Cultural Diversity In Contemporary Policing Essay

Cultural Diversity in Contemporary Policing
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CJA 344
May 23, 2011
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Cultural Diversity in Contemporary Policing
      Cultural diversity in contemporary policing has begun to be an issue in the United States. Many of the key issues in policing are not just enforcement of the law, but it is also community relations. Many articles are written about this topic because of the prevalence of lawsuits as a result of discrimination but also because the United States is very much a blend of different cultures as well as races.
In an article written by P.M. Lyons for the publication Texas Highway Patrol Association Magazine the author states “One of the reasons for focusing on cultural and other differences is that different people can have profoundly different experiences of the same event.” Because of   cultural differences. Training for the officers who work in a particular neighborhood is important because they must understand the cultures of the area in which they work. Community policing is in part the reason for these changes. Police departments now understand that everyone does not communicate to an officer in the same way and to solve the issues of crime in these communities the department must focus on being able to relate to its citizens.
The police force is a part of the community who is supposed to represent the citizens and to protect the individuals from becoming victims of crime and keeping the community safe from any wrongdoings. Most communities have multiple cultures that are growing daily with family and children becoming part of the school system, workplace, and prison system. In the police department, many officers respond to calls, crime scenes, and other issues where a person speaks a different language and is from another country that has different beliefs. They cannot presume to ask questions or collect evidence if they cannot communicate clearly with the victim or witness. In most departments today, the force has...