The Future of Law Enforcement and Maintenance of Law and Order

In the United States, policing has been an evolving concept given the desire to strike a balance between keeping law and order and the need to safeguard citizen’s rights granted by the constitution. There are three eras of policing history recognized in the US with the first termed the Political Era, which occurred between 1840 and 1930 (Edwards, 2011). During this period, the role of the police was to offer a range of social services to the community. The police force was organized in a decentralized structure, and there was a close relationship between the police and the community. Moreover, they conducted patrols on foot and bicycles. With the strategy, police officers established and built close relationships with business owners and citizens who lived, worked and played in the neighborhood. Overall, officers were effective in serving the local community and meeting the needs of the political leaders.
This was followed by the Reform Era (1930-1980) (Edwards, 2011). The police institution adopted a crime control model, which led to the centralization of the police departments. Professionalism was enhanced between the police and the public. The officers distanced themselves from the citizens giving an impression that they could not be approached and they did not value the establishment of close relationships with the local businesses and residents in their jurisdictions. Technology had changed policing, and officers patrolled in cars as a way of reducing response times for service calls. Further, the police introduced the 911 emergency systems which reduced the response time (Miller et al. 2011). The primary role of police was to control crime through visible police patrols cars, especially during peak hours.
The Community Era (1980 To-Date) (Edwards, 2011). This era is characterized by a crime control strategy that entails offering community services through collaborating with the local communities to ensure safer neighborhoods. The police structure went back to the decentralized organization and formed special units of community policing officers. They focused on demonstrating that they were approachable and in re-building relationships with the communities through encouraging the citizens to work with the local police officers and departments.
Examining Two Policing Eras
The Political Era (1840-1930).
Strengths
The first strength during this era is that police officers and departments were integrated into communities and had the support of the public. Moreover, the police offered useful services to the neighborhoods because of this integration and public support (Miller et al. 2011). Overall, the strategy was useful in containing riots. Therefore, the public held the perception that the police solved crimes or prevented crimes when they occurred.
Weaknesses
The weaknesses in this policing era cannot be ignored. First, a decentralized organizational structure, closeness with the communities and closeness to political leaders led to political corruption. Often, the decentralized structure did not encourage the supervision of the officers. The officers’ closeness to the community made them vulnerable to bribery in exchange for lax or non-enforcement of laws. Moreover, the police were very close to local political bosses, which led to forms of political corruption like patronage and police meddling in elections.
The Community Era (1980 to Present)
Strengths
Direct contact is a key strength associated with this era. Police assigned to a particular neighborhood came into direct contact with local business owners and residents. With the enhanced relationship, trust in law enforcement grew resulting in increased public support. The outcome is that police were more effective in preventing and fighting crime by using information and tip-offs from citizens (Miller et al. 2011).
Weaknesses
Successful community policing relies on the concept of citizen participation. However, citizens will not get involved because of apathy and the fear of reprisal (Miller et al. 2011). Some community members will not participate because it does not affect them personally. Moreover, fear may prevent them from cooperating with police officers. Most people will opt to keep to themselves and avoid reporting any complaints because they want to remain invisible from the law enforcers.
The Relationship of Criminal Justice to Social Justice on Equity and Fairness
The concept of social justice concerns itself with what is wrong versus right or what is fair versus unfair (Barak et al. 2010). Social justice uses these notions of fairness and correctness with equity in the society. In essence, social justice seeks to ensure that citizens receive the same privileges, protection, and opportunities regardless of education, race, gender or ethnicity (Barak et al. 2010). Good examples of social justice include free public education, equal employment opportunities and the right to vote. One example which brings the concept of social justice into play is a situation whereby a person asks for equal pay as a co-worker. Since justice involves fairness and equity, the two people deserve to be uniformly paid if they share the same education and experience. It is unjust to pay one of them more or less because of their ethnicity, race, or gender.
Criminal justice is a branch of social justice applicable in situations where the notions of fair and unfair, right and wrong are infringed as per the criminal law (Barak et al. 2010). Therefore, while social justice focuses on the definition of equity and fairness, criminal justice seeks to uphold these notions any time they relate to the criminal law. For instance, using the example above, one employee has discovered that his co-worker is being paid higher than he is despite having the same education and experience. However, it is unlawful and socially unjust, and strategies to justice regarding salary should be adopted.
Issues Facing Law Enforcement Today and the Impact on Social Order
The number one problem facing law enforcement today is the allegation that police act on biases and stereotypes (Miller et al. 2011). Community members express great concern regarding the over-representation of ethnic/racial minorities among people whom officers use force, arrest, and frisk. This is one of the most important issues confronting the law enforcement, and it points towards the urgent need for an intervention. While the concerns regarding police bias are currently powerful and loud, they are not new. Police departments and community members have been grappling with this issue for years. The law enforcement is also battling with the challenge of organizational and leadership structure changes (Miller et al. 2011). There is a new generation of employees within the law enforcement. The retirement of baby boomers has opened the door to many leadership posts. Unfortunately, there are no people to occupy these positions either because the present staff lacks the training and skills to fill these leadership posts or because the millennials are avoiding the responsibilities attached to the positions.
The Future of Policing and the Main Challenges
In the next five years, law enforcement will rapidly change and evolve thanks to technological advances. Technologies will not only aid police do their jobs but also change the way community members and officers interact (Palmiotto & Unnithan, 2011). As such, police departments will have a new level of transparency which never existed in the three eras of policing. Probably, there will be a massive shift in the field of law enforcement in areas such as technology, structure, and leadership in the next five to ten years.
Consequently, the law enforcement field is likely to face the challenge of rebuilding community relations. The reform era distanced the police from the citizens giving an impression that they could not be approached and they did not value forming intimate relationships with the local businesses and residents in their jurisdictions. However, it strained the relationship between the community and the police (Miller et al. 2011). Therefore, attention will focus on the issue of community policing with most agencies implementing new strategies and tactics to work harmoniously with the local neighborhoods. The focus is predicted to remain a top priority at both the federal and state levels.
Public’s Role in Cooperation with the Police in Future
The primary focus of law enforcement will be on rebuilding community relations (Palmiotto & Unnithan, 2011). This can be achieved through the existence of a strong relationship based on mutual trust between the communities and the police as a way of maintaining effective policing and public safety. The police officers rely on the cooperation of the public to furnish information regarding crime in their communities and to collaborate with the police to come up with solutions to disorder and crime problems (Edwards, 2011). Similarly, the public’s willingness to trust the police relies on whether they think that police actions portray community values and integrate the principles of legitimacy and justice. With the emergence of recent policing issues such as stereotypes and biases, many communities have questioned the legitimacy of the police. Most cities have experienced large-scale protests and demonstrations over perceptions of the police’s use of excessive force and misconduct. Therefore, the police should prioritize their relationships with the neighborhoods that they serve.


References
Barak, G., Leighton, P., & Flavin, J. (2010). Class, race, gender, and crime: The social realities of justice in America. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield.
Edwards, C. (2011). Changing policing theories for 21st-century societies. Annandale, N.S.W: Federation Press.
Miller, L. S., Hess, K. M., & Orthmann, C. M. H. (2011). Community Policing: Partnerships for problem-solving. Australia: Delmar Cengage Learning.
Palmiotto, M., & Unnithan, N. P. (2011). Policing & society: A global approach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.