1) What are the role of police in society

= Introduction
Police are one of the most ubiquitous organisations of the society. The policemen, therefore,
happen to be the most visible representatives of the government. In an hour of need, danger,
crisis and difficulty, when a citizen does not know, what to do and whom to approach, the police
station and a policeman happen to be the most appropriate and approachable unit and person
for him. The police are expected to be the most accessible, interactive and dynamic
organisation of any society. Their roles, functions and duties in the society are natural to be
varied, and multifarious on the one hand and complicated, knotty and complex on the other.
!roadly speaking the twin roles, which the police are expected to play in a society are
maintenance of law and maintenance of order. "owever, the ramifications of these two duties
are numerous, which result in making a large inventory of duties, functions, powers, roles and
responsibilities of the police organisation.

Role, Functions and Duties of the Police in General
#. The role and functions of the police in general are$
%a& to uphold and enforce the law impartially, and to protect life, liberty, property, human rights,
and dignity of the members of the public
%b& to promote and preserve public order
%c& to protect internal security, to prevent and control terrorist activities, breaches of communal
harmony, militant activities and other situations affecting Internal 'ecurity
%d& to protect public properties including roads, railways, bridges, vital installations and
establishments etc. against acts of vandalism, violence or any kind of attack
%e& to prevent crimes, and reduce the opportunities for the commission of crimes through their
own preventive action and measures as well as by aiding and cooperating with other relevant
agencies in implementing due measures for prevention of crimes
%f& to accurately register all complaints brought to them by a complainant or his representative,
in person or received by post, e(mail or other means, and take prompt follow(up action thereon,
after duly acknowledging the receipt of the complaint
%g& to register and investigate all cognizable offences coming to their notice through such
complaints or otherwise, duly supplying a copy of the )irst Information *eport to the
complainant, and where appropriate, to apprehend offenders, and extend requisite assistance in
the prosecution of offenders
%h& to create and maintain a feeling of security in the community, and as far as possible prevent
conflicts and promote amity
%i& to provide, as first responders, all possible help to people in situations arising out of natural or
man(made disasters, and to provide active assistance to other agencies in relief and
rehabilitation measures
%+& to aid individual, who are in danger of physical harm to their person or property, and to
provide necessary help and afford relief to people in distress situations
%k& to facilitate orderly movement of people and vehicles, and to control and regulate traffic on
roads and highways
%l& to collect intelligence relating to matters affecting public peace, and all kind of crimes
including social offences, communalism, extremism, terrorism and other matters relating to
national security, and disseminate the same to all concerned agencies, besides acting, as
appropriate on it themselves.
%m& To take charge, as a police officer on duty, of all unclaimed property and take action for their
safe custody and disposal in accordance with the procedure prescribed.
%n& To train, motivate and ensure welfare of police personnel
Social Responsibilities of the Police
,. -very police officer shall$
%a& behave with the members of the public with due courtesy and decorum, particularly so in
dealing with senior citizens, women, and children
%b& guide and assist members of the public, particularly senior citizen, women, children, the poor
and indigent and the physically or mentally challenged individuals, who are found in helpless
condition on the streets or other public places or otherwise need help and protection
%c& provide all requisite assistance to victims of crime and of road accidents, and in particular
ensure that they are given prompt medical aid, irrespective of medico(legal formalities, and
facilities their compensation and other legal claims
%d& ensure that in all situations, especially during conflict between communities, classes, castes
and political groups, the conduct of the police is always governed by the principles of impartiality
and human rights norms, with special attention to protection of weaker sections including
minorities
%e& prevent harassment of women and children in public places and public transport, including
stalking, making ob+ectionable gestures, signs, remarks or harassment caused in any way
%f& render all requisite assistance to the members of the public, particularly women, children, and
the poor and indigent persons, against criminal exploitation by any person or organised group
and
%g& arrange for legally permissible sustenance and shelter to every person in custody and
making known to all such persons provisions of legal aid schemes available from the
.overnment and also inform the authorities concerned in this regard.
%h& preserve, promote and protect human rights and interests of weaker sections, backward
classes, poor, weak and the downtrodden.
2) What is police misconduct/ police brutality. Discuss.
Police /isconduct 0 1ny action performed by a law enforcement officer that is unethical, against
established employment guidelines, unconstitutional, or criminal in nature.
'eems pretty broad, doesn2t it3 In fact, it probably doesn2t seem to be much different than any
other type of misconduct and it doesn2t really seem to explain much about police misconduct.
'ure, this is certainly true in some part. !ut it +ust shows that the issue of police misconduct is a
bit more involved than the basic definition implies and what most people understand about the
issue.
'o, what does police misconduct really mean3 4ell, let2s start by explaining that law
enforcement is a +ob not much unlike working as a bank teller, a dishwasher, or any other
professional pursuit that one might engage in to earn a living. 5ust as with any +ob, there are
rules and guidelines of behavior that one must follow and some +obs are more rigorous than
others in what one may or may not do while employed in that profession.
