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A police officer is someone who is there to protect the public and defend the law, so how
has law enforcement become known as the opposite of that? Incompetent, irrelevant, incapable,
these are only some terms associated with the police force, but are they true? Although, the
Albuquerque Police Department encounters negative relations with the public due to officers
failing to be outstanding citizens, there are still many officers who uphold the high standards of
serving the law. Ethical officers who go by the book, meaning they respect the rules and
carefully execute them, whereas unethical officers feel the need to do things their own way
paying no respect to the rules they must follow. Society views police as a giant group of people
who are supposed to protect citizens, so when one officer becomes unethical and is exposed by
the media all police officers are viewed as unethical. To the public an unethical police officer is
someone who would shoot an innocent citizen whereas an ethical officer would leave the citizen
unharmed. It is every officers hope that they do not have to pull out a gun on the line off duty,
but not all officers are as lucky.
In order to understand law enforcement you need to go to the beginning. Most people are
untrusting when they do not know a lot about something and very little is known about the
amount of police resources that are dedicated to training and educating its personnel (Stanislas
25). Most time and effort go into training police officers to be ethical. With thirty billion dollars
placed into the police industry and fifteen million employees participating in one point seven
billion courses world wide (Stanislas25) there is a growing chance of people sneaking though
the system. Not every industry is perfect which is why unethical people can pass through the
system. Each police department is run by the state it is in, so there is no set system that all must
abide by. Since each state has different requirements for police departments it is harder to map
the training. In New Mexico there are strict requirements to prevent unethical people from
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joining the department. Police start with a list of requirements that they must pass before even
becoming eligible to join the academy, the list contains things such as schooling and an extensive
background check. After the background check officers must take a thousand question
psychological exam which will determine if they are mentally stable for the job.
Once in the Albuquerque Police Academy police officers train forty hours a week for
twenty eight weeks. In the academy, officers go through a multitude of tests such as defensive
training, use of force classes, and constant quizzes on the laws in that state. The police officers
are tested vigorously to prove to the department that they are capable of handling the job. Soon
after entering the academy Albuquerque police officers begin classes where they learn the right
ways to talk to citizens. The officers learn that the best way to control a situation without using
force is to try and convince the suspect that there doesnt need to be violence. To illustrate
picture a police officer saying stand down or put your hands where we can see them; this
stands as a warning to the suspect. The suspect has a chance to comply with the officer thus
giving no reason for lethal force. It is important that the officers try to communicate with a
suspect non-lethally before resulting in lethal force. The officers make the ethical choice to
understand the suspect at hand. One thing the police must experience is what it feels like to be on
the other side of the law. Officers must practice efficient ways of handcuffing people by
practicing on each other first.
Soon after they learn the best way to cuff a person without causing harm the officers feel
what its like to be mased. All officers must get a face full of pepper spray with eyes wide open.
This ensures that when the officers use this type of force they know what the suspect feels. APD
officers are also tased in two different ways; the first being with the stun gun which shoots out
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two rods that send volts through your whole body. The second way is where one rod is tapped to
a shoulder and the other is tapped to a foot on the opposite side of the body when shocked the
officer feels the volts going through their whole body rendering them helpless. APD Officer
Carmen states: When the stun hits you all your muscles lock up and you cant move at all,
there doesnt seem to be much someone can do to resist a feeling like that. However Officer
Carmen brings up a point that not many people think about explaining; When you have
someone running at you and they are high on drugs, a stun gun will not stop them since the drugs
prevent them from feeling the full effect they can easily pull it off and keep running at you. This
is why the police officers are trained in defensive tactics. The police need to defend themselves
as much as their citizens, therefore when words and a taser do not stop the suspect a gun must be
fired. The officer can aim for a leg or an arm, but that does not always stop the suspect; it has the
same concept of a taser.
The police officers learn how to get out of holds and put people into holds when the
situation calls for it. It is best for an officer to use holds when the suspect is confirmed as
unarmed and not an immediate threat. It is believed that police officers make the first move when
on the line of duty, yet that is not true. Once an immediate threat is present the officer has no
choice but to use his weapon. All APD officers do not train to act they are trained to react. In
any situation with a suspect they are always at least one step ahead of me. They already know
what their next move is, but I have to wait until they do something and react based on that
(Officer Carmen). The police are in a dangerous situation because the suspect has the upper hand
so the police need to have a fast way to gain control before the situation can get out of hand. The
police need to be in charge to ensure that no one else can get harmed. They realize that the
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community depends on their actions in the line of duty and what they choose to do will decide
how they are viewed by their community.
