The purpose of this assignment was to find sources and properly site them for our final paper. From this assignment I learned how to properly site sources according to APA guidelines. I also learned that there are a lot more then just one place and one type of sources to use for my research. From this I was able to find what there thesis was and pull out the most important information that I could use.
Annotated Bibliography Joseph Lawson RWS 1302
Topic: The use of force by police officers in the state of Texas compared to another state. I would like to learn if Texas takes the time to teach all police officers the proper way on how to use force compared to the state of New Mexico.
What are the TCLEOSE and NIJ standards of use of force teaching for all peace officers in the academy?
Rodriguez, A. (n.d.). Use of Force Continuum From A Law Enforcement Persepctive. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.texasbarcle.com/Materials/Events/5852/109618_01.pdf In this article Rodriquez explains how the state of Texas teaches each Peace Officer to use the proper amount of force in a situation. He explains what the use of force continuum is as far as a definition. A list of the levels of force is provided as well. The author also explains the One Plus One theory, which is the idea that one level of force above the resistance/ threat is a good amount of force to use (Rodriguez, 2006, pg. 2). He goes on to explain what the officers look for when they arrive on scene as well to give an idea of what is considered before any force is used.
Unknown. (2009, August 4). The Use-of-Force Continuum. Retrieved February 28, 2016, from http://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/officer-safety/use-of-force/pages/continuum.aspx This short article covers an example of what a use of force continuum would look like. It goes over each step in the use of force continuum and how the officer should react. It also gives examples that an officer may face in the field as well as examples as how the officer may react to the situation. In the article it states, “the officer may move from one part of the continuum to another in a matter of seconds’ (www.nij.gov). From this statement we gat that every situation is different and the amount of time that an officer has to respond to the situation could mean life or death.
What is the use of force continuum that officers use for the state of Texas?
Unknown. (n.d.). Use of Force Concepts. Retrieved February 27, 2016, from http://www.co.wise.tx.us/constable/Downloads/Use of Force.pdf This article was originally written for police explores (high school and college students who are interested in a career in law enforcement). While it was not meant for peace officers it is still relevant. This paper goes over what the state of Texas uses as far as force and how the judgment is measured. This gives an introduction to the use of force continuum and how the system works. According to this article, “97% of an officer’s duties involve verbal skills. Only about 3% of contacts require physical force” (Use of Force, pg. 3).
Miller, M. E. (2010, September). Taser Use and the Use-of-Force Continuum: Examining the Effect of Policy Change. Police Chief Magazine, LXXVIII(9). This article covers using a Taser when it comes to use of force by the police. In this article it covers what the use of force continuum is. It has a table that shows what the suspect may be doing as well as how the officer should respond to the situation, also know as the proper level of force. This article also goes into detail what the levels of resistance are so that people can have a basic understanding. This article states that, “many agencies have changed their use policies based on the level of suspect resistance encountered” (Police Chief Magazine, 2010.)
Witie, M. C. (n.d.). Police Use of Force. Retrieved February 27, 2016, from http://www.wtamu.edu/webres/File/Academics/College of Education and Social Sciences/Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice/PBJ/2011/2n2_03Wittie.pdf This paper covers when use of force is justifiable. This paper states that to justify the use of force it is sometimes hard to interpret the situation. It also brings up a good point that in a trial it is not the officer that determines if the amount of force that was used good or not, it is the citizens that are sitting on the jury. This paper brings up a great point that in the end it is not the officers who decide if the amount of force is justifiable it is the people that the officer works for.
Are there any issues officers may face when it comes to using force?
Unknown. (2002, June). Police Use of Excessive Force. Retrieved February 27, 2016, from https://www.justice.gov/archive/crs/pubs/pdexcess.htm This article starts out with community policing. It goes over what community policing is as well as what the role of it is. It also goes over how the police build bridges with the community. The article then goes onto what is legal use of force as well as what the community can do if they believe that the officers are using too much force. This can cause an issue for the officers because while they are serving the people it is possible that some that judge may not understand what happens on the job or they may not have seen what happened before force is used.
Walker, S. (2007, May). Police Accountability: Current Issues And Research Needs. Retrieved February 27, 2016, from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/218583.pdf This paper covers the issue of accountability. It covers how officers need to be held accountable for their actions. It an officer does something that was against the law or their policies then they should not get away with it. When it comes to using force many officers think that since they are “the law” and they can get away for using too much of it. This article covers that this is not always the truth. The public keeps their eyes open. When they see something that they believe that they have seen an officer act, that is not acceptable then they have the right to notify Internal Affairs and let them pass down punishment if it is true.
Primary Source: An interview was conducted with Lt Juan Wittke of the El Paso County Sheriffs Office. He is also a Criminal Justice Professor at The University of Texas at El Paso. The interview with him was conducted and his responses are able to be applied to each research question.