4hen one acts outside of those established rules, whether the offense is a violation of your
employee2s handbook or a criminal act, it is called employee misconduct and the penalties can
range from an unpaid time off, demotions, +ob termination, or even +ail time.
"owever, there is an important yet subtle difference between what you or I might do for a living
and what a law enforcement officer is permitted to do as part of a police officer2s +ob function.
6amely, while you or I probably cannot deprive our customers of their freedom or use deadly
force against a customer, law enforcement officers are entrusted with those police powers on
behalf of the people they serve, the community, and are often granted immunity from civil
prosecution for harms caused by their actions in the course of their duties.
!ecause these police powers grant law enforcement officers the ability to impinge on the rights
of others or cause physical harm, and because these powers grant them certain legal
protections the rest of us lack, there are established rules and guidelines that are generally
expected to limit how and when they may employ those enhanced rights.
1lso, because law enforcement officers may use their powers of arrest while off duty and
because of the harm that abusing these powers can cause to individuals and the community,
police officers are supposed to be held to a higher standard of conduct, both on duty and off
duty, than members of other occupations.
Therefore, perhaps a better way to define police misconduct would be to say$Police /isconduct
0 1ny action, on duty or off, by a person entrusted with police powers which would violate that
trust to an extent that would cause those who entrusted the officer with said powers to
reasonably question whether continuing that trust would expose the public safety to an
unacceptable level of risk.
!y this definition, police misconduct is more than +ust being late to the +ob a few times or having
your shirt untucked, it2s something that would reasonably cause the community to question
whether or not it was such a good idea to entrust a particular person with those police powers.
)urthermore, it suggests that an act of police misconduct, while potentially legal and
constitutional, may still be misconduct.
) Factors that cause police misconduct/police brutality
Psychological Factors
Some theories argue there are psychological factors inherent in the causes of police brutality.
The stereotype of the bad apple or rogue cop has largely been disavowed but studies suggest some
personality traits can lead to the use of excessive force. Personality disorders, personal problems,
past job related trauma, and young inexperienced macho officers who learn inappropriate patrol
styles all fit into this category, but they fail to completely explain police brutality.
Organizational Factors
The policies and environment of a police organization are highly significant contributors to
police brutality. For example, in the odney !ing beating incident the "os #ngeles Police
$epartment used force within the acceptable parameters established by the organization. The "#P$
policy left it up to the discretion of the individual officers leaving an open window for potential
abuse. The organization plays a %ey role in whether at&ris% officers will respond abusively or not.
Racial Profiling
acial profiling continues to be widely practiced in the '.S. despite its illegality and is
connected to police brutality. acial profiling assumes guilt for a crime based on the presumed
criminality of people of certain racial characteristics, with #frican&#mericans, "atinos, #sians, and
(ative #mericans disproportionately affected. This raises the )uestion of racism and to what extent
it*s responsible for police brutality.
Criminality
The use of excess force on civilians is a criminal offense because it violates state laws, federal
laws, constitutional rights, and police laws as well. +rutality is a form of white collar, occupational
crime because the offending officer is operating in the function of his legitimate occupation. Police
departments seldom punish officers severely for excessive use of force, contributing to the
perpetuation of this form of criminal behavior, critics say.
Inability to Follow Guidelines
,f an officer fails to follow the guidelines set down by the state during a violent situation, such
as an arrest of an armed person, he may cross the line between the correct use of force and
inappropriate brutality. #ccording to expert $avid -angan from $rury 'niversity, the (ew .or%
State Police $epartment created a list of chec%points that should be followed closely, in se)uence, as
force becomes necessary/ verbal persuasion, unarmed physical force, force using a nonlethal weapon
and deadly force. Failure to adhere to the strict code could result in charges of brutality.
Lack of Respect
#lthough it is understandable for a police officer to have little or no respect for a criminal in
terms of their crimes or conduct in society, they must respect that individual*s basic human rights. ,f
an officer loses his focus on retaining respect and proper conduct, and it manifests as anger or
frustration, the officer may be committing an offense of brutality. ,t is difficult to draw a line between
using any %ind of personal, physical force and maintaining appropriate civil and human rights
legislation, but it must be paramount to protect both the officer and the criminal target.
nger !anagement Failure
Police brutality is a direct violation of the laws within the police force and a direct violation of
the Fifth and Fourteenth #mendments of the 0onstitution regarding cruelty and protection of those
laws. There are a minority of police officers who %now and understand this, but they cannot prevent
their anger rising to such a level during armed or nonarmed responses so they lash out. 0ontrolling
anger and maintaining decorum during conflicts and violent attac%s are two of the most important
factors in reducing police brutality. #nger management courses may help officers who struggle to
%eep control. They must recognize the problem, discuss it with their supervisors and see% assistance
early to prevent problems.
buse of Power
,n the most serious cases of brutality, an officer does attac% someone who has already been
arrested and awaits further information. This is brutality/ it is premeditated and designed to
intimidate or injure. ,t may result from personal grievances, such as revenge for a violent arrest,
prior history && if they have met before in difficult circumstances && and often racism, according to the
0ity 'niversity of (ew .or%. ather than allowing the law to determine the punishment for the
assailant, the officer decides she will meter out her own form of punishment, perhaps because she
does not fully believe in the system she represents.
