This paper explores the major challenges confronting contemporary American law enforcement agencies. It addresses the physical and psychological dangers officers face daily, including equipment stress, extreme temperatures, pursuit driving, and mental health impacts. The paper examines less-lethal weapons as a force-flexibility tool, analyzes technology adoption including computer-aided dispatch and records management systems, discusses the post-9/11 expansion of local police involvement in homeland security, and explains how civil liability frameworks hold officers accountable while protecting citizens. The paper concludes that police agencies must continue adapting to technological advances and evolving public expectations.
Police departments in the United States face similar critical issues. Every police officer faces dangers in their everyday duties. Police officers have incorporated less-than-lethal weapons, which gives them flexibility in handling situations. Additionally, police departments have strived to keep up with modern technology to assist them with communication and information storage. Since 9/11, some local police agencies have become involved in matters related to homeland security. Civil liability causes officers to ensure they perform their duties correctly so that they do not lose the trust of the public.
Law enforcement officers face a multitude of dangers in their everyday duties. Some examples of these dangers include foot pursuits, vehicle pursuits, responding code three (lights and siren), making arrests, traffic control, heat stroke, stress, duty equipment, biohazard exposure, and sun exposure.
The equipment officers wear can weigh up to 20 pounds, which puts a tremendous amount of stress on the back, hips, knees, and feet. They must get into and out of a patrol vehicle up to 20 times a day while wearing this equipment. As a result, many officers injure themselves.
Officers are often exposed to extreme temperatures for extended periods. Whether conducting traffic control at an accident scene in 100-degree heat or providing crime scene security in freezing temperatures, they are at the mercy of the elements. Most of the time, police officers do not have time to stop and ensure they have proper protection or hydration for a given situation.
Along with physical dangers, officers must deal with significant amounts of physical and mental stress (Brucia, 2013). Wood (2012) noted, "The daily psychological stresses that police officers experience put them at significantly higher risks for a number of long-term physical and mental health effects, including obesity, cancer, sleeplessness, and suicide."
One of the most dangerous aspects of police work is pursuit driving or responding "code 3." Not only must officers maintain control of their own vehicle, they must be fully aware of the traffic surrounding them. They are also responsible for the safety of the fleeing suspect, even though they have no control over that vehicle (Brucia, 2013).
A less-than-lethal weapon is one that is less likely to kill someone. Less-than-lethal weapons give police the flexibility they need to respond with a level of force that is most appropriate to the situation at hand and avoid unintended casualties. If less-than-lethal weapons were nonexistent, the number of deaths and injuries to suspects, prisoners, officers, and bystanders would increase. The following are examples of less-than-lethal weapons:
These include rubber bullets, wax bullets, and "beanbags"—all non-metallic projectiles intended to stun or immobilize a suspect through sheer force of impact. Although not intended to pierce skin, these weapons can be quite powerful at close range, resulting in serious bruising, broken bones, and other injuries.
These weapons use a winged hypodermic needle to deliver a potent dose of fast-acting sedatives into a suspect's bloodstream. Such darts can be fired from a variety of weapons, including a repeating crossbow, compressed-air rifle, or electromagnetic pistol. Effectiveness depends on the size of the dose and the size and weight of the suspect.
These include pepper spray, tear gas, and other exotic compounds law enforcement can use to incapacitate individuals or disperse rioters. The problem with most chemical weapons is that they cannot be easily controlled once dispersed and can affect innocent bystanders as easily as those to whom they have been directed.
Most popularly known as "Tasers," these weapons send 50,000 volts through thin flexible wires attached to needle-like projectiles that can be fired at suspects up to 25 feet away. The voltage is enough to cause involuntary muscle contractions that will debilitate the suspect without causing pain. Despite a good safety record, these electroshock weapons have been implicated in a number of serious injuries and even deaths (Ury, 1995–2012).
Policing has been altered by technology in many important ways. Two of the most important forms of technology developed for law enforcement are computer-aided dispatch and records management systems. With the help of these systems, communication and record-keeping capabilities have vastly improved, and information is easily dispatched and accessible.
Computer-aided dispatch (CAD) offers police departments a faster and more effective method of communicating with police officers in the field. CAD systems allow dispatchers to input relevant information into the system and send it instantaneously to officers' mobile computers. These systems enhance safety by monitoring officer status. If officers do not update their "field status" after responding to a call, the CAD system will automatically alert a dispatcher to contact someone to check on their safety. Dispatchers and officers are able to prioritize service calls with the help of the CAD system.
Records management systems are used to input and organize information from different types of reports in one easy-to-access format. Officers working in agencies that have adopted this technology are often not required to file written reports. Instead, all information is input into a mobile terminal and transmitted to appropriate personnel. Records management systems (RMS) reduce the amount of time that officers spend on paperwork and improve the accuracy of the information collected by police. RMS programs also provide easy access to information.
According to Walker and Katz (2011), since September 11, 2001, some local police agencies have become involved in matters related to homeland security. Some believe that this kind of attention to homeland security diverts attention and resources away from more traditional policing responsibilities. Even though some local police agencies participate in homeland security efforts, homeland security plays a small role in most police organizations.
The day-to-day activities of most law enforcement agencies, and most police officers, do not involve addressing issues related to homeland security. Unless a suspected terrorist is believed to be in the agency's jurisdiction, most local police departments do not expend a substantial amount of resources toward searches for terrorists.
Some local police agencies have become more involved with protecting particular places from potential terrorist activity. This effort has involved developing emergency response plans and providing preventative patrols in locations where the risks of terrorism are higher, such as stadiums, parks, and other locations that host large public gatherings.
"Accountability mechanisms and misconduct deterrence"
Law enforcement agencies will continue to evolve with changing times. As new technologies and issues arise, these agencies and their officers will have to adapt to be successful. The future is sure to bring many changes for policing departments and agencies.
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