This post answers several questions, including: Should police agencies be quicker to apologize for accidents or obvious mistakes by officers? Are police departments hesitant to admit fault because of the fear of potential lawsuits? Explain. Other questions include: Make an argument in favor of allowing unions to represent police officers interests in collective bargaining issues that affect the officers. Be specific in your reasoning for allowing them to form unions and become unionized.

Instruction:

Read the synopsis of three cases titled “Police Raid Berwyn Heights Mayor’s Home, Kill His 2 Dogs”, “Beating of University of Maryland student by police probed by county prosecutors” and “Aiyana Jones case, attorney says Video shows police fired into Detroit home”. (The actual articles by Washington Post
are attached as supplemental information) Then answer the questions at the bottom of the assignment. The questions are designed to test your legal reasoning and sensitivity to social issues. Your answer to each question/item should be 1-2 pages long, typed single spaced.

Your answer should reflect research on your part – from library sources, government documents, your textbook, and/or the Internet. Refer to your student handbook on Referencing Sources. Do not use this assignment to vent your personal opinions on the issues covered in the case study. Your goal should be to present a fair and impersonal review of the issues based on good legal reasoning, sensitivity to societal issues, and careful research.

Questions

1. There have always been ethical issues with police departments and individual officers, but do you believe that, on average, police agencies are becoming
more and more morally corrupt and unethical or do you believe that there is a reverse trend occurring where police agencies are actually becoming more and more accountable and upstanding? Explain.

2. Police officers have sort of their own “culture” or “norms” that they follow in general. Do you think that there is a virtual “us versus them” mentality present in individual officers where they believe that upper management and the public in general are not looking out for their best interests and therefore they all need to “stick together” and “watch each other’s backs”? If this sort of thinking is present, do you think it is healthy and perfectly fine or do you think this is unhealthy and unproductive and leads to cynicism and negativity towards citizens and the job itself? Explain.

3. Should police agencies be quicker to apologize for accidents or obvious mistakes by officers? Are police departments hesitant to admit fault because of the fear of potential lawsuits? Explain.

4. Make an argument in favor of allowing unions to represent police officers interests in collective bargaining issues that affect the officers. Be specific in your reasoning for allowing them to form unions and become unionized.

5. Make an argument against allowing unions to represent police officers interests in collective bargaining issues that affect the officers. Be specific in your reasoning for not allowing them to form unions and become unionized.

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