Police Agencies Roles and Functions University of Phoenix Police agencies have various functions that they perform. These functions include arresting criminals, interrogating individuals, patrolling neighborhoods, enforcing multiple laws set forth by the government, ministry of presence, and serving and protecting the community. Law enforcement in the United States is a complex establishment that is comprised of three levels; local, state, and federal agencies. Each level has their own jurisdiction and laws to uphold which means that the tasks performed at each level are different. If the responsibilities were limited in the community it would result in more chaos and more crime, and people would no longer seek police assistance.
There is a substantial difference between what the police are “a body of people patrolling public places in blue uniforms, with a broad mandate of crime control, order maintenance and some negotiable social service functions” (Reiner, 1985). The function of policing is not solely the remit of the police the community, cctv camera’s, security companies bouncers etc all provide policing roles. The importance of communities becoming involved in problem solving cannot be underestimated and this includes Gardai getting involved in their local communities providing structures, supports and role models for the people living in those communities. Traditional policing methodology has been questioned regarding its perceived lack of effectiveness in crime prevention. Traditional policing does not focus on prevention but ‘fire fights’ or is reactive in nature, they deal mainly with the results of crime rather than the causes.
Organization Structure of the Police - Peel borrowed the military style of structuring the police. Peel’s operation consisted of police officer in uniform, rank, and an authority system of crime prevention. Today the system is a little different as they were first in place. There are many more crimes being committed now than the 1900’s. Although police officers are authority figures for which who should be trusted, police officers are not trusted today.
Local police agencies are the most commonly seen and known, do to their high visibility in our communities. Local agency conduct patrols which helps deter crime do to police visibility. Police also take reports that can be used in trials. Local police tend to be less specialized then the larger agencies such as the FBI, but will be well verse in multiple areas of law enforcement. Local agencies will also be less funded; less funding means these agencies will not always have the latest and greatest of equipment and resources.
These shifts are usually similar to a civilian work day. However, there are some departments that may work longer shifts, which allows time for additional training. When it comes to policing on the state level, things can get a little more difficult because state patrol officers have a larger jurisdiction. Often times, they are called upon to assist the local police departments. Many crimes that take place in
Now more than ever, questions about police accountability, police training regarding use of force, and organizational culture regarding implicit bias or racial profiling are common. As a result of the intense scrutiny, improving community-police relations is vital. Even agencies such as my own that have traditionally valued and focused their efforts on community engagement must continually strive to strengthen those relationships and to build new ones. Public safety is the entire community’s responsibility, and we will not be as responsive or as successful without strong collaborative
Roles of Law Enforcement There are many police agencies across America who play a vital role in our legal process. These agencies provide the foundation for the prosecution and punishment of people who violate the law. The vastness of the United Stated provides many different demographics that require unique methods used by law enforcement in maintaining order within a specific community. Police organizations have a very important role in law enforcement. Police are tasked with seeking out and locating individuals within a community who have committed a crime.
An integral component to the infrastructure of government is law enforcement. In recent years, police actions, particularly police abuse has come into view of a wide, public and critical eye. While citizens worry about protecting themselves from criminals, it has now been shown that they must also keep a watchful eye on those who are supposed to protect and serve. This paper will discuss the types of police abuse prevalent today, including the use of firearms and recovery of private information. I will also discuss what and how citizens’ rights are taken advantage of by the police.
Law enforcement constitutes the part of the policing activity itself. Police are concerned with the preservation of order. The force that police use can be determined by a variety of factors. This includes but is not limited to: The police car; this provides policemen a source of transportation to get from one place to another in a short amount of time. Considering that most people drive, the police need to have the ability to drive their own vehicles to keep up with society.
Keeping the peace means providing a presence at known trouble hot spots for example city centres. A police officer will also investigate allegations of any offence that is put before them. They will use good operational knowledge to decipher if the allegations are genuine and if so, they will report the crime and have it investigated. The police also provide high visibility policing to major events like football matches etc in order to prevent incidents of any criminality. Many police services also set local priorities which largely depend on the needs of their particular area for example, the police service in rural may have a very different set of problems from police services in urban areas.