Knowing The Streets A Plus Or Minus In Recruitment
Maybe the problem with the police departments across the nation is that police departments hire people FROM the streets, often citing the benefit of experience.
Most think it’s an advantage in that they know how to communicate with those who break the law. That familiarity also breeds contempt.
Does it really take a criminal to catch a criminal?
I think the psychological make up, specifically the impulse control factor in addition to the strict adherence to the rules, hinders their effectiveness.
One might think rule adherence would be in the negative rather than the positive, but it allows them freedom from blame when strictly applied.
As a result, impulse control works in the negative when strictly applying rules. The hand becomes too hard during the enforcement of the act.
Flexibility, which is critical to proper enforcement, is lost when rules are strictly applied, which means FLEXIBLE ENFORCEMENT needs to be taught or retaught from the bottom up.
Accountability when engaging in flexible enforcement however, opens the door to interpretation, thus culpability if too flexible or not flexible enough.
Judges have leeway in sentencing. Law enforcement needs that same leeway, so they can enforce with confidence, instead of strictly abiding by the rules of conduct which, as mentioned, more often result in a hard hand, especially in new recruits FROM the street.
THE STRICTER THE GUIDELINES, THE HARDER THE HAND.
HAPPY WHITE HORSE™ 