What is Police Misconduct? Police misconduct alludes to improper conduct and/or illicit moves made by police officers regarding their official obligations. Police misconduct can prompt a miscarriage of justice and some of the time includes prejudice or the obstruction of justice.
Police misconduct entails unlawful or exploitative activities or the infringement of individuals’ constitutional rights by law enforcement officers in the conduct of their duties. This is an expansive idea that can go from utilizing extreme force, performing unlawful searches, selective law implementation, racial profiling, and even rape. Since a large number of these activities and ideas are wide and non-explicit, it tends to be difficult to dive into precisely what issues these cases involve.
Police misconduct statistics gathered over the years confirms that about a percent of all police officers commit misconduct in a particular year and that the penalties of such misconduct are harsh. It is also documented that police misconduct was a cause in as many as 50 percent of unjust convictions involving DNA evidence.
Like prosecutors, police officers are entrusted with making the society safe. Most times their enthusiasm drives them to utilize their power to put forth a case that generally would not be triable. A police officer’s keenness to see justice done can possibly prompt extraordinary unfairness. Worsening the issue is that different officers are frequently hesitant to report misconduct due to their loyalty to fellow officers. Be that as it may, the explosion of cell phone cameras has enabled citizens to record and report police misconduct, helping raise public awareness of the problem.
Indeed, even now, specifically reporting police misconduct can be a huge challenge for every citizen. When reporting police misconduct, an individual needs to make the report to the office being complained about. In numerous urban communities, a native’s survey board will review complaints against officers. Changes and close observation are needed to guarantee that police misconduct is found rapidly and that innocent people are not dishonestly charged.
Types of misconduct include: sexual misconduct, unwarranted surveillance, false arrest, falsification of evidence, unwarranted seizure of property, police perjury, racial profiling, witness tampering, violations by officers of police procedural policies, false imprisonment, police corruption, intimidation, unwarranted searches, and spoliation of evidence. Others include: bribing or lobbying legislators to pass or maintain laws that give police extreme power or status, selective enforcement, coerced false confession, off-duty misconduct, noble cause corruption, using badge or other ID to get discounts, influence of drugs or alcohol while on duty, and police brutality.
