Critical issues in contemporary policing

¶ … Policing:

The police or law enforcement officers act as the initial contact between criminals and the criminal justice system. The main function of these law enforcement officers and agencies is to maintain law and order and protect the community from crime. One of the essential elements that enable the police to achieve their objectives, which is also considered as the backbone of policing, is patrol. As the central feature of police operations, majority of the law enforcement officers are assigned to patrol in order to deliver numerous police services to the public. The importance of patrol in police operations is also evident in the fact that patrol officers and patrol cars are the most visible symbols of law enforcement. The other aspects include the fact that patrol officers are the most significant decision makers in policing and the experience of patrol being a formative portion of an officer's career. The significant of patrol to policing is based on its three functions i.e. deter crime, improve feelings of public safety, and enhance availability of officers for service.

Policing Issues:

While police officers play a crucial role in the maintenance of order in the society, enforcement of law, and improving public safety, there are various critical issues in policing. Some of the critical issues in policing include the following & #8230;.

Technology used in Policing:

Throughout its history, police officers have continued to face overwhelming task of detecting and apprehending criminals, especially the ever-increasing stream of illegal immigrants and drug traffickers. However, in the recent past, there are various technological systems that have been developed and adopted to help police officers accomplish their functions. Some of the most common examples of technologies used in policing include Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Infrared Night-vision Equipment, and Seismic Sensors.

In the current technological era, the law enforcement agencies have been forced to evolve in order to be better equipped to achieve their mandate of promoting and enhancing public safety. Technology has been adopted as an invaluable measure for responding to the challenge of linkage blindness across jurisdictions, criminal justice agencies, and sections of the community. The significance and need for the use of technology in policing has been fueled by the continued technological advances and the fact that criminals are using technology to develop sophisticated measures of conducting transnational crime. Actually, increased technological advances have contributed to constant threats of transnational crime since criminals are using technology to accomplish their goals (Grant & Terry, 2008, p. 321).

As law enforcement agencies have adopted technology to develop measures for dealing with crime, the application of such technologies by police officers have transformed the capacity of these agencies to respond to crime that occur real time. The use of technology has enhanced the ability of police organizations to achieve their mission by enabling them to proactively identify problems, evaluate their causes, and develop strategic plans that improve their crime prevention capabilities.

Force Continuum:

Force continuum is a critical policing issue since it's used to guide the reaction of a police officer and to focus his/her perspective of risk. The significance of force continuum originates from the fact that police officers are not usually justified in using force. However, the use of force requires an officer to comply with a number of criteria in order for it to be legitimate. According to the law, police officers are permitted to use force to protect themselves and other people around them. Furthermore, the use of force is legal if it's the minimal amount of force that is necessary to control a particular situation.

One of the recent measures that have emerged to control the use of force by police officers is less-than-lethal weapons and tactics. While law enforcement agencies are using devices that are more high-tech, these organizations have continued to emphasize on the use of less-lethal weapons. The increased emphasis on the use of less-than-lethal weapons is the fact that approximately 20% of arrests usually involve the use of force. Some of the most common examples of less-than-lethal weapons include pepper spray, temporarily blinding strobe lights, shortguns that fire nets, conducted energy devices, and darts tipped with drugs. The main impact of the use of less-lethal weapons in today's policing is that they decrease the rates of officer and offender injuries (Bulman, 2010).

Dangers Faced by Police: