurisdiction of the use of force in law enforcement activities (Bengtson 13). This borrows some insights from the Fourth Amendment on the issue of objective reasonableness. In that case, the use of force on the civilian would rely on the analysis of several statutes prior to the final judgment.
Human Relation Training
The program includes training on culturally sensitive issues, media relation, stress management, sexual harassment challenges, disability awareness, hate crimes, domestic violence and community relations. The sessions form the most crucial part of training due to the increased issues of marginalization in law enforcement activities. Also, some parameters such as stress management have been associated with service delivery and the interaction issues with both the public and the colleagues. A study carried out in India indicated that there is a close relationship between the psychological well-being of the officer and the Emotional Intelligence (Blumberg, Giromini and Jacobson 67). This also has an impact on moral development among the law enforcement officers as well as the integrity-based policing (Blumberg, Giromini and Jacobson 67). The department, therefore, focuses on developing a policing culture that corresponds to moral obligations and ethical values.
Police-citizen interaction is another component that is critical to human relation training in law enforcement programs. The rationale of these interactions is that they shape officers and community attitudes towards each other. More law enforcement agencies have put the focus on community-oriented policing and the civilian-police interaction programs as an effort to reduce crime rates (Ghoston 12). Individual personal contact with the law enforcement officers is one of the most critical factors that contribute to community perceptions about the law enforcement agencies (Ghoston 13). Prior to a conclusive interaction with the law enforcement agencies, the minorities tend to think that they are the targeted groups by the police whereas officers believe that they are frequently accused of discriminatory behavior. Consequently, this perception becomes the basis for accrued conflict and mistrust between the law enforcement agencies and the civilians. The results of community-oriented police training may discourage the “us versus them” attitude which is used in justification of brutality.
The United States, in general, has formulated its training for the law enforcement officers to focus on the community policing training. The essence is to establish a balance in community policing through changed attitudes and beliefs of the law enforcement officers (Haarr 404). The primary focus of such programs is to alter and mold officer's attitudes to impact on overall behaviors of the police. The LASD has embarked on such programs on the idea that the system would promote organizational strategies that foster partnership with the community in problem-solving techniques. The system also aims at addressing immediate conditions that give rise safety issues in public such as fear of crime, social disorders and other crimes (Huntsman 2).
Police Culture and Attitudes
An attitude is a psychological predisposition formed via personal experience and knowledge received through beliefs of others (Garner 56). According to Garner (2005), there is a close relationship between the individual's expressed attitude and behavior. In some instance, attitudes have been associated with the expressed personal beliefs and thus, not subject to changing influences that may impact others. Police training entails the acquisition of unique experiences, influences from new groups and advanced skills which have been found relevant in impacting on the individual attitudes (Garner 59). This culture has been associated with the factors contributing to the use of force by law enforcement officials (Bengtson 8). A police culture that is oriented to the traditional views of policing such as distrust of citizens may make the officer more prone to the use of lethal force against the subject. In that case, therefore police culture can contribute to ruining the values of law enforcement individuals.
Law enforcement attitude has a significant influence on how the officers perform concerning decision-making. For instance, a cynical attitude toward the specific group in the community may lead the law enforcement officers to issue more citation and arrests in the areas (Ghoston 9). Intrinsically, it is important to note that decisions are based on several components, and sometime these decisions may not be rational due to various influences. In most cases, decisions are based on individual's limited knowledge about a specific subject or bounded rationality about a group in the community (Ghoston 10). For instance, an officer may be influenced to use lethal force against a particular individual in the society due to the perceived knowledge about individual backgrounds or ideology. Such decisions are not inherently based on the law but rather the beliefs about the community or the suspected subject.
In most cases, the conflict between the civilian and the law enforcement officers is entirely dependent on the perceived culture and the inherent attitudes towards the officers. For instance, studies indicate that officers may show cynicism behaviors due to street conditions, occupational stagnation and the loss of respect for the law by the civilian (Ghoston 6). In cases where the police have an inherent idea about the ignorance of the law by the civilian, many officers alter their behaviors in anticipation of lack of trust and hostile interaction with the public (Ghoston 8). Scholars such Merton term this as self-fulfilling prophesy which ideally mean that an individual approaches the situation based on assumption and false knowledge (Ghoston 8). This creates significant conflict between the police and the civilian since the officers assume that public is ignorant of the law while on the other hand, the civilian becomes hostile due to how police approach their issues (Ghoston 8). In avoiding this conflict, law enforcement agencies such as the LASD formulate their curricula to accommodate awareness of the structure of the public and knowledge to crime issues to avoid assumptions in service delivery.