Not only does the police force need extensive training, but they also need to be seen as
role models. Role models are looked up to; they are people the community can trust. The police
officers are there to protect and defend the safety of the community. It is important that the police
force has good ties with the community. People feel safe when they know who is protecting
them. In order to become trusted the police need to communicate with citizens. In a study on
police legitimacy randomized field trials were conducted that directly tests the impact of police
citizen encounters on citizen views of police (Mazerolle, L, E Antrobus, S Bennett, and T.R
Tyler: Engagement Trial). It was found that the way the police interact with citizens does affect
the way the police are viewed to the community. General opinions are created based on stories,
while citizens also take in count their own personal encounters with the police force to decide
whether the police are ethical and can be cooperated with. The more ethical the officer is to the
citizen the more cooperation they gain.
The Albuquerque Police Department has already started its communication with a
website called Talk with a Cop where there is always an officer ready to talk to a concerned
citizen no matter what time of day. The website lets the public voice their opinions on
community concerns and issues with police officers who may hold the answers. People can talk
about anything from their own issues that may need police help to issues they seen in the
Albuquerque Police Department. The website is open twenty four hours a day and has no
restrictions on who can participate; all anyone has to do is make a profile. The police take the
conversations held on this website every seriously and will give the best advice they can. Even
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with little restrictions the website is not made for citizens to threaten the police officers or fake
emergencies both are perceived as crimes and are not tolerated. For those who dont trust the
internet the police force holds collaborative meetings with the community. Here there will be
face to face interactions where citizens can bring new issues into view and resolve old ones. In
order to find where the event will be taken place or when it will be, all you need to do is go onto
the police website, www.cabq.gov.
The police force also has annual events such as Cops for Kids. At this event police
officers receive a certain amount of money from sponsors to each take a child out to eat, see a
movie and do whatever the child desires. The police officers also use their own money to buy the
children necessities such as clothes, shoes and a special gift before they depart. APD officers also
volunteer in public schools to teach children what its like to be a responsible member of the
community. They work with a range of children ages six to eight teen living up to the standards
of being role models. On the police website there are links for helpful information such as traffic
reports, sex offender look up and leads to stolen items. There is always information provided by
the police for the public, people just need to look for it. There are even helpful tips on how to
prevent crime for instance starting or joining neighborhood meetings. This is an easy way to
learn about the people you live around and create trust around your home. If someone needs
psychological help there is information on how to get it. The community has many opportunities
to get information on issues and though the news does not broadcast this it is still available. The
most truthful information is not normally seen through news stations.
People hear all the big stories the news puts out because media is in everyday life. What
people dont know is that the news is full of bias. The main point of channels like FOX, KOAT,
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and CNN is to gain and keep viewers. Stories where police officers followed procedure and no
one got hurt dont sell to the public. The public wants drama, something that they can put
emotion into, thats why the news exaggerates stories and stretches the truth. To stretch the truth
news channels will show only small clips of videos that prove their argument or use words that
sound enticing to the viewers. For example, APD officers are working with companies to go
undercover and stop pick pocketing, most police encounters with the public are well handled and
no force was used. The company creates a safer environment for its shoppers and the police
officers are able make an arrest. When people are cooperative then the police are just as
cooperative, if not more. Every day the police perform routine traffic stops, investigations, and
receive calls for help that benefit citizens in a non-incidental way.
The media is a great way to get fast up to date information on everything going on in the
world. Eighty five percent of Americans who view news from a news station will strongly
believe everything they see. Only fifteen percent of people dont believe the news (American
Press Institute) and will actually take the time to watch all news channels which each contain
different aspects on the same stories. By doing this people are closer to the truth behind the
stories shown, but not many people look for the truth instead they tend to trust the first thing they
see. Even the newspaper will alter stories to appeal to emotions. Just by looking at the big bold
headlines on the front page people right away form an opinion on the subject. The newspaper
knows people dont tend to read all the way through an article so its main argument and
supporting points are on top whereas the opposing argument and poorly constructed opinions are
toward the bottom. Media studies show that bad news far outweighs good news by as much as
seventeen negative news reports for every one good news report (Why We Love Bad News); is
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that a coincidence? The sources behind the stories tend to be anonymous calls and news agents
who try and get live footage at the scene or interviews.
