Issues Facing the Police Department in Society Today



Issues Facing the Police Department in Society Today

Thesis Statement

In United States of America, Police Department and other Law Enforcement Agencies have been facing issues because of various factors.

Introduction

Police department play a vital role through law enforcement, to maintain the dignity of democracy. They have additional rights in democratic societies to make the region a safe and secure place. The citizens give them authority to control, detain and use legal forces according to situations. To maintain the trust between the police department and citizens, police officers have to maintain high moral and ethical values (eJournal USA, 2011).

In current scenario, one of the core issues that Heads of Police department are facing, is dealing with the multiple new policing technologies introduced recently. While deploying new technologies, time, money and selection of most beneficial technology from available ones, are considered (Wexler, 2012). Other issues include corruption in police departments, trust and reliability between the police force members and citizens, and brutal behavior of police officers.

United States formed the Department of Homeland security to make its law enforcement agencies work effectively. Fusion centers are the place that gathers information about expected terrorist actions, and takes preventive measures through agencies integrated action plans. There is a lack of integration and interaction between DHS and law enforcement agencies. The communication and information sharing should be given importance to cater the prevailing issues.

Discussion

Critical Issues in Policing - Current Scenario

United State's Police department has been through phenomenal transformation since last 30 - 40 years. Now, there Mission is to solve the crime issues, to take preventive measures so that the crime may not take place at all which will eventually decrease the rate of crime in a community. The law enforcement agencies have to cater issues, establish interaction between agencies, and improvise the relationship between them in order to ensure protection (Ratliff, 2012).

Police department expects that upcoming era is of advance technology where technologies will take hold beyond imagination. Police chiefs have to shrink their workforce due to tight budgeting in all governmental levels, and increase the usage of technology to make the police department effective. The challenges faced by police departments include identification of technologies that are cost effective that would assist in reducing crime rates, and provide training to the officers who will take full advantage from these technologies (Wexler, 2012).

Officers working in Law enforcement agencies have been facing ...