LPSCS Accountability and Supervision Lesson

Police accountability wordle image How do we hold those in LPSCS accountable for their actions? We place a great deal of trust in them! Police are held to the highest of standards because they have so much power. Police discretion - the power to make choices and decisions within certain limitations - is very broad. They decide to arrest people. They also are allowed to use force, including deadly force, as a part of their job every day. They also face the temptation of corruption. Because crime can be very lucrative, many criminals attempt to bribe police to avoid being arrested.

So how are police held accountable? Police departments use supervision effectively to let their officers know they are being evaluated. Peer pressure is also a type of accountability. Some departments have an Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) that will investigate complaints about police. Other departments have Citizen Review Panels that will review complaints about police. With more and more people having video recording devices on phones and such, police behaviors are being recorded and shared on the internet and with news media. No police officer wants to end up with a million YouTube hits! Finally, the threat of lawsuit and/or criminal charges makes for useful tools in combating unprofessional behavior.

The other areas of LPSCS are also held accountable. Being fired is amongst the first. Illegal behavior can result in prison time. Negligent actions can result in lawsuits as well. Most of the LPSCS areas have licensing agencies such as the Bar Association that can revoke status in their profession, meaning the accused may not be able to work in that field ever again. Security companies can lose their contracts with certain companies.

Police Rank Structure

Police rank structure is similar to the military. Expand the rank below to learn more about each rank. (Ranks have been listed to entry level to highest level of rank.)

Fire Fighter Rank Structure

Ranks for fire fighters have been listed below, from entry level to highest level of rank.

Can you remember the correct ranking order for police? Test yourself!

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