One of the queries raised regarding the culture and attitudes observed in law enforcement is the role of training and other skill development programs. Intrinsically, law enforcement persons undertake their training based on organization’s beliefs and the set mode of conduct (Ghoston 16). For instance, the training in the LASD would entail the mode of conduct with regard to the constitution and the Los Angeles Municipal code of ethics for law enforcement officers. Ideally, this would shape their attitude and culture in service delivery under department’s jurisdiction. Also, most of the security organs or the law enforcement department do not seek to recruit people who attribute preferred characteristics but rather train the selected person to reflect organizational initiatives (Ghoston 17).
Crisis Intervention Training (CIT)
Crisis Intervention Training model is a program for the law enforcement that entails mental health collaboration curriculum aimed at equipping officers in patrol who encounters with individuals experiencing psychiatric crisis (Hunt, D'Ingillo, and Ehrhorn). The program has been associated with increased officer's knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes which are necessary for influencing the outcomes in the line of duty. In that respect, the LASD has formulated a 32-hour curriculum to patrol officers that is aimed at giving knowledge or basic training on de-escalation strategies as well as mental health symptoms (Hunt, D'Ingillo, and Ehrhorn). The program also helps the deputies to gain information about community supports and resources essential in providing tangible nonemergency choices; which would be assessed before the escalation of the issue.
The Importance of Police Training
Police training is one of the most integral parts in the determination of service delivery and how these officers interact and relate to the member of the public. Since the LASD officers are mandated to work in accordance with the constitution, knowledge on various issues in law enforcement is crucial to the officers. For instance, police brutality, marginalization, and other incompetence issues are crucial part created as part of awareness in police training. Police brutality awareness becomes a crucial part of training session due to increased reported cases of police violence against people of color (Ortiz 1). Consequently, this leads to the public having lower confidence in police department across the United States (Murillo 5).
Training is vital since it helps in mitigating factor contributing to avoidable deaths in the field of law enforcement. In most cases, it helps in reducing racial bias and excessive force on the subject (Blumberg, Giromini and Jacobson, 66). According to the International Association of Chief of Police, force is described as the amount of effort the law enforcement officer requires to compel compliance by an unwilling individual (Bengtson 5). Law enforcement training, therefore, tries to regulate the use of this force to limit brutality cases.
Police academic training is essential since it molds the officer's work as well as initiating the police subcultures. For instance, the issue of "us versus them" mentality is taught to mold officer's attitude (Deverge 4). The topics in such curriculum can be critical in influencing values that the recruits absorb essential for the field duties. Beyond these curricula activities, other values and personal attributes are learned through police department policies and administration input on officer's attitudes and decision-making techniques in the field assigned (Deverge 4). In that respect, the formal and informal training exposed to the officers may potentially impact motivation and confidence in law enforcement activities.
Challenges in Police Training
As noted earlier, the essence of training to law enforcement officials it to create a culture that is critical to service delivery as well as the improved ethics in this profession. In most cases, wrong training has been associated with reduced skills and professional codes necessary in the police force. According to the Institute for Criminal Justice Training Reform (2017), the actual issue faced by the police can be avoided by proper training.
One of the issues observed is the delays in training and the authority of untrained officers. For instance, 23 states in the U.S have regulations that allow the officers to defer training. In that respect, the untrained officers may exercise full authority in detaining, arresting without the basics of police training (The Institute for Criminal Justice). In most of these states, many officers may defer training for up to one year; meaning that the department would have an untrained employee for a substantial amount of time.
