Bias and Hate Crimes

Given that our society has such a dense population of different races, ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations, it is important to understand both the goals and challenges of policing and dealing with hate and bias crimes. Considering that since the beginning stages of immigration we have tried to support successful assimilation, hate and bias crimes create a huge barrier. Hate and bias crimes â€Å"occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her membership in a certain social group, usually defined by race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, or political affiliation† (en. wikipedia. org). Not only is it difficult for our society to identify this sort of crime, but it is also extremely hard to enact comprehensive laws governing the way police and society as a whole should handle these crimes. An important problem associated with bias and hate crimes is distinguishing them from other â€Å"everyday† crimes; often, the terms are used interchangeably. Law enforcement as well as the general public should understand that bias and hate crimes are in many ways the same crimes that are committed everyday, but that hate and bias crimes are committed intentionally against a person because of a certain bias and are usually much more violent. Furthermore, deciding how offenders should be identified and punished is sometimes problematic â€Å"because motivation is subjective, [and] it is often difficult for police officers to determine whether an offense was motivated by bias† (Katz, pg 301) Our constitution, as well as the laws which followed it, were written to ensure that â€Å"every citizen, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, economic status, background, age, or culture [receives] the highest level of service available and equal treatment under the law† (www. wppd. org). Yet, hate and bias crimes have become such a major issue in our country that goals like high service and equality are being threatened. As a result, Congress passed the â€Å"Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 1999† on March 11, 1999. Congress developed this act due to the growing concern that â€Å"the problem of hate crimes is sufficiently serious, widespread, and interstate in nature as to warrant Federal assistance to States and local jurisdictions† (thomas. loc. gov). This concern stemmed largely from the continuing realization that â€Å"bias crimes affect victims not only physically, but also at the very core of their identity, creating a sense of ulnerability heightened beyond that normally found in crime victims†¦Such crimes violate not only society’s general concern for the security of its members and their property, but also the shared values of equality and racial and religious harmony in a multicultural society. 11 (Lawrence, pg 50-51). While the 19 99 Hate Crimes Prevention Act was a large step toward streamlining our definitions of and positions toward hate crimes, there is still a long way to go. Hate and bias crimes not only effect the individuals involved, but they also have a strong effect on our communities. Currently, one of the most effective ways of dealing with hate and bias crimes is involving the police and the punishment of those who committ them. Every state and even individual police departments currently determine their own policies when it comes to identifying and reporting bias and hate crimes. In recent years, many studies have been done in order to determine whether the adoption of uniform hate crime policies is effective at the local level. A study done in California found that â€Å"formal policies positively influence police behavior. Having a hate crime policy may increase an agency’s propensity to report hate crime by as much as 25%† (repositories. cdlib. org). Still, while this might be a helpful step, it is still tough to define, identify and fairly deal with bias crimes on a case-by-case basis. There is still no clearly-defined code given to officers concerning how to deal with hate and bias crimes, and because every situation is different and deserves individual attention, police officers are given a certain amount of discretion.

Ethical Dilemmas in the Police Force Research Paper

Ethical Dilemmas in the Police Force - Research Paper Example Another definition of ethics refers to the development and study of a person’s ethical standards. It is extremely important to check ones ethical standards since social norms, feelings and laws can deviate from what is ethical in the view of professionals. In this respect, ethics means the continuous study of moral conduct and beliefs and hard work to make sure that the organizations we work for practice the standards that are acceptable and firmly based. In respect to this, ethical dilemma refers to a situation where two or more choices are ethically questionable (Davis and Aroskar, 2010). The police profession is one aspect where ethical standards are enforced and implemented. Over the past years, study of ethics in the police force has expanded considerably due to cases of police brutality and corruption surfacing in the courtrooms and the media (Appiah, 2006). The original conception of the police force in England emphasized the need of the police to get the good will of t he people to effectively do their policing roles. In England, the first instruction to police constables was in 1829 and it advocated for low temper from police officers, tolerance from foul language and should do their duty in a determined and quiet way since this will aid the officer in getting support from whomever he seeks it. In the United States, the officers never adhered to legal norms despite their training as law enforcers. The police were part of the political system used by local political organizations and no established code of conduct was in place. This paper will find the various codes of ethics in use by police officers, giving various ethical dilemmas police officers face. The questions to be answered by this paper are: What are the standards, codes of conducts practiced by the police force? What are the ethical dilemmas facing the police force? Ethical Conducts of Police Officers The following are codes of conduct governing police officers, (Herbefeld, 2006): To p rovide service to the public, protect property and lives and in the process shielding citizens from fraud and the vulnerable against oppression, the peaceful against aggression and to revere the constitutional rights of all to equality, liberty and justice. To keep their private life free from illegal activities to be emulated by all and act in a way that does not bring discretion to them and my agency. Maintaining courage and calm in the face of danger ridicule and scorn. Developing self-restraint and mindful of the welfare of others. Honesty in thought and deed in personal and official life and obeying the laws and regulations of a police officer. Anything confidential I see or hear in my official capacity as a law enforcement officer will be kept in secret unless revelation is necessary while on duty. To never let prejudices, personal feelings, aspirations, hatred or acquaintances manipulate their decisions. To not compromise with crime and with relentless prosecution of criminal s, imposing the law considerately and properly without fear or favor, cruelty or ill will and never using force, violence or accepting gratuities. Recognizing the police badge as a sign of public confidence and trust. Never employing acts of fraud, corruption or condoning such acts by colleagues in the law enforcement agency. Cooperating with all legal bureaus and their agents in the pursuit of justice and law enforcement. A law enforcement o

The Competitive Advantage of Selling Luxury Goods Online Essay

The Competitive Advantage of Selling Luxury Goods Online - Essay Example With changing trends, more and more people also need to own these effects especially the younger and energetic members of society who spend significant proportions of their gratis time on the Internet. The web is the best strategy that can be used to promote a product to the world irrespective of their locality, but then this also has limitations. Offline selling could be an improvement when one localized business at a place of position immense importance; thus, one would argue that no Internet sales are required (Arikan 100). Â  Luxury goods have for a long time often been the preserve of the rich or wealthy citizenry within society (Keefer 209). Luxury goods often include flashy possessions such as sports utility cars, stylish designer clothes, perfumes, real estate homes, silverware and real treasures. This research is pegged on the need to determine whether it is advisable to either sell luxury goods online or offline or have a balance in the market prices so as to stem down the abuse of overpricing these goods to suit the preserve of society. Selling these goods has often been done via the traditional means of exchange involving seller and buyer interactions in physical contact (offline) with eventual purchase of the item. However, with the inception of the digital world, these transactions are now being done online (Keefer 102). Most of the luxury goods that are not bulky could well be sold online and shipped anywhere in the world at affordable prices, but when bulky and expensive materials such as new models of cars are involved; the dynamics drastically change and require proper analysis of the sales process. Â