Reference no: EM133702677 , Length: word count:400

Question: Consider the case from the perspectives of the Police chief, the Sergeant and the citizen:

"Cod Bay is a summer resort community. Its winter population of 19,000 expands to 60,000 in the summer and the Cod Bay Police Department has problems controlling summer visitors. One persistent problem is illegal parking. Because there are numerous complaints from year-round residents about parking, the Cod Bay Police Chief arranged with several towing companies to tow all illegally parked cars to the police station parking lot. The towing companies did a brisk business, particularly on weekends, when the town was inundated with visitors.

Part-time police officers, who were not professionally trained, were hired by the department to work weekends and were assigned to the downtown area specifically to enforce parking laws. All violators were towed; no one escaped the watchful eyes of the part-time downtown patrol officers, who were occasionally over-zealous in their enforcement activities and who perceived some of the parking violators as wanton criminals. In their desire to carry out departmental policy and to compete for tows with fellow officers assigned to the same task, they occasionally made mistakes and towed cars that were not illegally parked.

Having one's car towed can be a traumatic experience, particularly if the car is not illegally parked. On one such occasion, an irate young man came to the police station to claim his car, a matter that involve paying the towing company a modest fee. Refusing to pay the fee, the young man asked to see the sergeant in charge. The burly sergeant was predisposed to dislike irate young men. At first, the sergeant attempted to determine the facts, and he summoned the part-time patrol officer back to the station to get his side of the story. After listening to the stories of the patrol officer and the young man, the sergeant realized that the young man's car had been legally parked. But even so, the sergeant sided with the patrol officer and informed the young man that if he wanted his car back, he would have to pay the tow charge. The man refused, and a shouting match, precipitated by the sergeant, developed. When the man was told to leave the station, he demanded what he knew were his rights. He was told that if he did not leave the station, he would be arrested. Finally, he was taken bodily from the station by the patrol officer, who pushed him down a flight of steps to the sidewalk. The man regained his equilibrium and quietly walked off into the night, beaten by the system. He returned later, paid the fee, and reclaimed his car."

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Discussion questions:

Do you feel the sergeant handled this situation properly? If not, how should he have handled it?

If you were the chief, what actions would you take in this case?

Give one suggestion for improving the department that has not previously been posted by a classmate.

Zachrry

Do you feel the sergeant handled this situation properly? If not, how should he have handled it?
The sergeant in this situation did not handle things correctly. It is crucial to always use interpersonal communication skills when interacting with the public. The way you talk to someone can easily de-escalate a situation through words, attitude, and tone. A sergeant in any department should be an expert in this area. Any interaction with a parking authority or police department is typically stressful for individuals, often involving negative actions that trigger strong emotions and stress.

The sergeant did the right thing by gathering the full story from the young man and the part-time patrol officer. It was determined that the car was parked legally and should not have been towed. At this point, the sergeant should have made a firm and decisive decision to inform the tow company that the car was towed illegally and must be released without penalty. Since this would incur costs for the tow company, the sergeant should have instructed them to submit a compensation request to the city to cover the costs resulting from the part-time patrol officer's mistake.

These decisions would have ensured that the wrongful tow was resolved appropriately, avoiding unnecessary threats or physical confrontations. The current outcome, however, risks leading to a lawsuit against the department for the illegal tow, compensation for the tow, and the unjustified physical altercation. Overall, using proper communication and making the right decisions, even if they might reflect poorly on the department, is essential for maintaining smooth and legal operations.

If you were the chief, what actions would you take in this case?

As the Chief, it is crucial to make decisions that prioritize overall service to the public. While the town struggles with illegal parking, having part-time patrols assist is a good idea. However, the Chief must ensure these part-timers represent the department's values and ethics. Proper training and resources are needed to ensure the department serves the community's best interests.

A cost-effective solution would be to equip part-time officers with inexpensive digital cameras and memory cards. They can take a full 360-degree set of photos to document illegal parking as proof for tows or citations. This digital proof would maintain honesty and protect officers from citizen complaints. These supplies can be reused each year, making them a worthwhile investment to prevent escalations. Additionally, the cameras could be used for everyday patrol activities, such as documenting vehicle accidents or property damage.

In the case of the young man, the Chief needs to manage damage control. The sergeant did not fully handle the situation. The Chief should ensure the young man is compensated for the wrongful tow. This is an ethical decision, as the interaction with the department should not have occurred given the legal parking. The department mustn't obtain a moral injury, which is "damage done to one's conscience or moral compass when that person perpetrates, witnesses, or fails to prevent acts that transgress one's own moral beliefs, values, or ethical codes of conduct (Tung, 2024)."

Gene

In recent years, interactions with police officers have occurred more frequently, with many of the interactions resulting in violence. This is a clear case where cooler heads should have prevailed and would have prevented the heated exchange. Police officers are taught the art of de-escalation and how to communicate with people they encounter. When the officer doesn't see the value in communicating or encounters an individual who does not allow them to communicate, we have issues such as the one in the scenario.

The sergeant did not handle the situation and probably was triggered by past experiences with individuals like the young man. After realizing that the young man's car was not illegally parked, the sergeant should have apologized for the confusion and allowed the man to retrieve his vehicle without a fine. A study on the impact of de-escalation training and police interactions showcased a deeper issue that deals with mental health and how it drives specific actions. First responders were interviewed, and many expressed that a significant number receive little or minimal training related to mental health and how to deal with it behind closed doors (Fisher & Lavender, 2023).

If I were the chief in this case, I would have verbally reprimanded both the sergeant and the patrol officer and ordered them to complete mandatory refresher training. In addition, I would have ordered a mental health evaluation of the entire department.