The Five Goals of Policing

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The Five Goals of Policing Police officers and other law enforcement officials typically play an important part in the day-to-day life of people and places. Whether an officer is walking down a city street or sitting in his car at a corner to encourage people to follow speed limits, people feel the effects of police work on an almost daily basis. Policing has several goals too, which help to explain the police's presence and what they're hoping to accomplish day in and day out. Law Enforcement is one of the police officers principal mandates. Police officers spend a very small percentage of their time actually enforcing the law. Rather, a majority of their time is spent on service related assignments while awaiting circumstances that require their crime fighting abilities. Modern policing includes more than Law Enforcement. Police officers are also mandated to keep the peace and maintain order to prevent behaviors that threaten public order. Officers operating in the patrol capacity are most commonly confronted with the order maintenance situation. Police presence can help put citizens at ease. In addition to the preventative measures it can accomplish, a police presence can help citizens feel safe as they go about their daily business. It lets citizens know that if something should happen, a police officer is right there to take action and help if necessary. If an emergency happens, such as a terrorist attack, police officers can help control the situation and keep citizens calm. Police officers cannot be expected to enforce all laws all the time; they cannot be expected to prevent all crimes from occurring either. Preventing crime is closely related to the law enforcement and order maintenance functions in that if peace is maintained, crime has probably been prevented. Policing often takes place in high-risk areas, such as areas that might have a high amount of
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