Police Accountability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Police Accountability - Essay Example As the paper declares abusive police behavior is conceived of as antithetical to the functioning of a modern, free society and the public has a natural right to seek arrests in instances of police abuse. Seeking to understand police accountability presently in place in Canada, the following essay will explore the mechanisms to keep police officers subject to the law which they are charged with upholding. What are the police accountability mechanisms presently in Canada and are these mechanisms effective? With the theme of exploring this question with an eye to the ramifications of police accountability and 21st century, the following now turns to an exploration of police accountability in the Canadian context. According to the discussion findings as stated above, police accountability is essential to the functioning of a modern and free democratic society. Accordingly, Canadian society is based upon the notion that power rests with the people in that elected officials are subservient to the electorate. This is the basis of modern liberal democratic governance and the tenets which frame the ideas of Canadians vis-Ã  -vis their elected officials are also relevant with respect to the security of the state. Similarly, those who are entrusted with upholding the law are subject to the stipulations of the criminal justice system and are held accountable for their actions in the pursuit of fairness, justice and equality. In the Canadian context, police officers are accountable to the wider public through a variety of mechanisms which are in place to ensure that police officers remain subject to the law while they seek to uphold it.