The Albuquerque Police Department has been portrayed as corrupt due to the recent rise
in shootings. These shootings involve innocent people paying for their misconducts by being
shot. Albuquerque has the highest crime rates out of all of New Mexico, most of Albuquerque is
covered in bright red indicating high crimes such as robberies and assaults. Most of the police
shootings involve people, with warrants, who have been running from the police for long periods
of time. In 2012 there were 20,298 crimes per 1000 people recorded in Albuquerque alone (City
Data Albuquerque Crime Rates). The highest form of criminal activity is burglary; a crime not
many people are able to stop and hen reported it is already too late. Society believes the police
are to blame because they have not come up with ways to lower crime. Crime has no pattern and
cannot be predicted, yet some criminals are predictable and can be traced and those are the ones
easily caught. Crimes have become more frequent in areas with less witnesses making it harder
for police to trace their path of criminality. People are getting smarter and advancing their skills.
New ways of thinking arise when new gadgets come out.
With all the new technology it seems like it should be easy for them. The advances in
technology can be acquired by both the police force and the public. The police obtain the same
technological advances as the rest of the population so it is difficult to use technology to become
a step ahead of civilians. Not only has crime increased, but police use of force has increased as
well. More citizens have been shot by police officers then in past years. Communities feel that
the police force abuses their power of authority. Their evidence behind this lies in the police
officers seen on news broadcasts. An example is with a 2010 shooting that has a man looking for
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justice. KOAT has the evidence of a young man with a bullet lodged in his spine. The victim
argued that he was not a threat and the shot was fired for no reason. The trial is still underway
though it is looking to be in favor of Barr, the victim. This, however should only be taken as face
value because there is only a he said she said kind of story. As peoples opinions seems to
continuously change there is still major controversy on the ethics of police officers.
The reluctance to trust authority grows in citizens who have not had or heard of ensuring
encounters with the police force. The academy upholds high standards for officers from the
psychological exam and the background check to following procedures. Police officers go
through extensive training to protect citizens and defend the law, yet they are not respected. In
order to be respected the police need to provide respect; which they do on a daily basis. The
Albuquerque Police Department makes sure to take the time and effort to connect with its
community in many ways. Not only does the police department collaborate with citizens, but it
acknowledges their opinions. The police are not sent to harm citizens; in fact their duty is to
protect the law and all who follow it. When people tune into a news broadcasts they see the few
officers that abuse the law and conduct in an unethical manner. What is missing are the stories of
many police officers who do not follow this behavior. Media has one purpose and one purpose
only; to grab attention! The news has become one big Even as some officers stray from the law,
the majority of officers abide by the law. These officers will live everyday striving to be role
models and outstanding citizens to their communities.
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Work Cited
1. Carmen, Tyler. "APD." Interview. (4-16-15): n. pag. Print
2. "Crime Rates for Albuquerque, NM." Albuquerque Crime Rates and Statistics.
Neighborhood Scout. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/nm/albuquerque/crime/>.
3. "Crime Rate in Albuquerque, New Mexico (NM): Murders, Rapes, Robberies, Assaults,
Burglaries, Thefts, Auto Thefts, Arson, Law Enforcement Employees, Police Officers,
Crime Map." Crime Rate in Albuquerque, New Mexico (NM): Murders, Rapes,
Robberies, Assaults, Burglaries, Thefts, Auto Thefts, Arson, Law Enforcement Employees,
Police Officers Statistics. City-data. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <http://www.citydata.com/crime/crime-Albuquerque-New-Mexico.html>.
4. "How Americans Get Their News - American Press Institute." American Press Institute
RSS. America Press Institute, 17 Mar. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/publications/reports/survey-research/howamericans-get-news/>.
5. Mazerolle, L, E Antrobus, S Bennett, and T.R Tyler. "Shaping Citizen Perceptions of Police
Legitimacy: a Randomized Field Trial of Procedural Justice." Criminology. 51.1 (2013): 33-63.
Print.
6. Prenzler, T, L Porter, and G.P Alpert. "Reducing Police Use of Force: Case Studies and
Prospects." Aggression and Violent Behavior. 18.2 (2013): 343-356. Print.
7. Stanislas, Perry. International Perspectives on Police Education and Training. , 2014. Print.
8. Terrill, W, and E A. Paoline. "Less Lethal Force Policy and Police Officer Perceptions: a Multisite
Examination." Criminal Justice and Behavior. (2013). Print.
9. Williams, Ray. "Why We Love Bad News." Psychology Today. 30 Dec. 2010. Web. 17 Apr.
2015. <https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201012/why-we-love-badnews>.
