Police Role

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otOmIMiQXQI

Patrolling and surveillance

 Each police station has list of crinminals and anti social individuals who are roaming freely around the society and they need to be watched. This is where the police keeps an on them for any deviences. The list of names is available in the computer and should always be updated with the necessary information of those notorious criminals.

Arrest

 Police arrests the law breakers and suspected criminals and them into custody and all of this is part of the “Actions taken to prevent crime”

Conditional release of accused on Bond

If there are no clear evidences or reasonable grounds of suspicion to send the accused to a magistrate then the police has the power to release the accused on Bond.

Investigation 

The police visit the crime scenes to collect evidences and gather as many information as possible regarding the crime from victims, witnesses, on lookers, and suspects.

Interrogation of offenders and suspects

 For safety purposes in the community, police can frisk (search pockets and bags) and interrogate criminals and suspects. Frisking is different from searching as searching is related to the legal search to find evidences against the offender.

Search and seizure The search and seizure must not be unreasonable. It may be conducted with or without warrant. The warrant will specify the reason, place, and duration of the search.  Search without warrant can occur if the place to be searched is a mobile vehicle that can quickly be removed out of the police jurisdiction. Usually accused has consented for the searchThe search is incidental to a lawful arrestThe search must be done at daytime and there should be two witnesses who are not connected to the police.During the investigation the police can search, order production of documents, seize any suspicious property, call witness to attend court and arrest suspects and people who committed crime without warrant. After investigation a report is prepared for the magistrate.

Maintain Inquest register

 If the police officer doubts that the death wasn’t a natural death (suspicious death) he will request (on the spot) for an Inquest-Investigation. He will record the information he gets after the investigation has taken place in the Inquest-Register. Nevertheless the police also has the decision not to send the body for post-mortem if he has no doubt have the nature of death. But his decision has to be honest and prudent.

To assist the prosecutor

 Police must also assist the prosecutor to conduct prosecution of cases in law courts. Both police and prosecutor should have thorough knowledge in procedural law of crime. Prosecutor must have all evidences against the accused. A witness should be prepared for the questions. It is better to avoid unwilling witness. Its advised that the prosecutor to frame the charges correctly.

Identification

 Police is also indulged in identification and laboratory technical research. There are special divisions in police for finger printing, photography for identify criminals and filing records. 

Control of juvenile delinquency 

The police play an important role in controlling juvenile delinquency. They are involved in three different stages. Preventive stageTrial stageRehabilitation stage Yes there are other private organizations that the police in rehabilitation but it is only the police organization which is duty-bound to prevent the increasing rise of juvenile delinquency. 

General welfare functions

 Police is also given the responsibility of finding missing persons and returning them to their family safety.   

Complaints against police

There are two types of complaints, direct complaint and Witness complaint.

If an officer mistreated you directly then you file a direct complaint, for example if he/she has:

 Been rude to you

Used excessive forceAbused your rights

Arrested you unlawfully

Otherwise if you happen to witness an incident happen of an officer behaved badly to another citizen then you may –if wished so – file a witness complaint, in this case you complaint should cover the following questions: What happened?When it happened?What was done? What was said?

Important details you should keep in mind when filing a complaint, as you ought to make sure you have evidences to support your complaint 1. Time and place of the incident, make it as accurate as possible 2. Identity of the police officer involved, his badge number, car or

van registration number3. If there were any witnesses, get their names and phone

numbers.4. CCTV recording, or anyone who was filming the incident or

taking photos.5. If you by any chance find another person who has been through

the same incident and would also want to complain about it, then both of you will be able to corroborate each other’s events.

6. As much as you can write down every single detail of the incident and ask your witness to do the same but do not copy each other otherwise it will seem as it was planned.

7. Incase you were injured, go to the hospital, get treated and ask the doctor for the report, and if possible take pictures of your injury.

How to complain? This will differ from place to place, nevertheless we can list down the various options available nowadays:Call the police department Attend the police department Online via police website

According to my uncle > Twitter works too in Dubai!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/24/us-police-brutality-worst-examples

Oscar Grant was shot dead by Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer Johannes Mehserle in 2009 in Oakland, California. Mehserle and other police officers had been responding to reports of a fight, and arrested and handcuffed Grant and several others in a subway station. Grant was cuffed, unarmed and lying on the ground when Mehserle pulled out his gun and shot him in the back. In court Mehserle claimed he thought his gun was his Taser. He was sentenced to two years in jail and let out on parole in June 2011.

Christopher Harris was walking home in 2009 in Seattle when sheriff's deputy Matthew Paul slammed him into a wall after mistaking him for an assault suspect. Paul was left in a coma, and still requires massive medical care after suffering permanent serious head and spinal cord injuries. Paul escaped all charges in the incident and remains a police officer. A local police spokesman explained the incident by saying that sometimes " … bad things happen to good people."

Iraq war veteran Walter Harvin suffered a vicious 2010 beating at the hands of New York police officer David London. London had been closing the door to a building in a housing project when Harvin – who lived there – tried to slip in. An altercation began, in which London beat Harvin with his baton and then continued to hit and kick him after he was on the ground and not moving. London, who told the court Harvin had pushed him, was acquitted. 

Robert Davis, a retired school teacher, was beaten and arrested by four police in New Orleans. He was 64 at the time of the assault in 2005. The beating was captured by passing Associated Press journalists, one of whom was also beaten by police. He was accused of public drunkenness. One officer was fired over the incident, one was suspended and another was acquitted of all charges. Davis said he was teetotal and had not had a drink for at least 25 years.

Angela Garbarino was severely beaten in 2008 by police officer Wylie Willis in Shreveport, Louisiana after becoming angry in a police booking room. Garbarino, who was drunk, got into an argument with Willis, who manhandled her to the floor. He then switched off a camera in the room. When it was turned on again, Garbarino was lying in a spreading pool of blood on the floor and was removed from the room on a hospital gurney. She suffered two black eyes, broken teeth and a broken nose. Willis claimed the woman fell on her face while trying to leave the room. Garbarino settled out of court and Willis was reinstated to his job

• UK police officer Stephen Mitchell

received two jail sentences, for rape.

• He had claimed the allegations of rape

were part of a conspiracy but he was found

guilty.

• Mitchell's victims were shoplifters, heroin

addicts, vulnerable women and a disabled

teenager.

• He raped and sexually abused these

women.

• His two life sentences are for raping two

women and carrying out three further

indecent assaults.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1332707/Rapist-PC-Stephen-Mitchell-jailed-attacking-30-women-5-years.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1320770/Police-officer-Stephen-Mitchell-handcuffed-heroin-addict-raped-settee.html

“unfortunately those cases and many more will leave the society specially women in more fear; at first they couldn’t trust the people surrounding them and now they cant even trust the police who is supposed to be the peace keeper!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMS-CEW0WXM