Discussion Post
• Most criminal justice agencies have some version of an internal affairs (IA) department. Hollywood has long portrayed IA as the enemy, investigating and looking to reprimand their own brothers and sisters in law enforcement, corrections, and the courts. Personnel who talk or report issues to IA are often characterized as rats or snitches, and there is said to be an unwritten rule known as the blue wall of silence.
Do you believe IA should be as concerned with the law enforcement officer who fails to report a known ethics violation versus the person suspected of the ethics violation? Should they (if proven to be guilty) both be reprimanded? Explain your position.
• Marijuana was decriminalized in Canada in October 2018. Since that time, many Canadian police departments have implemented policies regarding officials using marijuana that would probably shock many Americans. For example, the Vancouver Police Department says that it will not impose any restrictions on their officers for using marijuana while off-duty. The only policy they will enforce is that all officers must be fit for duty when they report to work. It essentially holds them to the same standards as after-hours alcohol consumption
Changes are happening in the United States as well. In Atlanta, Georgia, which is a state where marijuana use is still illegal, the Atlanta Police Department will no longer ask applicants if they have smoked marijuana and consider its use as a factor in eligibility to join the force. They claim that they have lost too many qualified candidates when asking them about marijuana smoking.
Share your opinions, from both the perspective of a criminal justice administrator working in a state where marijuana use has been decriminalized and from the perspective of a private citizen, on whether criminal justice personnel (in states where it is legal) should be allowed to use marijuana while off-duty. Explain the rationale for your opinions.
The response must include a reference list. Using one-inch margins, double-space, Times New Roman 12 pnt font and APA style of writing and citations.