This report provides an evaluation and analysis of the current policies and practices of the police in Courtelaney Pass. It addresses the employment concerns and racial unrest of the community, as well as presents the accomplishments of the interim chief of police and his further recommendations. The report concludes that the minorities had been placed in an inferior position, but the situation can be changed by the implementation of new policies.
Executive Summary
Employment and Hiring Concerns
The investigation showed that there are problematic issues in the employment situation in the police department. It is determined by the lack of minorities’ representation in the agency. It is necessary to mention that they comprise 45% of the population, while almost 95% of the department is represented by white individuals. English et al. (2017) suggest that in the United States, black men are more likely than other groups to be harshly sentenced, profiled, and incarcerated. Considering this fact, the authorities of Courtelaney Pass must increase the number of minorities working for the police department to avoid biased policing against minorities, including young black males. To do so, it is necessary to assume measures to ensure that applicants can pass the entrance examination and are content with the salary.
Enforcement Problems
The investigation revealed problems in law enforcement in the community as well, especially regarding speed and traffic. One of the significant issues is controversial speed limit policies that create unnecessary difficulties for the population but generate irrelevantly high revenue for the city. Moreover, each police officer is required to issue at least 12 citations per shift, which reveals that some subpoenas might be released on no grounds. The analysis also identified that the former chief of police applied a zero-tolerance policy and had instructed the officers to implement strict issuing policies that do not correspond with most cases of traffic enforcement (The U.S. Department of Transportation, 2008).
Another acute aspect of law enforcement is that this system is not designed to assist minorities. For example, in the case of the Williams and other black families, deaths of missing children were deemed as non-homicide cases without proper investigation. The former police officer Iozzi has been reported guilty of many deaths of young girls, and other employees of the agency are supposedly aware of his actions. Dr. Clausen does not seem to perform his duties in assisting investigations as he did not execute full-body autopsy and sexual assault examinations of victims.
Racial Issues
Racial unrest is the most acute problem in the community. There are several reasons for it including high unemployment rates among minorities, biased policing and excessive force against them, and other cases of discrimination disclosed in the municipality’s policies. It is necessary to mention that many representatives of minorities are not protected by law as around 5,000 of them are undocumented immigrants. The research reveals the problem of home invasion robberies, which are not reported to the police. It is crucial to point out that the city councilman does not consider the issue acute as this group of the population does not vote.
Moreover, a significant factor contributing to the racial unrest is that the cases in which poor black people are involved have been insufficiently investigated for the past several decades. This fact reveals differences in the police’s attitude towards the white population and minorities, which is a negative trend in the United States (Buehler, 2017). This issue should be addressed and investigated to improve the inferior position of black and Hispanic individuals in the community.
Current Accomplishments
The primary accomplishment has been achieved in the reduction of racial unrest. The progress has been attained through several strategical decisions. Firstly, an examination of the current staff in the police department has been performed to identify the level of employees’ professionalism. Several officers have been fired due to their biased approach to work. Training sessions for the rest of the employees have been implemented to prevent unconscious racial biases that might be based on adverse stereotypes from interfering with their work (Richardson, 2014).
Secondly, the concerns about officer Iozzi has been conveyed to the special prosecutor as additional investigation is needed to analyze the grounds for search and arrest warrants. Dr. Clausen was suspended from future assistance in police examinations; his case is under investigation as he might have consciously supported the killer’s unlawful actions.
Another significant issue that has been regulated is the high unemployment rate among minorities and their representation in the police department. As many employees of the agency were suspended from duty or fired, there has been a high demand for new workers. To increase the number of minority applicants, the expert group has reviewed the entrance examination and concluded, that the majority of questions did not regard law enforcement. After the examination questions had been reconsidered, more than twenty black and Hispanic applicants have been invited for probation. It will allow for the balance in the staff of community police and ensure that the rate of racial unrest will decrease with time.
Further Measures
There are several issues that the police department is planning to work on to improve the situation in Courtelaney Pass. First of all, it is necessary to address the proliferation of street drugs in the community. After the shooting incident that was followed by riots, all narcotic enforcement actions were suspended. It is necessary to resume the punishment measures to ensure that the population is safe.
Moreover, it is crucial to promote educational and recovery programs for drug abusers, which the police may do with the assistance of medical institutions. Secondly, the problem of undocumented Hispanic immigrants should be addressed and considered. The possible ways to solve the issue include creating support centers or campaigns for the refugees affiliated with the police department. It is crucial to raise awareness of the disadvantages of being an illegal citizen, as many people may not realize that they put themselves at risk of being robbed or even killed, as they are not under the protection of the law.
Another problem that should be considered is to change the minorities’ attitude towards law and the police. The study by Najdowski, Bottoms, and Goff (2015) reveals that black individuals may perceive police officers, lawyers, and judges as a potential threat and often behave during the encounter with them correspondingly. It is necessary to prevent individuals from aggressive behaviors, riots, and unrest by establishing trust-based relationships between the police and the population. To do so, it is crucial to ensure that the quality of minorities’ lives is improved by providing them with employment opportunities and reducing crime rates.
Conclusion
Minorities of Courtelaney Pass have been experiencing severe cases of discrimination caused by biased attitudes of the society, including the police representatives. The racial unrest has reduced due to the investigations in the current police department followed by increased employment opportunities. The plan for future interventions includes the elimination of street drug proliferation and reduction of the number of undocumented immigrants. These measures are aimed to deal with the racial unrest and its adverse consequences effectively.
References
Buehler, J. W. (2017). Racial/ethnic disparities in the use of lethal force by US police, 2010–2014. American Journal of Public Health, 107(2), 295-297.
English, D., Bowleg, L., del Río-González, A. M., Tschann, J. M., Agans, R. P., & Malebranche, D. J. (2017). Measuring black men’s police-based discrimination experiences: Development and validation of the Police and Law Enforcement (PLE) scale. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 23(2), 185-199.
Najdowski, C. J., Bottoms, B. L., & Goff, P. A. (2015). Stereotype threat and racial differences in citizens’ experiences of police encounters. Law and Human Behavior, 39(5), 463-477.
Richardson, L. S. (2014). Police racial violence: Lessons from social psychology. Fordham Law Review, 6 (83), 2961-2976.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (2008). Speed-enforcement camera systems operational guidelines. Web.