Analyzing Police and Politics

Police and Politics Do you believe there is a connection between politics and the police? Why or why not? Yes, there is a connection. The police is a key pillar of governance and is thus closely related to politics. However, the link between the two is not as simple as individuals may think.

The majority of the people have the view that any buffer between the political leadership of a country (especially the executive) and the police in the form of representation and bureaucracy will bring about a police force that is truly independent (Stevens, 2005; Noble & Alpert, 2009). Politics is defined as the art of exerting power over government affairs. For instance, political power can be seen through one's control of the power of the office they hold; control of certain aspects of leadership in government; and exerting one's interest on government.

Thus, some individuals with political influence might influence who holds what position in law enforcement. If you answered "yes" to the above, do you think this relationship is appropriate? In all functioning democracies, one of the key priorities is to ensure that all issues related to public security are in the hands of elected representatives. The police should only be enforcers of what these representatives agree on.

As a result, elected representatives are bound together by a common agenda of enforcing law and order, and making sure that the public has a well-functioning police service that protects freedom, life and property. Still, for any police service to work in an unbiased manner there is a need to clearly articulate the role and responsibilities of both the political leadership and the police leadership with regards to law enforcement. There is a need to not have too much control and interference with police duties.

Still, too little control could raise concerns about lack of "supervision." So, there is a need to strike a balance between the two. The police must always be held responsible for their performance and in the execution of their mandate. The duty of holding the police responsible lies with the elected leadership (the politicians). So, the relationship between politics and the police is appropriate, but only when it is being executed within the law (Noble & Alpert, 2009). 3.

What potential benefits could be realized through this relationship? What potential drawbacks could there be? Political leaderships at both the state and national levels continue to put pressure on heads of police to be answerable to the people, whether it is with regards to performance or unlawful conduct of some police officers. However, police chiefs have always strived to detach police departments from political leaderships, arguing that politicians and activist groups don't understand the key attributes of effective policing (Stevens, 2005).

However, since those holding the highest political offices in cities have the right to hire and fire police chiefs, it goes without saying that political leadership control over the police helps in the preservation of community interest with police departments. However, it has been pointed out that since police chiefs are appointed by city managers, they often want to appease those who appointed them by enforcing laws on everyone except them. Thus, political control may likely result in corruption (Ozcan and Gultekin, 2000). 4.

What steps can be taken to ensure that relations between public officials and law enforcement remain ethical? The link between police and politics touches on the legitimacy and integrity of police.