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Running head: SITUATIONAL REPORT 0

Situational Report

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Situational Report

The position I take for the situational report is that of the Chief of Police. After the resignation of the previous chief due to public pressure, the governor appointed an interim chief. The main function of the interim Chief of Police is to heal the community and restore trust in the police department. The interim chief also has the authority to evaluate policy and address employment in the agency.

The first issue to address as interim chief is the racial disparity within the police department. The community in Courtelaney Pass consists of numerous minorities, but the police department is 94% white. As such, new policies are required to ensure the demographic within the department represents the community at large. The entrance exam should be standardized to allow more recruits to pass and join the department. Representative policing is key to having a more inclusive community.

The intersection cameras are another issue that requires reform. Statistics indicate that black people and travelers passing through are the majority population that receives tickets. Also, there is not much support for the cameras from the residents. The first course of action is to stop officers from running radar at the 50-yard stretch with a sudden speed limit. The second is to mandate all traffic officers to allow motorists 10 mph over the speed limit. Harsh traffic citations are only antagonizing the public and damages the relationship the public has with law enforcement.

Racism is a recurrent theme in Courtelaney Pass. The town’s KKK group is attempting a revival, and there is great racial disparity within the police department and constant racial riots. The black community openly discloses that policing is discriminatory and uses excessive force. Black people are more likely to face traffic offenses, and crimes against minority groups are usually not investigated to a conclusion. One way to combat racism is to recruit police officers from minority communities. Minority communities may respond better to policing when members of their community are those who patrol their neighborhoods. Cases such as killing of the drug dealer would be avoided if enforcement operations were not racially divisive. The police chief should conduct consultation meetings with the leaders of minority communities to get a perspective of their situation and their immediate concerns. The police should also be mandated to use non-lethal force when dealing with riots. Improving race relations is the only way to prevent future riots and mistrust of the police.

Another problematic issue for the city is drug dealing. Violent crime is on the rise due to the increase in drug dealers. The fact that most drug dealers are in minority neighborhoods makes policing difficult as the locals do not trust the police and are unlikely to cooperate. Local drug dealers are also responsible for property crimes, especially against undocumented individuals, because they are unlikely to report. Improving the relationship between the community and the police will increase cooperation, making it easier to flush out criminals.

A major concern is the incompetence of the medical examiner. The medical examiner Dr. Clausen is a major obstacle to the department’s investigations. The doctor is unprofessional as he establishes causes of death without performing an autopsy. He is also very stubborn as he is not willing to listen to alternate opinions regarding investigations. Over half a dozen deaths were homicide cases, but Dr. Clausen classified them as death due to venom poisoning. Most of those cases may have been solved had he provided an alternative medical report consistent with the circumstances.