Public trust crimes are those committed by offices dealing with the welfare of citizens. These offenses benefit specific people instead of the intended population. As a trained for a global security corporation, it is essential to be aware of the training requirements to the security officers for crimes such as election offenses. Training equips the officers with the knowledge they require in understanding how electoral crimes are carried out, suspecting when a fair electoral process is interrupted, apprehending the offender, ensuring that fairness and justice are promoted during the process and protecting the right to vote for all citizens from threats and intimidation.
The case of election fraud, for instance, elections are supposed to be fair and justice. However, a candidate can tamper with the election process by bribing the officers in charge of the elections to get more votes. The citizens end up getting the candidate they do not prefer. In such a case, two election offenses are committed, starting with bribery and the unfair electoral process (Editorial Board, 2016). The law provides punishment for such crimes as a way of ensuring the public trust is maintained. Since public trust crimes make people lose trust in the government and authority, punishment is done in a way that individuals caught with such offenses are not allowed to serve the public anymore.
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Elections are meant to provide equal chances to the candidates to compete for the government positions they want. It is also a way for the citizens to choose the candidate they feel best fit for the position, the one who will promote the welfare of the society. Some people are after power, and since they cannot secure the position, they end up preferring bribe to get the electoral position. When such issues are faced, there are laws that have been made as a way of punishment. Unfair elections lead to a violation of the right to vote, which is a representative of democracy. When a free and fair election is conducted, it means that all citizens have equal voting rights and with no reasonable restrictions. There is freedom of association for the political groups. There is an electoral commission seeing through the process. Unfair practices range from electoral fraud, with the electoral commission being paid off to change the outcome of the election. The other one is intimidation and suppression where violence and threats are applied. Manipulation and access of ballot papers and boxes unfair practices helps in changing the results of the elections and media access creating unfairness in elections.
There are laws made by the legislature to guide fair elections, and it also provides punishment for individuals caught violating these laws. A candidate associating with cheating is disqualified from running for any government position. The offense of threatening and intimidating people that they do not vote results in jail term. The law requires the government in power to provide enough security during the electoral process (Editorial Board, 2016). That is why training the security officers, is essential so that they can be effective at their work. The judiciary is involved in the process by administering punishment to the individuals caught having broken electoral laws.
To conclude, electoral crimes are taken seriously as they deny people the chances to exercise their constitutional right of voting. People caught committing these crimes receive heavy punishment, such as being denied to ever run for the government again. To ensure fair and just elections, security officers, trained enough should be placed on the electoral places to oversee the process.
Reference
Editorial Board. (2016). Introduction to Criminal Law. Words of Wisdom, LLC — Schaumburg, IL. https://ebooksbvd.my-education-connection.com/read/9781938390920/9781938390920_1_xhtml