In some instances, the law enforcement officers have no minimums training mandated by the federal authority which creates disparity in training requirement between the states in the U.S (The Institute for Criminal Justice). In such cases, the law enforcement departments depend upon the state-mandated hours or standards for the officers. The amount of time the law enforcement officials spend in training prior to field assignment has been criticised due to the feeling that the time is inadequate in comparison to other professionals. For instance, in most states, the primary training takes about 622 hours with no required apprenticeship. Additionally, there is increasing concerns about the requirement for continuing education once the officer joins the field (King). In some states such as Idaho, an officer is required to complete at least 400 hours of training which is ten weeks of the training session (King). The insight is somewhat shocking since in other places such as the Nordic countries the trainees are required to receive at least two years of nonstop, university-like training prior to field assignments (King). According to an article by Shaun King (2016), officers in California are required to complete only 833 hours which is approximately 21 weeks of training. Also, the in countries like Sweden and Norway, officers go several years without using firearms or firing a single bullet; thus, the use of lethal force for these officers is exponentially less than in American police (King).
Training issues are not unique phenomenon since the Los Angeles County sheriff's academy in some instances experienced a halt for the recruit (Daily News). The issues developed due to increased malpractices testing procedures, equipment and crowding at the academy. The intervention also was fostered by reports by the State Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training, which is given the mandate to certify law enforcement academies as well as the review of sheriff's facilities (Daily News). Among the issues identified were increased retake in driving tests and the leakage of answers to cadets’ exams that ideally compromises the responsibility and integrity of the officers (Daily News).
Marginalization issues
According to a study carried out to test the level of racial bias in the police by Ashby and Michelle (2005) there was a disparity in the use of force to minorities and the whites. The results indicated that the law enforcement officers were more likely to shoot unarmed minority than unarmed white suspects (Murillo 14). The rationale of this study was to bring awareness on the link between the race of the perpetrator and the possibility of a law enforcement officer to use lethal force on them. The mitigation factors to the issue of marginalization rely on the knowledge of the law enforcement officer concerning the cultural and community structure.
In most cases, both the white have a different opinion concerning police aggressive law enforcement that the officers should be aware off to avoid marginalization. For instance, the whites view African American as oriented or inclined to criminal behaviors (Weitzer and Tuch 306). In that case, the white would assume that controlling crimes would entail intensifying law enforcement on the minority in the United States (Weitzer and Tuch 306). Therefore, most of the curriculum designed for police force encompasses community awareness programs.
Remedies to Challenges Facing Police Training
Historically, the police training has been oriented more on law enforcement rather than problem-solving. This has far relied on training methods that do not target at assisting officers in fulfilling their expanded responsibility. Therefore, modern policing calls for advanced police education that would be beneficial to the law enforcement officers.
The overall feeling about the time the officer takes in training has been a critical point of consideration. The issue, therefore, calls for remedy or any other relevant action that can improve sanity in training of the officers. In that respect, the police training and Independent Review Act of 2017 has been appraised as the possible factor that could save the training issues and challenges in law enforcement department. The review seeks at sensitizing recruits and law enforcement officers on the issues of ethnic and racial bias as well as the interaction with people with disability and mental illness (NAACP).
The media and the Law Enforcement Agencies
Media's perception of the police unit has been a significant contributor to the perceived police mostly by members of the public (Ghoston 12). The image created by the media concerning the law enforcement agencies influences the way the community interacts with the police which later hinders effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery by the officers. For instance, some programs require both public and police input and therefore if the trust is lost through the perceived image of the law enforcement officers, they are negatively impacted. Media have been associated with factors influencing public perception on social problems in the law enforcement department (Weitzer and Tuch 308). In most case, this influence depends on particular audience's response to the media messages regarding police force. It is, therefore, rational to expect public opinion concerning police activities to be driven by media reports on law enforcement practices. These reports have been criticised for being episodic and not addressing trends or the prevalence of misconduct in law enforcement department (Weitzer and Tuch 308). In such cases, civilians hold a strong resistance and negativity oriented to the previous reports portrayed by the media.
In most cases, the public does not directly contact with law enforcement agencies, and therefore, they rely on what the media presents on the reports regarding the police. For instance, 20 percent of the civilians have both involuntary and voluntary contact with the police in a year which creates a more significant gap between those who barely anything about the police (Edwards 9). However, the group that relies on the media do not get an accurate view of reality about the police department. Therefore, the depictions of the media on law enforcement agencies, whether positive or negative would have critical value to public opinion about the police force.
