Reference no: EM133197299
Learning Objective 1: Discuss why police officers make traffic stops.
Learning Objective 2: Understanding the police officer's primary concern when approaching your car.
Learning Objective 3: What you can do to reduce the tension of police stops.
Discussion
There are many ways for people to come into contact with our government. One of the most common ways is to during a "police stop." Police stops are simply an action taken by the police to stop the flow of traffic or a vehicle in order to investigate something that appears out of place that may affect public safety.
The mantra of the police is "to serve and protect" the public from harm. Among their many duties, police officers are responsible for deterring or stopping crime, keeping the peace, apprehending criminals, managing and controlling the flow of traffic, and investigating crime.
The police officers do this by patrolling the neighborhoods and business areas that they are assigned to. They continuously scan and observe what is happening in their environment and investigate when things appear to be "out of place." Examples of things that may appear out of place include, but are not limited to: a speeding car in a school zone when children are in school; a group of people loitering around a business, bank or home; someone wearing dark clothing with a hoodie walking on a dark street at night; a group of cars racing down a street at night; a car weaving in and out of traffic; or a car running a red light. These are all situations that require further investigations by the police. Traffic stops are one of the most common types of police stops. Most police stops are for legitimate reasons. They are not personal, the officer is just trying to do his or her job.
Protecting the public is a very dangerous and high stress job. Police officers, like firefighters, paramedics and soldiers in the combat zones often see the worst that humanity has to offer everyday. Police officers are injured or killed on the job every year. It has become a more dangerous profession these past few years with public opinion talking about defunding the police. And yet police officers go out and to their job every day. To serve and to protect, not knowing if today will be the day they get their ticket punched and don't make it home.
Being a police officer is a high stress job with the threat of death or injury just around the corner. It is surprising that not more officers have PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Perhaps they do, but it is being underreported.
We, the public, want the police protection but some of us don't want to show them any respect. Police officers are humans and they have feelings too. Remember that in a POLICE STOP the officer's FIRST PRIORITY is to protect themselves from getting shot, killed or injured. They are on a heightened alert for any perceived threat or danger to their physical well-being. Anything you can do to lessen their "very real" concerns about their personal health and safety will go a long way towards ensuring your personal safety.
How you act during a police stop goes a long way towards determining how you experience the situation. Remember, the police have a duty and responsibility to stop and investigate something that appears to be out of place. It's not personal, its' their job.
Discussion Assignment
Discussion whether you think its' right for a drug manufacturer to take a life saving drug that is no longer patent protected and marking the prices up so as to make it virtually unaffordable except to the wealthiest people. There is currently no law that prevent this from happening but should we do it, why or why not? Are there other cases like this one? Should we allow market forces to dictate supply and demand? What is the role of government in this type of situation? Why or why not? Explain. You can use outside research to support your position. Please provide an Internet link to any sources that you used or cite.