The Supreme Court and the Police: A Police Viewpoint

Abstract

function of the police department in our society. It maintains law and social order, certainly. But the maintenance of law and social order is not an end in itself. It is a means by which it becomes possible for each of us, as individuals, to enjoy the individual liberties which are ours not only by constitutional mandate, but as children of God. A climate of law and social order is necessary if each of us is to live and study and work in peace. It is necessary to prevent the exercise of liberty by some -liberty gone haywire-to infringe upon the liberties of others. Ours is not a perfect society, and the very existence of liberty, particularly in our large urban complexes, depends upon the maintenance, by a vigorous, alert, competent police force, of a climate which will sustain it. To do this job effectively, a police force, through each of its members, must be alert to the scope and nature of its responsibilities. The police officer is the servant of the public. His shield, his gun, his authority have been given to him in trust. He must be aware of his obligation to respect the individual human dignity of each member of the public. He has a right to expect such respect himself. He must understand the problems of the community he serves; he must have an awareness of the vexations, the frustrations, the deprivations which beset its citizens. He must perform his function fairly and impartially, without reference to the race, the national origin or the religious beliefs of the people whom he serves. If he has prejudices, he must be trained so to do his job that his prejudices do not influence his official actions. Above all, he must constantly remember that the ultimate end of the police function is not only the maintenance of a climate of law and social order, but also the exercise of liberty by every citizen within that climate. When a police officer is authorized to take restrictive action, it is for the purpose of protecting society-of protecting the liberties of all-from the license of the few. And his authority to take re-