"#ad pple" $tereotypes and %ew &heories
,t was once thought that brutality was only carried out by a small group of 1bad apple1
officers && people with anger problems and an 1axe to grind.1 #s $avid -angan explains, it is now not
thought to be so simple. Some officers learn poor behavior from problem superiors, some are
traumatized from previous roles, some have a personality type that is prone to loss of control even
when correct procedure is understood and respected and some are too young and inexperienced to
fully realize the potential outcome of their actions.
!) What are the role of Police Re"ie# $oard
Generally, the power of a civilian review board is restricted to reviewing an already completed internal police investiga
tion, and commenting on itto the Chief of Police. Citizen review boards have not been very effective at causing reform
, as they are often coopted by the police departmentwhose investigations they are supposed to review, and thus wind
up agreeing with the police department in almost all instances.
Some of the newer civilian review board models, however, provide board members with investigatory as well as revie
w authority. Some of thesemodels contemplate that the board will conduct parallel investigations to supplement the in
ternal affairs investigations. In a few localities, thereview board has subpoena power and can force a police officer to t
estify. A few urisdictions even grant sole investigatory power to their civilianreview boards. !ut it is very rare for a civi
lian review board to have the final say as to the disposition of an investigation or discipline to beimposed on an officer
. "hese ultimate decisions generally continue to be the province of the chief of police. #onetheless, all civilian review
boards with independent investigatory authority seem to have the power to ma$e recommendations to the chief on di
sposition and discipline.
Functions of the %i"ilian Re"ie# $oard
7. To establish the principle of police accountability by investigating and hearing citizen
complaints on police activity. To ensure that citizens with grievances have a place to turn and
thereby to help discourage police misconduct. 8f course, the 9*! accepts complaints in all
languages.
#. To promote community awareness as to the citizen:s opportunity to file a complaint
concerning police misconduct, as well as to disseminate information as to how and where to file
a complaint. 1lso, to educate the public as to its rights in dealing with the police and about the
merits of civilian oversight.
,. To make concrete recommendations about police policies and procedures and to suggest
improvements in training. 1lso, to alert police administrators to the steps they must take to curb
abuse as well to provide recommendations as to how future abuse may prevented.
;. To hold regular monthly meetings that are open to the public so that citizens and
representatives of organizations can voice criticisms, make proposals, and introduce resolutions
to review or reform specific police practices. To provide a mechanism through which the
community can voice its concerns and suggest recommendations.
<. To create and utilize an =early warning= or =at(risk= system to identify officers who are the
sub+ect of repeated complaints. 8ften a small percentage of officers taint an entire police force
because of the complicity of superior officers, who do not hold them accountable by supervising,
disciplining, or dismissing them when appropriate. 1 strong reporting mechanism and an early
warning system are essential components of an effective civilian review board.
>. To publish a semi(annual report listing the numbers of the following$ complaints received
complaints investigated hearings held complaints withdrawn and local, state, and federal
cases filed against the police department. 8f course, the disposition of the complaints should be
provided, and the number of use of force complaints as well as the number of shootings also
should be listed. The report should include the policy, procedure, and training recommendations
that were made and whether the police department implemented those suggestions in a timely
manner. The report also should include the following patterns in complaints$ type %ie ( racial
profiling, discourtesy&, geographic location of incident, race?ethnicity?gender of complainant, and
characteristics of the officers %ie(race, ethnicity, gender, rank, etc.&. )inally, the report should
provide statistics as to the trends in complaints %ie 3 that there is #@A increase in racial profiling
complaints compared to the prior six month period.&
B. To author and make available to the public a summary report on each complaint and its
disposition.
C. To forge a relationship with local prosecutors as well as the 8ffices of the 'tate 1ttorney and
the D' 1ttorney. 9omplaints alleging serious allegations should be forwarded to the relevant
prosecuting agencies for appropriate action. 1nd when local prosecutors fail to act on cases
concerning police misconduct, it is the responsibility of the federal government to prosecute if an
individual:s civil rights have been violated.
E. To contact the civilian regarding the filing of a complaint, if a case of police misconduct is
known to have been alleged against that civilian and no complaint has been received.
7@. To protect officers from petty and vengeful complaints as well as protect the due process
rights of officers engaged in the complaint process.