Officer Goodenough has a long history of insubordination and reckless behavior that has gone unchecked throughout her eight years of service. She carries a tremendous lack of respect for other officers, and operates autonomously and without orders. This has resulted in an attitude of rampant showboating and autonomous behavior that does not correspond well with the police code. As a result, disciplinary action is required in order to make her accountable for her actions.
In this particular case, Officer Goodenough has committed a number of missteps and violations. First, she was operating outside her jurisdiction for this particular case, leaving her unavailable for her superior officers. She failed to report to her superior officers when called for, and entered a crime scene outside her jurisdiction. While there, she endangered other officers and medical personnel on the scene by mishandling a weapon, also tampering with the crime scene in the process.
This latest incident is just one in a series of examples of Officer Goodenough’s rampant disregard for the chain of command and police supervision. She is openly disrespectful and insubordinate, and freely operates on her own, completely disregarding her assigned duties and placing herself and others in danger. A short suspension from duty pending disciplinary review is the most appropriate course of action; it will keep Officer Goodenough off the streets, and may grant her a chance to change her attitude regarding her supervisors and her own police conduct. A disciplinary review will give a chance for Officer Goodenough to provide accountability for her actions (Davids, 2008). Given her subpar performance evaluations, the review board may find it necessary to remove Goodenough permanently from the force.
References
Davids, C. (2008). Conflict of interest in policing: problems, practices, and principles. Sydney: Institute of Criminology Press.
