Moving Training Day Training Day

Moving Training Day

Training Day

In the moving Training Day, Officer Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawk) and Detective Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) serve on a narcotics unit that Harris commands. He is a highly decorated officer inside the LAPD (who is known for his good police work and strong track record of convictions). Hoyt is a young officer who wants to become involved in undercover work and advance his career. Set on Hoyt's first day, the movie discusses the issues surrounding the role of police authority and how it is exercised. To fully understand the way that these ideas apply to field of criminal justice requires: comparing select aspects of the movie with key law enforcement procedures. Together, these elements will highlight the way these practices are applied and what aspects should be taken into account to prevent abuse. ("Training Day," 2001)

Key Points from Training Day

Training Day is focusing on how Hoyt is reacting to the less formalized policies and procedures that Harris is using. This occurs at the start of the movie when Hoyt is on his way to roll call and is informed that they do not have to go. As the film continues, Harris engages in activities that are designed to benefit himself / his associates and test Hoyt's loyalty. The most notable include: failing to make key arrests, performing illegal searches and creating a fake police shooting. The way that Harris fails to make key arrests occurs: when he witnesses a drug deal and an attempted rape. These issues are problematic, as they are illustrating how Harris is completely corrupt. ("Training Day," 2001)

To test how far Hoyt will go, Harris has him smoke marijuana and will visit a friend of his named Roger (who is known drug dealer and former police officer). They then leave and Harris meets with high ranking police officials. These individuals tell him that they know about his situation with Russian Mafia and they advise him to leave town. Harris assures them that he can handle everything. He then gives them some money (which was sized earlier from gang members and a drug dealer named Sandman). Harris tells Hoyt that he had to pay these individuals with the money he seized from Sandman to secure the warrant. ("Training Day," 2001)

They return to Roger's house and find the money that he has hidden underneath his kitchen. It is at this point that Harris kills Roger and then works with the rest of his team to create a cover story. This involves every man receiving a percentage of the money that was recovered. Then, Harris shoots one team member and places the gun in Roger's hand. This is to show that when they entered the premises, he shot one of the officers. To defend themselves, they were forced to kill Roger. ("Training Day," 2001)

The problem is that Hoyt refuses to take the money and is shaken by these events. This is when Harris will go with Hoyt to the home of a Mexican gangster named Smiley. He hands him a bag of money and disappears. Smiley's wife goes in the other room and counts what was received. When she returns, Smiley and his associates drag Hoyt in the bathroom to execute him for Harris. It is at this point that Smiley comes across his cousin's wallet. This is who Hoyt rescued from two men who were attempting to rape her earlier in the movie. After realizing what happens, Smiley lets Hoyt go and says this is just business. The film ends with Hoyt and Harris having a final confrontation about the money. After being beaten up by Hoyt, Harris tells the crowd that whoever kills him will receive half that money that he has on him. However, the neighborhood does not respect Harris and refuses to intervene. The final scene shows, Harris being murder by the Russian mafia and Hoyt hearing this on the news as he is driving home. These areas are illustrating how Harris is violating numerous aspects of criminal justice procedures and the law. ("Training Day," 2001)

Key Criminal Justice Procedures

In the film, there are a number of criminal justice procedures that are continuously ignored by Harris to include: not following proper procedure to obtain a search warrant, covering up crimes that are committed by himself / other police officers and failing to arrest criminal suspects who are involved in felony related activities. In the case of not follow proper procedure for obtaining a warrant, Harris engaged in these activities twice. This occurred when he raided Sandman's house and gave his mother a Chinese food menu in lieu of warrant. The second time happened, when he paid police officials' money under the table for the warrant. These issues are troubling, as Harris did not collect evidence and go to a judge showing how a crime is being committed. Instead, he used illegal methods to obtain the warrant or he simply ignored these procedures if the target was not politically connected. This is illustrating, how these actions created an atmosphere of lawlessness. (Carlson, 2005, pp. 3 -- 14) ("Officer Response," 2012) ("Understanding Police Procedures," 2012)

Covering up crimes that are committed by himself or others include: after he shot Roger, Hoyt smoking marijuana and the activities of Mexican gangsters. These areas are troubling, as they show that Harris is not enforcing the law by allowing these kinds of situations to take place. The way that he goes after one drug dealer and then works with other gangs is illustrating how he is not investigating these crimes. Instead, he is focusing on achieving his own personal objectives at all costs. This means that he will deal with criminal organizations and will use any means necessary to achieve his objectives. In criminal justice, these kinds of officers must be stopped. This is because their activities will have an impact on the police department's relationship with the community. At the same time, the unethical actions will have an effect on the ability of others to enforce the law and work with possible informants. This will make it more difficult for law enforcement to conduct its mission. (Carlson, 2005, pp. 3 -- 14) ("Officer Response," 2012) ("Understanding Police Procedures," 2012)