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Police officers are
legally permitted to use force.
and their superiors and the public expect them to do so, when
appropriate. This power when used in dealing largely with
disorderly elements of the society
corrupts some people
working in law enforcement.
They may gradually develop an attitude or sense of authority over society, particularly under traditional reaction-based policing models; in some cases the police believe that they are above the law. However, this bad apple paradigm is considered by some to be an easy way out. Generally, reports on the causes of misconduct in policing calls it a simplistic explanation that permits the organization and senior management to blame corruption on individuals and individual faults - behavioural, psychological, background factors, and so on rather than addressing systemic factors. Systemic factors include Pressures to conform to certain aspects of police culture, such as
The Lucifer Effect does away with the bad apple syndrone and introduces the concept of you cannot find a sweet cucumber in a vinegar barrel syndrone. Police use of force is kept in check in many jurisdictions by the issuance of a use of force continuum. A use of force continuum sets levels of force considered appropriate in direct response to a subject's behavior. This power is granted by the civil government, with limits set out in statutory law as well as common law. Some members of the public may in fact perceive the use of force by police as excessive even when the force used is lawful. |
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