PCpl Kristine Dee L.

Velasco
IDC – Bravo Company
#22

Assignment in Psychology in Law Enforcement

By: Dr. Luis D. Gonzales

1. Research one (1) heinous crime committed in your AOR for the past 5 years and
analyze how the offender committed the offense based on the five (5) perspectives of
Law enforcement discussed in this subject.
 Difference in Degree Perspective
 Difference in Kind Perspective
 Determinism
 Behaviorism
 Interactionism
Answer:
A. HEINOUS CRIME

 COPS TAGGED IN RAPE-SLAY OF 15-YEAR-OLD IN ILOCOS SUR UNDER

TRIAL FOR MURDER – PNP
Two policemen tagged in the death of a 15-year-old girl in Ilocos Sur face
dismissal and are undergoing trial for murder, Philippine National Police chief Camilo
Cascolan said Monday.

He said staff sergeants Randy Ramos and Marawi Torda are still being tried
for the crime, denying reports that cases against the two had been dropped.

"The fact is the Internal Affairs Service has resolved admin case against the
two respondents for conduct unbecoming of a police officer in the penalty of
dismissal from the service. Both Ramos and Torda are also undergoing summary
hearing for murder," Cascolan said during a media briefing.

The two police officers assigned at the San Juan Municipal Police Station
were placed under restrictive custody for the alleged rape and killing of the minor,
who had filed a complaint against one of them for alleged acts of lasciviousness.

The teenager was gunned down by two people on a motorcycle in July. Her
18-year-old cousin also filed rape charges against Ramos.
 Police investigation showed that the suspects took advantage of the girls who
were reportedly intoxicated when they were arrested for curfew violations. The 15-
year-old managed to escape, according to the police report.

Cascolan said internal cleansing was among his priorities in his two months
as PNP chief. He added that uniformed personnel involved in criminal acts should
not be tolerated, noting that policemen now receive higher salaries and more
benefits than before.

B. DISCUSSION

1. Difference in Degree Perspective

The two police officers are humans with intelligence although has an
animal/criminal nature, their degree of mind is higher than those of animals
because they have capacity to think, rationalize and ponder before doing
such heinous crimes. Their knowledge of the law of the land and the
punishments upon violating it should have hindered them not to commit
sexual abuse to the two victims and worst the killing of the fifteen (15) year
old victim.
2. Difference in Kind Perspective

The two (2) police officers being a human being has the choice and can
able to think rationally of what are the best things to do. Rather than taking
advantage of them, they should have observed child sensitive protocols and
turned over them to WCPD desk for proper disposition relative to the curfew
violation they had. Police officers have the knowledge of what are the
procedures to be undertaken in dealing with minor offenders and have the
choice do what is right because humans are gifted with the ability to think,
learn and apply it all to day-to-day life.

Moreover, the two (2) police officers in this case should not took
advantage of the vulnerabilities of the two young ladies. They should have
thought of the consequences they might face before doing such like the
possibility of putting them behind bars, losing the job, and making their family
suffer. Or at least one of them made a decision not to do such crime and
instead halt the other so that such crime may not occur and they will still enjoy
the privileges of life.

3. Determinism

In this case, what pressures and motivates the two police officers to kill
the 15-year-old girl is their determination to silence the victim in order to get
 rid of the filed complaint against them which are the alleged rape and acts of
lasciviousness. They resorted to killing the teen because they believe that in
doing so, they can still escape, save their job and not be imprisoned.
4. Behaviorism

The situation was favorable to the two (2) police officers because the two
young ladies are easy to control and they are vulnerable because of the
curfew violation they have committed. They took sexual advantage of them
and luckily, the 15-year-old teen was able to escape and thus filed a criminal
complaint against them. The fear of the impending
consequences/punishments cause by the complaint, the two resorted into
killing the teen hoping that they might not be caught and can able to do away
with their actions.

5. Interactionism

In this case, the act of the two (2) police officers shows their bad
character. Their acts show their evilness and unworthiness as police
officers. They have used the power they hold as a police officer to
accomplish sexual advantages towards the victims. Moreover, they are
both devious and they do deviant acts because they associate with each
other who act in a deviant manner.

2. Comprehensively defend your argument whether or not you agree with reimposition
of the capital punishment of death.

Answer:
I do not agree with the reimposition of the capital punishment of death because I
believe that each person deserves a second chance. That while still alive, a human
being can still have hope and future that could possibly contribute for the nation and
can still change, transcend himself/herself to be a better person. There are reasons
behind why such unacceptable act was done by an individual. There are several
factors that influence that person to do such act that in the absence of which there is
a possibility that such act should have not been committed. I believe that with proper
guidance, education, reformative activities, a person can still change for the best. The
collaborative efforts of the government and private sector could save a life that
strayed.
Further, I believe that we are only created being of God and we have no right to
destroy the life that God has given. In Roman 12:9, it says, “Beloved, never avenge
yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will
repay, says the Lord and in Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man
shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. In these passages, it
clearly declares that only God who is the creator has the right to end the life that he
himself has bestowed. In Exodus 20:13, God says, “You shall not murder” which
means that God condemns killing of one another. Humans should not kill other
humans, no matter the reasons because killing is killing which is prohibited under the
law of God and violates the right to life which happens to be the most basic of all
human rights. It also violates the right not to be subjected to torture and other cruel,
inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. Furthermore, the death penalty
undermines human dignity which is inherent to every human being.
Unlike prison sentences, the death penalty is irreversible and irreparable. In the
implementation of death penalty, there is a possibility of innocent people being
executed especially if the justice system is flawed. Moreover, the death penalty lacks
the deterrent effect. Such punishment does not deter crimes aside from its cruelness.
Most often than not, the commission of crime depends on the circumstances a
person is in, the environment he lives in, socio-economic status and other factors that
could influence one’s behavior and degree of morality. As recently stated by the
General Assembly of the United Nations, “there is no conclusive evidence of the
deterrent value of the death penalty” (UNGA Resolution 65/206).
We should resort to reformative justice instead of death penalty because it is
more effective, reasonable, justifiable and humane. I stand for a fair and reasonable
punishment for offenders that would serve the purposes of justice and would be
appropriate for a society where the right to life is an absolute value.