Suspension of the Miami, Florida Police Chief.

¶ … suspension of the Miami, Florida police chief. The suspension was the result of a political dispute between the police chief and the Miami mayor. The mayor and police chief had been involved in a dispute over suspected illegal gambling that the police chief believed that the mayor was supporting. The chief's actions will be reviewed by a special commission. The question as to the level of involvement by the mayor in the gambling operation is still unresolved as well. The chief has requested that the FBI investigate the mayor's involvement and the chief has requested whistle blower status under the federal statutes. The City Council has expressed concerns that the dispute between the mayor and police chief has resulted in dysfunction in the operation of the Miami police force. The circumstances of this situation are such that minimizing or eliminating the politics would be difficult. Although the nature of the mayor's involvement is still in question, the chief is in a difficult position both ethically and politically. If the mayor is indeed involved or in a position of protecting the illegal gambling activity, his actions need to be exposed but doing so without causing political ramifications for the mayor is difficult. (Don Van Natta, 2011).

The second chosen article involves the arrest and conviction of a former New York police officer who was originally charged with the rape of New York City citizen who was originally arrested for being drunk and disorderly. The officer and his partner were acquitted of the rape but convicted on several misdemeanor charges. Both officers were forced to resign from the force but their sentences varied with one officer receiving a more severe sentence. The court felt that the one officer's behavior was more culpable. The incident received considerable attention and resulted in the New York Police Department receiving poor treatment in the press. Questions relative to the quality of the supervision provided the convicted officers that would allow them to frequent the home of the victim must be raised. Improved supervision and increased accountability could have avoided this incident from occurring. (Eligon, 2011).

The final selection is an article detailing the possible elimination of a special fund established to investigate and prosecute police misconduct in the New York City Police Department. The fund allowed a special commission of lawyers the authority to prosecute cases involving alleged police misconduct. Such commission was independent of the police department and was believed to afford a measure of independence that would lead to a less politicized review of police activities. The reason for the possible elimination of the program is the lack of adequate funding. Discussions regarding the elimination of the program has caused considerable tension within circles that are concerned with the supervision of police activities. The program has been underfinanced from its beginning and has never operated at full capacity. It is an idea that was good in concept but, because of limited funding, never fully achieved what it was intended to accomplish. (Baker, 2011)

2. Reflective

Stress is a serious problem for the criminal justice professional. The present sources for stress include pressure from supervisors, residual effects of having to work different shifts which results in irregular sleep patterns and lost time with families, competitive atmosphere among work peers, perceived low pay, and poor public perception.

There is an extensive need for counseling services in regard to criminal justice professionals. Unfortunately, such services are often not utilized due to the social stigma that still exists relative to such use. Criminal justice professionals are a proud group, as a rule, and place a high value on their personal privacy; therefore, any counseling or other stress related programs must be certain to maintain a high level of confidentiality. Convincing criminal justice professionals to engage in counseling is difficult without strict confidentiality it is impossible.

The issue of police being involved in the area of politics is an acrimonious one. Many citizens view that the police and others involved in the area of criminal justice should be above involvement in the political arena. Political influence can distort one's judgment and the exercise of power such as that possessed by criminal justice personnel should be impartially administered. The reality, however, is that sheriffs, judges, and prosecutors are still elected by the general public and, as a result, these individuals, among others, are forced to be political.