Municipal Police: Reason For Choosing The Municipal Police Essay

The municipal police do most of the work since they are the closest to the citizens. The citizens also know that the municipal police main role is to make the municipality a better place. The citizens also understand that the municipal police can use force when need be. It is also easier to research on the municipal police since they are persons we interact with in most of our day to day activities. There is also much we can learn of the municipal police as well as adequate research sources; both primary and secondary. The municipal police are the smallest administrative subdivision and deals with criminal and administrative offences. The municipal police also are under the local government’s control. They enforce the Canadian’s bylaws. The entities they handle include the parishes, villages, towns and cities.

Historical background of the municipal police

The important social need that was served by the profession or the precursor to the profession
The implementation of Aboriginal Community policing has been given precedence in aboriginal areas. The growth of professional, regional aboriginal police who were fully trained to serve aboriginal communities and who report to serving aboriginal communities has worked towards improving security in the aboriginal community. The improvement of aboriginal police commissions has paved way to rapid enrollment, training and valuable support of aboriginal police forces. The primary role of the municipal police is to enforce laws at the municipal level. Therefore, the social need served by the municipal police is maintaining law and order at the municipal level. To address issues, starting at the grassroots is the best strategy. Going up the hierarchy, it will be easier for other administration police. The municipal powers are only limited by; the rights that the constitution guarantees, a reasonable exercise of other powers and the requirement of a legal public purpose.

Does the profession serve the same social need today?

The profession serves the same social need of maintaining law and order in the community today. None the less the profession deal with diverse social issues. When citizens have a problem, the first place they direct the complaints and grievances is to the municipal police. The police then act in accordance to the law and serve the particular citizen. The contended citizens in return do what is expected of them and peace and harmony prevails.
The first principle of Robert Peel indicates that the basic mission of the police is prevention of crime and disorder, this principal lay foundation to the fundamental role of municipal police. The politics of law and order is an important historical moment in the development of municipal police and has developed from using guns and involvement of female police officers. The reason is because it laid a foundation on the type of politics to be run and participated in. Politics had for sometime been a source of violence due to bad politics. With politics changing to a orderly method that embraces peace and order, law and order was observed by all persons and respected by all, not only the civilians. Rules were also stipulated and breaking them meant that an individual would face some particular punishment. In correspondence to the Robert Peel, municipal police seek to maintain public favor by demonstrating absolute impartiality in their work.
Chief Blair the chief of the Toronto police born in 1954 has over 35 years in the policing career is an important figure in development of municipal police. April 26, 2005 Blair became chief of the Toronto police. He has committed his efforts towards developing major crime investigation, drug enforcement, and organized crime unit. In his career, Blair has worked in; sex crime unit, Homicide squad, fraud squad, Hold up squad, intelligence service, forensic identification services, and organized crime.

How does the profession relate to the economy?

Municipal policing relates to the economy in different ways. First, it arrests persons who threaten the security of a particular area. The reduction of crime boosts economic growth in an area. The fines and bonds given by the guilty culprits are used for government funding. The municipal policing are not a business and are therefore not involved in trying to make profits. The government funds the municipal policing with money obtained from tax from the citizens, fines and bonds among others.

Are the services of the professionals funded publically?

The services are funded publicly through the government. It is a citizen’s right to get government services at no charge and the municipal government is part of the government and public service. The government gets funds from the taxes paid by the citizens.

Or do professionals provide their services as a business?

The municipal police don’t provide services as a business. Services offered by the municipal police are government services and are absolutely free.

What does the professional service contribute to the economy?

The municipal police contribute both directly and indirectly to the economy. Directly in that the bonds obtained from wrong doers are used for government’s funds. Contributing indirectly to the economy, in that the police help to reduce crime rates in the respective areas of jurisdiction.

