Policing Contemporary Policing Professionalism Is the Cornerstone

Policing

Contemporary Policing

Professionalism is the cornerstone of modern policing strategies that are being taught as core values and management principles by organizations such as the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) (Glennetal). However, the concept and the skill requirements to uphold a professional image have definitely grown more comprehensive over the years. There are many competing concepts of what professionalism at different levels embodies. One definition includes the concepts of accountability and effectiveness.

"Across the United States, police organizations are striving for a new professionalism. Their leaders are committing themselves to stricter accountability for both their effectiveness and their conduct while they seek to increase their legitimacy in the eyes of those they police and to encourage continuous innovation in police practices. The traffic in these ideas, policies and practices is now so vigorous across the nation that it suggests a fourth element of this new professionalism: its national coherence. These four principles -- accountability, legitimacy, innovation and coherence -- are not new in themselves, but together they provide an account of developments in policing during the last 20 years that distinguishes the policing of the present era from that of 30, 50 or 100 years ago. (Stone & Travis, 2011)"

Previous generations of police forces were not held to the same standards as today. Furthermore, the actions of the police are also commonly being filmed, documented, and shared by the public which also creates a situation in which greater accountability is needed to maintain the trust and cooperation of the public.

Previous generations did not have the same limitations and there were two arguably two police reform movements that took place in the twentieth century (Fogelson, 1979). Police departments were committed to local influences during these periods rather than a national agenda. The goals of the police department were generally set by the local community's political representatives and could vary from location to location. Some police forces were known for corruption and "partying" while also being discriminatory towards racial groups and immigrants. Police departments had relatively little control over accountability and many officers had a considerable amount of power to make decisions on the spot and could definitely be considered the front line of the criminal justice system as they had authority to implement punishments or make judgments.