Advance Essay #4 : Leader's Authority

The angry crowd continued to roar as a staff leader and assistant gave their speech. Citizens, disappointed and acrimonious, continued to stand for their submit. A man, standing far back, reflecting upon the crowd, is holding a sign, “Put the System on Trial”. With the plan of moving forward, the crowd is not satisfied. A few heads are drawn elsewhere while others capture the moment taken on their devices. The rage continues, having the leader to project her voice even with the use of a megaphone. With stern look, the city has made a decision, leaving citizens oblivious and unpleased.

In this world of power, greed, and destruction, we live our everyday lives following the law’s that Congress agreed to put against society. But not everybody follows. It is clear that we have a group who follow and stick to the law, but then we have those who break and go against it. And reality proves that people do not follow.

With the question, how does the authority of a leader affect a population? Yes! Magazine, writes and touches upon the issue with . According to the Police Violence is Not Inevitable article, a police chief, Magnus, who originally stationed in Fargo, North Dakota, was authorized to take role in one of the most high crime rating cities, Richmond, California. With his six month success as chief in Fargo, city officials took risk in wanting to replicate that success where Magnus can greater the community and lower the ratings of homicides. Being that Fargo is known as the safest and whitest place in America, the switch on Magnus having to flee to Richmond with diverse races, it gave him an opportunity to test his power.

Magnus, noticing the lack of engagement in the neighborhoods, suggested that policemen should spend less time in their cop cars and more time on their feet. He later found that by hiring a diversity of officers, it benefited the community.

“‘When you have a department that doesn’t look anything like the community it serves, you’re asking for trouble, no matter how dedicated and professional your employees are,’ he says. ‘So an ongoing mission for us here is to hire the highest-quality people that represent that diversity of the community, across the board. I don’t even just mean from racial, ethnic, or gender standpoint. I mean in terms of life experiences, being connected to neighborhoods, growing up either Richmond or cities like Richmond.’”

Therefore, having a majority of one race can cause trouble that many do not see. As wrong as it sounds, having the same background as to the residences, it releases (what can be) tension and fear because they are around their own kind. With that being said, Magnus’s power in improving Richmond, it’s given the city a benefit of decreasing the rate of homicides. Sadly and shortly enough, a out break on a shooting occurs .

“On September 14, a fatal encounter took place between Wallace Jensen, an officer on foot patrol, and 24-year-old Richard Perez III. Already on probation for a previous gun incident, Perez was intoxicated and resisted arrest after a liquor store clerk reported that he had been shoplifting. According to the responding officer, Perez tried to wrestle his gun away. The three bullets fired at Perez resulted in Richmond’s first deadly “officer-involved shooting” since 2007. Some in the victim’s family wondered why the officer failed to use his Taser or nightstick to subdue Perez. The family retained a civil rights lawyer, who has threatened to sue the city.”

Many, like his family, question the reasoning for the shooting. Jensen could have used any other weapon to threaten Perez, instead he went for the weapon that caused to jump to conclusion. But then you have a side where many would say it was self-defense. At the end of the day, there will always be two sides, but one decision made. And as far as the system decides to investigate, they choose whether Jensen pays or goes.

With that being said, as much as Richmond risen- from the time Magnus had arrived to the outbreak of the shooting, his ability to heal the city and prevent any harm is absurd. Yet, his leaderships and capability of improving the city was noticed. Because of his duties, he has proven that as a leader, leaders influence. His work has shown that driving a population into a certain direction, its outcome may or may not always work. And as far as preventing harm in the community, he has shown that his power is to guide but it may not always end in his favor.

Work Cited

"Police Violence Is Not Inevitable: Four Ways a California Police Chief Connected Cops With Communities." YES! Magazine. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.