Conclusion
The issues perceived in the public domain about the police force can be validated by understanding the internal factors in this department. Although, there are accrued challenges facing the law enforcement department reforms and advancement in training programmed are being adopted as remedies. This would help in solving issues in the law enforcement activities such as accidents, poor marksmanship, racial profiling and other social issues in the society. The Federal authority has been identified as the relevant organ that can foster reforms in the police department by passing relevant bills such as the Independent Review Act of 2017. Also, the local authority and the federal authority have been appraised as the relevant bodies that can foster advancement in police training by increasing budgetary allocation to the national and local law enforcement agencies. Additionally, media have been identified as a critical source of information that can shape public opinion concerning law enforcement agencies. Therefore, they have a mandate to build the public trust which will help in improving police-citizens relation. This relation is essential in enhancing community policing that defuses issues in the society such as hate crime, racism and other forms of crime.
Recommendation
Training curricula for the law enforcement officers should entail the various stressors associated with the activities beyond dangerousness. The rationale of this is to reduce the perceived marginalization in law enforcement activities. Issues such as human rights should be an integral part of training for law enforcement officials. Such knowledge is relevant in shaping the attitudes of the officers towards real issues in the field. Therefore, early training on human rights contexts should be considered in reshaping recruits’ habitus which should also include screening in the light of attitudes towards moral obligation of the officers.
The law enforcement training should incorporate the Emotional Intelligence tools or theory. This theory asserts that a person's ability to accurately understand, perceive and regulate emotions may help in the prevention of potential involvement in harmful behaviors (Blumberg, Giromini and Jacobson 67). Emotional Intelligence is essential in ethical decision-making and thus would make officers make an unbiased judgment in service delivery. Studies on the application of Emotional Intelligence (EI) have shown that people with high level of EI are less likely to perceive unethical behaviors while those with reduced level have a likelihood of justifying unethical practices (Blumberg, Giromini and Jacobson 67). Additionally, the use of psychological approaches in police training is essential in allowing the officers to understand better, law enforcement culture, personality and how attitudes influence their professional behaviors.
Police training should incorporate other procedures beyond the fundamental laws and enforcement programs. In that respect, the training should entail and account the evolving nature of the society and trends in the criminal justice field (Postmus and Dawsonera). For instance, the knowledge about the complexity of sexual violence would enable an officer to carry out a conclusive investigation as well as the formulation of response mechanisms. Also, the police department should formulate their training programs to meet developing social issues in the society and the line of law enforcement activities. Such instances would foster community policing and problem-oriented policing based on the actual field issues and other factors in the society.
Police-community relations should be another basis for the training programs since it helps in mitigating issues that add tension and escalate confrontation between the police and the community. This form of human relation program aims at holding dialogues that bring law enforcement and community members together to build trust and understanding of issues related to criminal justice. In the same aspect, the law enforcement officers are training to address hate crime as well as the acquisition of knowledge of working with diverse communities and responses to different customs (Han).
Training time should be increased and restricted to give the law enforcement officers more time in training programs which would mitigate the issues of poor policing in the line of duty. This should entail recurrent training to accommodate trends and evolving issues in the society. Emotional stability should also an integral part of training to alert the officers to the responsive behaviors that in most cases defines how the law enforcement agencies use force against the subject. For instance, subject resistance may trigger the response of the police's decision on the use of force (Bengtson 8).
Reforms in the law enforcement training should be appraised to accommodate police training improvement on community relations which is essential in defusing the racially charged confrontation that may divide the nation. However, this cannot be met in an era of budget constraints in the police force, and therefore is up to the federal government to improve its allocation to facilitate these reforms. The reforms are essential in the training of law enforcement officers to enable the force go beyond logistics of policing and focus more on their role in the society (Swarts).
The training program should not rely on tradition and recurrent methodology, but rather the use of updated approaches. In that case, therefore, the department should rely on research concerning the approach used in training to develop new or improved techniques. This creates blending learning environments that allow learners to acquire knowledge based on the current status in the criminal justice field.
Work Cited
Bengtson, Kendra. Bad cops or bad training? How police officers training impacts use of force incidents. Thesis. Minnesota: spring, 2017.
Blumberg, Daniel M, Luciano Giromini and Laura B Jacobso
