Your instructor will be looking for you to engage in discussions with at least t

Your instructor will be looking for you to engage in discussions with at least three (3) peers. During each of those engagements, your instructor will expect you to build on or respectfully refute the author’s position while displaying exemplary critical thinking skills. At least one relevant resources and that Adherence to Discussion Forum Standards and Guidelines: your instructor will be looking for you to follow all required standards (i.e. APA format; grammar; citations; references, other standards as required).
Each response needs to be at least 150 words with at least one reference in APA format.
Post 1 Scott:
Critical Issue 1: Police Use of Force and Accountability (Department of Justice, 2015)
My personal experience to this issue is based upon my almost seventeen years as a law enforcement officer. I have personally used force while assigned to an Operations assignment. Later on, I would investigate uses of force while assigned to Internal Affairs. I agree with the vast majority of the author’s points.
Officers should try to use de-escalation tactics to resolve a situation. However, in some instances this is not practical. Ultimately, the person of interest, suspect, or target dictates the level of force used by an officer. Officers are also not generally required to start at the lowest level of force and work their way up the spectrum. Officers should be trained not to stand or place themselves in front of a moving vehicle. This will help prevent officer involved shootings as a moving vehicle would present a deadly force response. Shooting at moving vehicles puts several subjects in danger. Nearby citizens have to be concerned by the rounds discharged by the officer. Even if the officer hits the individual operating the vehicle, the uncontrolled vehicle then potentially becomes another threat to the public.
Use of force training is imperative at the police academy and refreshers are important throughout an officer’s career. The author is correct that an officer will use force based on how they are trained and based on the department’s policy. The author goes on to state that departments should use holistic and scenario-based training rather than long lectures. My agency has been utilizing scenario training before I was even in the police academy. This training allowed me to see how I would respond in a high stress scenario.
The author’s description of the police culture of entering an incident and immediately taking control is accurate. Prior training has dictated that law enforcement need to show their authority at times. While at times this is true and necessary, law enforcement should attempt to listen and gain an understanding of the situation. Law enforcement will need to enact their authority if public safety becomes at risk.
Early intervention systems and accountability are necessary within law enforcement. Again, my agency has had an early intervention system that tracks uses of force within a specific timeframe. The warning prompts a review of an officer’s force incidents by Internal Affairs and the officer’s Commanding Officer. Often times, these incidents are found in policy and can be justified. An example of this is when my department first went to electronic control devices, otherwise known as tasers. During the pilot project, there were only a handful of operators. These operators would be requested by officers throughout the jurisdiction. Their use of force history potentially shows the officer as quick to use force due to several taser deployments, but the reality is they were equipped with a tool that can be utilized prior to deadly force. The department has expanded its taser program to almost all the officers in an operational capacity.
My department has recently created a dashboard online that allows citizens to track use of forces by the department. The dashboard also shows the number of citizen and administrative (internal) complaints reported to and investigated by the department. This provides transparency to the citizens the department serves.
Critical Issue D: Health and Witness (21st Century Fire and Emergency Services, 2023)
I agree with the author whole heartedly that health and fitness is a critical issue for not only fire and medical services, but law enforcement as well. Just like fire and emergency services, law enforcement is often sleep deprived. Long and rotating shifts and exposure to critical incidents can make it difficult for officers to obtain quality sleep. Due to law enforcement schedules, critical incidents, and dealing with individuals at a time of need and at their worse, law enforcement have a heightened chance of becoming an alcoholic, dealing with a mental health issue, committing suicide, or getting divorced (Becker J, 2016). Another issue can be physical health. Law enforcement often do not have time to eat a healthy meal or exercise. Fast and non-nutritious meals are readily accessible and be obtained in between calls for service. In addition to poor nutrition, law enforcement often eat quickly because they are pressed for time which can cause digestion issues.
An agency’s employees are its greatest asset. Law enforcement have been taught to be strong over the years and provide help at a person’s time of need or crisis. However, no one ever taught or addressed how law enforcement should seek help for themselves. This has recently changed with the creation of peer support and wellness teams and employee assistance programs. Nutrition and physical fitness are being looked at from a wellness standpoint. Agencies are now investing in apps which provide information on fast, affordable, and nutritious meals for officers on the go. Some agencies are even implementing time in an officer’s shift to work out and exercise. Health and wellness is not a law enforcement or medical services issue; it is a public safety issue.
