NCJ Number
143105
Journal
Leadership Journal Dated: (January-March 1993) Pages: 1-10
Date Published
1993
Length
10 pages
Annotation
While some well-known elected officials are former police officers, police participation in politics is generally suspect, as much as by police officers themselves as by the general public, because of past abuses of policing when mixed up in politics.
Abstract
There are three primary arguments against police participation in politics: that the police should be exclusively interested in laws and procedures of the criminal justice system, that participation in politics endangers police legitimacy, and that participation endangers the democratic process. However, there are several potential advantages to police participation related to improved public policy, enhanced public understanding, and better police ethics. These benefits would be realized by neutralizing the problem of the dispersed benefit, educating voters about public affairs, increasing competitiveness among candidates, widening the perspective of police associations, encouraging officers to reside in the city they police, developing skills that can be applied to police work, and dissipating officer cynicism. Countering the potential threat of police extortion could be achieved through journalistic diligence, an external police review board, and increased professional training. 4 notes