As of recent, a lot of law enforcement officers, Law enforcement administrators, and law enforcement unions representatives have became concern, about the celephone technology and the social media revolution.
Some are of the opinion that law enforcement officers are unable to do their job and therefore are unable to protect the community, they are obligated to protect. A large number of the operational aw enforcement officers are of the opinion that they unable to function in their capacity. This can have serious consequence for the community as a whole. This could spell inactivity on behalf of the police when called to a report. Which will defeat the purpose of law enforcement.
law enforcement officers of all ranks, and their respective representatives (Union), have been propagating that the officer’s hands are tied in the execution of their duties. Some went as far to say that they are unable to act even in the defense of themselves, from and against criminal who they are required to apprehend and take into custody.
However, as a former police officer who have served in two sovereign jurisdiction, I am of the opinion that the forging argument of the law enforcement personnel, law enforcement supervisors, law enforcement managers and law enforcement unions are not justifiable; as a matter of fact, this argument is silly. Technology do not hampers the law enforcement personnel's ability to do their work; however, technology is a tool that aids to protect the law enforcement officers in the line of their duties; and in the same process, keep the community safe.
Let us take the time to delve into this topic just a little; we must first come to the conclusion that the police, is not an authority to themselves; the police are the enforcers and the guardian of the law they are not the law. In the enforcement of the law the police has a sworn obligation to follow the law, while the execution of their “Lawful Duty.” The law enforcement has several obligation to the community, the chief of which are to:
1. To protect the community from seen and unseen harm and danger.
1. To protect the community from seen and unseen harm and danger.
2. To prevent Crime from being committee.
3. And to detect crimes when they are committed within and against members of the community.
The law enforcement officers do not only have an obligation to the law abiding community; but the law enforcement officer, also has an obligation to the offending or the criminal community. We must never forget that criminals are members of the community and the police also has an obligations to, follow the law, when dealing with the criminal demographic of the community in the execution of their duties. For too long, too many rogue police officers, took liberty to abused the system and their authority, and many people suffered at the hands of these police officers who thought nothing of bluntly lying to the police authorities, civilian investigators and the court, to achieve and accomplished a personal and selfish end.
Let us take into consideration, a police take an individual before the court, the police and the civilian had conflicting stories as it relates to the incident that brought them before the court. Who will the judge believe the civilian or the police officer? Yes you are correct. The judge will more likely believe the lies of the officers as true for the following reason:
1. The law enforcement officer are sworn law enforcement officer and therefore are duty bound base on their oath.
2. The law enforcement are a part of the criminal justice system and is a respected professional.
3. law enforcement officers are paid servant of the government and is expected to be honest.
However, there are too many rogue police officers who delight in imposing themselves on the right of the civilian community.
In my opinion law enforcement is the easiest job there is, and any law enforcement officer who follow these simple rules in the execution of their duties, will not have a problem with the fame hungry members of the community, who are quick to pull out their camera and video every incident just in case there is something that can launch their video into a trending video in cyberspace.
Each time a law enforcement officer act, that law enforcement officer must always be able to and at all times; justify their actions. It is only when a law enforcement officer cannot justify his or her actions they end up in trouble. Each law enforcement officer has several obligations to the community when the reason, arise to deal with member of the community in an adversarial (offender – enforcer) level. Some of those obligations can be summed up as probable cause and identifications.
A police must never approach a member of the community, in an adversarial (to confront them for some violations) context unless they have probable cause or a legal authority to do so. And a lawful authority or probable cause are:
1. A valid suspicion(acting on information or observations)
2. A valid report that was made.
3. Or the officer had witnessed commission of an offence.
2. A valid report that was made.
3. Or the officer had witnessed commission of an offence.
which in this case can even be a simple infraction.
However apart from that, the officer has no lawful duty or obligation to approached anyone and make any demand of any such person. And in the case where a report was made, the officer has an obligation to examine the content of the report and see if anything within that report gives him a lawful authority to act and if not he must refrain from doing so. When an officer is called upon to approach the member of the public in an adversarial manner, he has some obligations to the members of the public the first is to;
a) Introduce him or her selves – Tell the person their full name their office (police officer) and serial number.
a) Introduce him or her selves – Tell the person their full name their office (police officer) and serial number.
b) Informed the person of they reason for initiating this confrontation. A report of a crime, a suspicion of the commission of a crime of an observations.
c) Informed the person of their rights.
From my experience most confrontation between police and the civilian community only happens when a police become strong handed and fail to live up to their responsibility to the individual and omit to do one of the these stages especially point b).
We must never forget, at all times a law enforcement officer, must always be able to truthfully and lawfully justify his or her actions. With this in mind, I will conclude, the only thing that has change in the world of law enforcement is the ability of dishonest and rogue law enforcement officers to lie about their conduct and actions, walk away without being held responsible and accountable for their illegal and oppressive actions. Any police officer who is intimidated by the modern cell phone technology and technology its self and hold fast to the opinion that they are not allowed to police the community effectively, are those who has the potential to and or those who have often disregard the law that governs their actions, their authority to act and the way the acts.