Post 2 Tiffanie:
Addressing Critical Issues in Policing and Fire Services: A Disciplinary Perspective
In this discussion post, I will reflect on a critical issue highlighted in the report from the discipline most aligned with policing. Furthermore, I will explore a different critical issue from the perspective of the fire service discipline and discuss its importance and potential interrelationships with policing. Through this analysis, we can gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and interconnections between these two vital disciplines.
Critical Issue in Policing: Use of Force
The report titled “Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department” (U.S. Department of Justice, 2015) sheds light on numerous critical issues in policing. One particularly significant issue addressed in the report is the use of force by law enforcement officers. As a law enforcement professional, I have encountered situations where the appropriate use of force becomes a complex matter.
The report emphasizes the need for clear policies, comprehensive training, and robust accountability mechanisms to ensure that the use of force is proportional and justifiable. In my experience, it has been crucial to undergo continuous training and remain updated on evolving best practices to ensure the safety of both officers and the public. However, I believe that the report could have provided more context regarding the challenging nature of split-second decision-making that officers often face in high-stress situations. The complexities of real-world encounters should be considered when formulating policies and evaluating the actions of individual officers.
Critical Issue in Fire Services: Community Engagement
From the perspective of the fire service discipline, a critical issue highlighted in the white paper “21st Century Fire and Emergency Services” (Center for Public Safety Excellence, 2020) and Chief Randy Bruegman’s article on critical issues facing the fire service (Bruegman, n.d.) is community engagement.
Community engagement is vital in the fire service discipline as it helps foster trust, increase public safety awareness, and enhance emergency response efforts. Firefighters work closely with communities to educate them about fire prevention, emergency preparedness, and other safety measures. This engagement enables firefighters to establish strong relationships with community members, understand their needs, and address them effectively.
The interrelationship between policing and community engagement is multifaceted. While policing primarily focuses on law enforcement and maintaining public safety, collaboration between law enforcement agencies and fire services can enhance community engagement efforts. For example, joint initiatives between police officers and firefighters, such as neighborhood watch programs or community events, can strengthen relationships with local residents, leading to increased trust and a safer community overall.
In conclusion, both policing and fire services face critical issues that impact their respective disciplines and communities. By addressing the issue of use of force in policing and the importance of community engagement in the fire service, we can gain insights into the challenges and interdependencies of these disciplines. Effective collaboration and shared strategies can contribute to building safer and more resilient communities.
Post 3 Jaylen:
The discipline most aligned with my discipline is easily law enforcement, and the critical issue I would like to address is #6 Union-Management Relations in Policing. This critical issue resembles the issue that is in my discipline because it is discussing the importance of the relationship between management and the employees. This relationship is crucially important because a healthy relationship produces effective results, mission achievement quality, and conquering challenges. In my experience, a healthy relationship has mostly beneficial outcomes and results (Community Relations Services, 2015). This relationship can become unhealthy if it were to become unprofessional.
The other discipline is in relations to Fire and Emergency Services. The critical issue discussed in this discipline is Partnership. My discipline relates to partnership as well because the mission and goals can not all be accomplished by one’s self. There is a variety of responsibilities that require multiple departments to work together to maintain quality work, safe environments, and proficiency (Center for Public Safety Excellence). Each department specializes in their specific field, so they able to provide the most value in that aspect of the job. Without a specialized department to assist another, the job won’t be performed at a high level, and the product can be below average as a result. This critical issue effects all aspects of the organization to include employee retention as well.
Readings from the week:
PDF – 21st Century Fire and Rescue Service Leaders at the Core of Better Communities
This is a thirty-page report that was produced by the Center for Public safety Excellence (CPSE) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) in 2019. The report reflects the insight from experts from both organizations and is an effort to chart a course for the modern fire service. The technical working group considered input from labor, fire department management, city/county management, and other stakeholders when they developed the report.
Chief Randy Bruegman tackles critical issues facing the future of the fire service
This is a twenty-six-minute podcast from September 2020 discussing the paper above and is not required listening. (Transcript for Podcast)
PDF – Guide to Critical Issues in Policing
This nineteen-page report by the Police Executive Research Forum from 2021 outlines six issues critical to modern policing. The report discusses use of force, managing mass demonstrations, handling encounters with persons with mental illness/behavioral health challenges, civil rights investigations of police agencies, establishing legitimacy in the community, and union relations. Students from other disciplines should be able to easily identify with some if not most of these issues. Fire and EMS trade journals have several recent articles concerning their discipline’s role in many of these issues.
*I need a reply to each of the 3 posts listed above and please label the response to which post it goes to.