Corruption and misbehavior on the job are serious problems that all police agencies must contend with. Because law enforcement officers are usually unsupervised when interacting with the public and have the power to use physical force, it is critical that they perform their duties ethically.
In December of 2015, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it would be reviewing the Chicago Police Department. One year prior to this announcement, the city of Chicago had commissioned a study of its police disciplinary procedures, in an effort to improve officers’ conduct. View the report with the findings of this study.
You have been asked to prepare a 4- to 5-page report in a Microsoft Word document for the DOJ’s review team addressing the following points:
• Summarize the recommendations that were presented in the December 2014 study and describe how those recommendations could improve the performance of the Chicago Police Department. Pay particular attention to the section regarding Field Training Officers (FTOs).
• Based on your research about the issues that have prompted the DOJ to intervene, present your own recommendations for improving Chicago police.
• Describe a “consent decree” and explain what will occur if the DOJ obtains a consent decree regarding the Chicago Police Department.
Support your responses with examples. Cite any sources using the APA format on a separate page.