Page 9 - TPA Journal July August 2017
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who lack the expertise, to explain to a research and discussion. Notwithstanding is
community the valuable functions of police the importance of the disconnect officers
agencies. For the most part, agencies are indicated on how the public perceived what
educating their communities about their they face. When an officer arrived ready to
core values and their ultimate mission of do a job that is believed by the officer to be
policing in a democracy. Others, have misunderstood by the public, what effects
grappled with social media and other does that generate on daily interactions with
internet outlets and re-created an image of the public? When the public calls for police
their police agencies, which allows for the assistance or has an interaction with an
voice of the agency to be heard without officer, what effects does the public
editing. Likewise, agencies have created preconceived knowledge of the officer’s risk
opportunities to interact with their plays into an interaction? The next article in
communities outside of a law-enforcement this series will discuss the deeper aspects of
function. In essence, the work of accurately how police experts, particularly street level
depicting policing is readily being officers can positively impact their
conducted by many police leaders. communities and vice versa.
It is important and the point of this
article, not to lose sight of the perspective of
the officer that is doing the job daily. In fact, HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
such officer is the key to the perception and
the image of policing for the community
and the Nation. A researcher will find very Reference
little trouble finding articles on how “the
experts” think about policing, that won’t Google (2017) American Police.
include the opinion of the street officer. It is https://www.google.com/search?q=America
important to know the pulse of the officers n+Police&rlz=1C1CHWA_enUS634US635
that are doing the job daily. Their expertise &oq=american+po&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j0
and opinion are without argument one of l2j69i57j0l2.4382j0j8&sourceid=chrome&i
the most valuable, as they are on the e=UTF-8
frontlines, at ground level. In 2016, the pew
research center surveyed nearly 8,000 Morin, R. Parker, K., Stepler, R., Mercer, A.
sworn officers to gauge the internal climate (2017) Behind the Badge. Pew Research
of police agencies; 86% of police officers Center.
think that the public doesn't understand http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2017/01/1
what they face. whereas, 83 % of American 1/behind-the-badge/
Adults believed they did understand the
risk faced by police officers (Morin et al,
2017). The gap is very wide and points to
key perceptive problems that suggest further
July - August 2017 www.texaspoliceassociation.com • 866-997-8282 5
