Introduction
The role of police in maintaining law and order forms a critical part of the criminal justice system. Modern policing involves engagement in governance in regulating behavior in the community. The police officers have the power to respond to emergencies, arrest, govern, and protect other institutions of society. They work with the courts and corrections to maintain justice. The court ensures that the cases presented by the police are handled according to the law, whereas the prisons provide a place for the offenders to change their mindset in an attempt to achieve positive reform. Despite the amazing work that the police perform, the officers have been victims of corruption and racial profiling. The force could be improved through an increase in awareness, training, and modernizing resources to fight corruption and racial profiling.
History of Policing in the United States
The origin of policing sheds light on its current role in the United States. The origin of this component traces back to the Roman, Greek, Chinese, Spartans, and Israelis as the police during the ancient period performed the role of enforcing laws and maintaining law and order by working consistently with the local government (A brief history of police in the United States, 2020). The early settlers brought the same concept to various countries. The concept of the night watch system was brought to England and America, where men volunteered to help in the protection of cities. In England, people who could afford to hire security worked in shifts. Before the introduction of policing, people resolved issues among themselves.
The evolution of cities and industrialization resulted in blood feuds and gun fighting that influenced the need to influence citizens to participate in law enforcement. Philadelphia developed the policy of creating a position for the warden, who had the power to hire security guards. Other states copied the trend and selected able people, who could serve as wardens and received payments from taxes collected from citizens. Sir Robert Peel, who worked as a secretary in London, developed the idea of municipal police as he believed that the organization of the officers could improve government control (A Brief History of Police in the United States, 2020). Peel argued that police officers should be organized, have a good appearance, and be familiar with the neighborhood. The same concept evolved in the United States, where municipal policing ensured crime prevention and enforcement of morality. The idea of preventive policing increased, and they performed various tasks that included searching for missing children, solving disputes, and responding to emergencies such as fire. Later, the police department in the US grew immensely. Presently, the policing role has evolved to the current Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Justice (DOJ), which take advantage of technology to achieve efficiency in communication on issues related to the maintenance of law and order. A brief history of police in the United States, 2020). The police service is fully functional in different states with equipped spaces and resources to perform their roles efficiently.
Function of the Police
Maintaining Law and Oder
The present debates about the role of the police relate to the evolution of the force. The nature of the work changed over the years, and the officers collaborated with correctional institutions and courts in enforcing law and order. Balto and Felker-Kantor (2022) argue that police achieve maintenance of law and order by working with the courts in the management of behavior. Equally, cooperation with the members of the public makes it easier for the police to execute their role. The courts ensure that the people comply with the set laws and regulations, and the police bring the offenders to the authorities for further directives on social order (Miller, 2023). The police ensure that the people comply with the set rules and norms of society.
Governance
The police officers equally participate in governance as a service duty. The use of authority by the officers increases the chances of resolving social conflict. Balto and Felker-Kantor (2022) explain that people live in groups, and they are prone to social conflict, prompting the duty of police officers to settle disputes through coordinated public action. The individuals may need help to settle issues in the community and engage police officers to help because of the authoritative aspect of policing (Miller, 2023). The goal of the officers is to ensure that the rights of all individuals are protected under the stipulated laws of the land. Governance in the police service relates to the power they hold and use in fulfilling their duty.
Emergency Response
Police officers attend to emergency issues such as fires, crashes, and calls from people who need help. According to Liu (2022), police officers play an integral role in responding to car crashes, citing that detectives offer a timely rescue of the casualties. The response rate highly influences the number of people who will be saved. World Health Organization (2016) stipulates that post-crash response is one of the pillars for improving road safety and management of road users. The officers have the right to manage the scene and facilitate a smooth transition of the consequences of the crash to the concerned persons. The police at the scene of the accident play the role of preventing crowds and protecting important information that could help in solving issues related to the crash (Liu, 2022). The police officers are expected to arrive at the scene as fast as possible to protect forensic information and help the victims.
Justice
The police promote justice through collaboration with correctional institutions. Maguire (2021) posits that correctional institutions rely on the role of police officers in the cooperation and compliance of the inmates in transitioning to the security prison. Frequently, inmates develop a negative perception of the role of police officers in performing their role in ensuring compliance with the law. The officers must use their power and authority to ensure that the offenders remain compliant with the laws and regulations of the state (Miller, 2023). The people develop trust in the police officers if they succeed in fighting crime in the community. The collaboration between officers, courts, and correctional institutions ensures that citizens develop confidence in the justice system.
Strategies for Improvement of Police Service
Despite the great service that police officers offer to the public, it is evident that there are issues of police profiling and corruption that decrease the confidence of the public in the justice system. Racial profiling is one of the issues that bring about negative influences in the police service. The African American and minority groups emerge as the primary victims of racial discrimination that results in unfair arrests and sometimes the killing of innocent persons.
Subsequently, corruption is another vice that compromises the service of police officers. White House (2021) mentions that administrative corruption is a common issue in police departments because the officers engage in activities of abuse of office for the sake of earning extra income. The behavior increases mistrust among the citizens because they witness officers compromise their role. As a result, crime continues to flourish while inequality continues to deepen in various states. Additionally, organizations take advantage of the ill behavior of the officers and engage in corrupt deals that compromise the quality of service offered to citizens.
The solutions to racial profiling involve shaping the attitude of the officers and their perspectives about people of color. UN (2019) proposes training of police officers to alleviate stereotypes leveled against races in pursuit of the safety of the people. Besides, non-discriminatory recruitment enhances the representation of the community and influences the culture and attitude of the staff members. The police should stop unwanted searches that could expose a person to greater suspicion. Citizens of African descent usually report unwanted arrests and detention that make them lose trust in the police service. White House (2021) writes that the state should consider the prevention of illicit finance, holding people accountable for their actions, improving diplomatic engagement, and coordinating resources to reduce corruption efforts.
Conclusion
Police officers work with courts and correctional institutions to ensure that the people enjoy protection and justice. They ensure law and order by shaping the behavior of the citizens. The correctional institutions provide an environment where offenders reform and become better members of the community. The police services recently lost the trust of the people because of incidences of racial profiling and corruption. The department could improve quality through awareness and recruitment practices that represent all members of the community. Similarly, efforts to promote transparency increase confidence in the police service.
References
“A brief history of police in the United States .”(2020). Sage Publications. https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-assets/106141_book_item_106141.pdf
Balto, S., & Felker-Kantor, M. (2022). Police and crime in the American city, 1800–2020. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History. https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/faculty-publications/1184/
Liu, C. (2022). Exploration of the police response time to motor-vehicle crashes in Pennsylvania, USA. Journal of safety research, 80, 243-253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2021.12.006
Maguire, E. R., Atkin-Plunk, C. A., & Wells, W. (2021). The effects of procedural justice on cooperation and compliance among inmates in a work release program. Justice Quarterly, 38(6), 1128-1153. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2019.1634753
Miller, E. J. (2023). The Concept of the Police. Criminal Law and Philosophy, 1-23. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11572-023-09682-8
The White House. (2021). United States strategy on countering corruption. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/United-States-Strategy-on-Countering-Corruption.pdf
United Nations (2019). Preventing and countering racial profiling of people of African descent: Good practices and challenges. https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/2019/12/preventracialprofiling-en.pdf
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