Anne Witz says that a profession is actually about occupational closure

Policing is a renowned concept that has established itself for a longtime. In Canada this profession has three levels; federal policing, territorial policing and municipal policing. Wrongdoers are handed to court by the police. Municipal police mostly dealing with federal courts. The policing profession work to keep peace and maintain order in the society where the offenders are punished in accordance to the jurisdiction by the court. The job of the municipal police is solely for the government. Being a government service, it is lender free. Therefore, it cannot be made a business or left to a particular organization to run the same ion its own. It will lower the quality of services offered by the municipal police. Administering justice will also be compromised. There are therefore no power struggles since there are no competitors.
Discuss your chosen profession in terms of equity, (the four designated groupswomen, visible minorities, Aboriginal People and people with disabilities) and social class. Who gets to practice in the profession?
In the municipal policing, all persons have an equal chance of being recruited. In the profession of data librarian, even people with disability get a chance to exercise their learned skills. The main goal of the ever expanding profession that has an accelerating trend in both private and public institution is storage of enormous data. The other goal is making use of the data to produce valuable new services and to improve efficiency. People with disabilities are however not held responsible for particular tasks. Some tasks are too strenuous for them. They are however assigned some tasks in the office, which are convenient for them. They can move around the office and carry out tasks they can manage.

The Regulatory Body for the Profession

A regulatory body is a non-membership organization with a primary objective of protecting the general public. In Canada, Abbotsford police Department is an independent civilian overseer that ensures measureable improvement towards secure community. The establishment involves itself with, policy and direction setting, finance overseeing, disciplinary authorities, and employing civilian staff in the police department. There are police training programs and the Canadian Law Enforcement Training College. In the learning and training institutions, the students and trainees are talk the skills required for the job they are taking. The rules and regulations to be followed are also taught. The codes of ethics in the police department are taught. Breaking of the various rules and laws, and the code of conduct, leads to punishment to the individual. In line with the OIPRD goals, municipal policing provides an impartial and objective office that receives process and oversees investigation of complaints in the community. The role of OIPRD is to ensure that the municipal police implement their mandate to the society responsibly and take complaints from the community in order to regulate the function of the municipal police as a law enforcing engine in the community.

Their respective website should provide their mandates or mission and roles

The mission of the municipal police is to keep law and order. They ensure that there is peace in their respective areas of jurisdiction. The maintaining of law and order is the primary role of the municipal police.

Clients served by the municipal police

The municipal police serve the Canadian citizens. Citizens are served by the police in their respective parishes, villages, towns as well as the cities.
The vulnerabilities of the citizens are mainly crime related. The citizens report crimes and wrongdoers in the residential areas as well as the business areas. The crimes may vary from theft, sexual harassment, to even murder.
The responsibility of the municipal police to the citizens is to offer justice. Those reported being involved in crimes should face the law. The accused persons should be given a chance to prove their innocence. If an individual is found guilty, the punishment stipulated for a particular crime should be given to the concerned individual.
The responsibilities of the police to the citizens are clearly stipulated in the constitution. People are educated about the various rights they have. The police also have a code of ethics. Breaking of any of the code of ethics has punishments for the same. An officer may even loss his job.

Ethical issues

Confidentiality and the Possibility of Subpoena
The Consequences of Knowing
Racial profiling
Abuse of power
Conflicts of Interest
Coercive Potentials
The kind of character a person should have if he or she is interested in becoming a municipal police
Being a municipal police one needs much courage to deal with the much stressing working. Different individuals come with different problems. Sometimes a police would be overwhelmed by the much responsibility. The strength is needed to serve all the citizens despite what circumstances the police may be going through.
The police also require having interpersonal skills. Relating with different persons who have different personalities and backgrounds can be to some extent difficult. Interpersonal skills are required to manage to interact with the persons. For instance, an individual maybe rude and impatient and feels like the police is not doing enough to serve them to their satisfaction. The police can in such a situation, explain to the individual the process involved in handling the situation and the time limits involved. The customer will wait for the services and appreciate the quality of service offered to them.

Threats to integrity

Quick reaction to emotions is a threat to integrity. If a police becomes angry and shouts at the citizens waiting for the services, the citizens will have doubts with the quality of services. Again, the police may insult a citizen due to anger and end up losing his job. Confidentiality can also be a threat of integrity. The police may also fail to keep confidentiality of a client’s case. Such a situation may lead to tampering with evidence or modification of data by the criminal. Also, the police keep some of the things and investigations they do confidential. Breaching of the confidentiality may lead to a threat to the entire police department.

Conclusion

The municipal police play a very important role in the society. The maintaining of law and order leads to a united and harmonized society. The skills employed have changed from time to time. The skills are improved each time to ensure that the citizens get quality services and that peace prevails throughout the nation as a whole.

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