System for Investigating Law Enforcement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

System for Investigating Law Enforcement - Essay Example The system of investigations should be independent to ensure public confidence of the process and to avoid a scenerio police investigating themselves does not arise. The first step is the police officers should be required by law to provide a name and place of duty. This will help in the investigations by being able to confirm that the officer was at the site where the alleged misconduct took place and determine whether the officer exercised certain powers such as arrest or searching of suspects (Ruggiero, 2013). The suspected police officers and the witnesses should be separated and interviewed within 24 hours after the details of the misconduct are reported. The evidence collected should be used for criminal or administrative purposes (van Dongen, Selleslaghs, & Gehem, 2013). To ensure police officers cooperate fully with the investigations officers who fail to participate should be discharged from the police force. To ensure justice is not delayed there should be enforceable deadlines for carrying out investigations (Gounev & Ruggiero, 2012). To avoid delays the concerned police departments should provide the necessary information, and the in vestigators should be able to obtain warrants to get the required information and be able to search private property for any evidence needed. Secondly, my system entails the setting up of an independent agency to deal with cases of serious police misconduct. The agency should be a separate institution from the police force and should be free from political interference. The agency should be dominated by civilian investigates and a minimal number of retired police offices. The civilians should represent the community by having people of different cultural and economic backgrounds. The retired officers should be there only for consolations purposes as the risk of police bias is