Noel Otu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at The University of Texas at Brownsville. He has experience in both law enforcement and correction. His research interests combine academic, professional and life experiences in the study of culture and punishment, and law enforcement. He has worked extensively with at-risk juveniles, enabling them to master a variety of computer skills and techniques which will keep them away from criminal activities. ABSTRACT The United States Constitution, as well as national values, centre on individual (human) rights. Conservatives, liberals, and independents agree that police officers must at times resort to physical force if they are to carry out fully their official responsibilities. As well, there is no question the lawful use of force by police officers frequently escalates to unlawful behaviour (police brutality), and that this must be controlled. Despite this shared attitude, however, public opinion and government policy diverge in their approach to deterring police brutality. Most recent official and unofficial policies are based on the plausibility of prevention through creation of civilian review boards, recruitment tests, counselling, and training and retraining of officers. None of these measures seems to work well in reducing police brutality, although society is answerable to the kind of police it chooses to have, whether it be by deliberation, power struggle, or total neglect, the fact is police brutality is an issue of great concern to individual officers, police administrators, and more importantly, the victims (society). This paper focuses on the deterrence effect of requiring police officers to purchase individual occupational liability insurance, on a fundamental belief of deterrence philosophy and documented examples that a high rate of police brutality stems in large part from lack of monetary liability/ accountability on the part of the individual police officer. Police brutality occurs in part because some (both normal and emotionally disturbed) officers have opportunities to commit this unlawful behaviour, and in part, because they are not deterred from committing it, and because the judiciary chose to 'water down' the doctrine of sovereign immunity. It's time to require all police officers to have personal liability insurance. This calls for Congressional action. Without solid reform, police brutality will have no incentive to do anything other than continue to worsen.

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The origin, development and practice of the Nigeria Police Force have been studied from several theoretical and philosophical perspectives. This article utilises Rothman's (1971) 'social context' approach, which weighs progress against failure and assumes history to be the consequence of multiple factors. Examination of the development and operation of the Nigeria Police Force since the colonial era reveals many complex situations, amongst them that colonial Nigeria's police force was more humane than precolonial methods of social control (banishment, exile or death). As one might expect, economics was a factor in establishing the Nigeria police, but not the only factor. Finally, in a developing democracy, a police force plays a creative role that no other agency of government is so critically able to assume. It makes far more discretionary determinations in individual cases than any other class of administrators. The problem is the lack of clear guidelines to which the Nigeria police can refer when exercising authority. It is acknowledged that the government has not taken many strides forward to improve the force since Nigeria's achievement of independence in 1960. There should be enforceable rules and regulations (especially with regard to bribery), both departmental and legislative. To reduce the number of low-visibility corrupt decisions, the police must develop their own policy-making body to review decisions made by officers.

This paper represents an effort to trace Nigeria's political culture to determine whether a police force should be organised nationally and/or locally. Because kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism, fraud, corruption, etc. are threatening the sense of security in the nation, the issue of whether to continue with a centralised police system or return to a decentralised system is considered. By studying Nigeria from the perspective of political evolution, starting from the amalgamation in 1914 with shared police responsibilities, through coups and civil war, to the present day, when the federal government has exclusive power in policing, it is found that a Balanced Policing Model will work effectively and efficiently to maintain order, create a sense of security and promote democratic principles in Nigeria. The Balanced Policing Model is a proactive philosophy that is found to be the best policing model for Nigeria, as determined by local political culture. Although society is responsible for and answerable to the kind of police it chooses to have -whether by deliberation, power struggle or total neglect -the fact remains that policing is complex and too important to be left to the Nigerian Police Force as it is presently constituted.

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Obesity Warning for Police Officers: Police officers are law-abiding citizens who wear a uniform to enforce the laws. They have the right to remain obese, but it can and will be used against them in the line of duty. This study discusses the need for police departments to institute programs that prepare and maintain healthy officers who can perform their jobs well throughout their careers. The study reveals the absolute need for police officers to be physically and mentally fit and argues that obese and unfit officers are dangers to themselves and to the public. Recommendations are made for police departments and officers to utilize in recruiting and training future officers and in educating veteran officers in order to maintain healthy and fit police officers. Although society is responsible for the kind of police it chooses to have, but policing is a physically demanding occupation and too important to be left to the unfit individuals.