Police Functions and Technological Changes

Police Functions and Technological Changes

CJ444

Police Functions and Technological Changes

When it comes to law enforcement and their functions they perform, it includes enforcing laws, crime prevention, emergency responses, and providing support services. In todays time, police perform three common functions which include: Crime-control, Order maintenance, and Social work. In this essay I would be describing each function as well as discussing the types of activities police are responsible for within each function. I’m also going to choose one of the three that I consider to be the primary function of law enforcement. Then I’m going to discuss how growing diversity and technological changes have impacted and will continue to impact these functions and the police force by providing examples of how technological changes will impact criminal justice organizations in the future.

The crime-control model is focused on having an efficient system, with the most crucial function being to prevent and monitor crime to ensure the safety of society and public order (Sanchez, S. N.D.). Law enforcement performs many activities when it comes to crime control. Community policing is one of those activities. There are four major dimensions of community policing which include; The philosophical dimension; The strategic dimension; The tactical dimension; and the organizational dimension (Cordner, G.W. 2019). During community policing, the police try to stay tuned to the changing needs and expectations of the public by closer contact with individual citizens and community groups (Cordner, G.W. 2019).

When it comes to law enforcement dealing with order maintenance, if the police officers encounter a disorderly situation, they can respond to it in several ways, from ignoring the problem to arresting the disorderly, according to Cordner, G.W. (2019). Ideally, the goals sought by law enforcement officers are its core aims which is to protect life and property, and to maintain order.

Police officers respond to community requests related to these three problems on a routine basis, and are expected to have immediate responses to what are very complicated situations (Dalton, L. N.D.). This is when police officers social work comes into play because officers have to know how to deal with individuals who suffer with mental health issues.

In my opinion, I would have to say out of the three functions, crime control is considered to be by foremost the primary function. To protect society and ensure that people are safe from the threat of crime, the crime control model will recommend swift and severe punishment of offenders. Also, as police officers perform their community policing, it could help build a relationship with the community and ensure them that police officers are there to help and not hurt them.

Technology has really come a long way in law enforcement. Today, police officers have access to many tools, resources, and gadgets that can help them do their jobs more effectively. Just to name a few, they now have police robots, drones, body cameras, prediction algorithms, gun listening systems, and facial recognition software. These technological changes have really made a huge impact on how police officers are now able to do their job. Police body cameras are one of the best things police officers are equipped with when they go out in the field. Being able to record every interaction between law enforcement officers and civilians helps to distinguish the right from the wrong. Not only that, people tend to be more civil when they know that they are being recorded and that goes for both, law enforcement officers as well as civilians.

References

Cordner, G. W. Police Administration. [Purdue University Global Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://purdueuniversityglobal.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780429655463/https://purdueuniversityglobal.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780429655463/

Dalton, L. (N.D.). Social Workers Embedded In Law Enforcement. [International Association Of Chief of Police]. Retrieved from https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/social-workers-embedded/

Sanchez, S. (N.D.). The Crime Control and Due Process Models. Introductions to the American Criminal Justice System. Retrieved from https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/ccj230/chapter/1-8-due-process-and-crime-control-model/