Issues & Trends in Law Enforcement

Crime and Justice in America, 6th edition.Territo, Halsted, and Bromley

©2004 Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

Issues & Trends in Law Enforcement



Professionalism

Solutions to whatever ails law enforcement The preoccupation with professionalism related

to comparison of salaries, education, and status in relation to other professions.

Law enforcement perceive themselves at bottom of the professional pole. Compared to judges, lawyers, and expert witnesses



Agency Accreditation

Attempt to develop and implement recognized accreditation standards

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. Formed in 1979 to develop standards and to administer

voluntary accreditation Formed through combined efforts of IACP, NOBLE, NSA, and

PERF

Accreditation is a process of improvement and change. Benefits are numerous



Higher Education

Formal education is key to self-improvement and increased status

Omnibus Crime Bill (1968)Public funds to police to pursue college

degree Due to this federal assistance, today’s

officers are much better educated than thirty years ago



Rationale for Education

Difficulty in assessing “better” officers Education about social conflict or human

behavior aids in conflict resolution and order maintenance.

College educated individuals are more able to cope with role conflict

Broader base of information for decision making



Police Misconduct

Actions by a public servant that are outside the standards of conduct

Breach of public trust. There are many ways to breach trust

Misuse of funds Unauthorized disclosure of information Excessive use of force Corruption



Solutions

Ethics course Department administration

Chiefs and sheriffs providing leadership in requiring ethical and honest behavior

Recruiting, selection, training Accountability for all police activity Proactive internal affairs



Employment of Minorities

Increases effectiveness of the force Assigning officers of the same ethic background provides

understanding of unfamiliar cultures Alternative is to train in cross-cultural communication

Recruitment of minorities Innovations in recruitment

Ideological and procedural Cadet programs Community service officer (CSO)



Employment of Women

Carefully selected and trained females are as effective as carefully selected and trained males.

Block and Anderson (1973) study “Report on the Status of Women in Policing”

published by the Police Foundation Affirmative action and evolving law has led to growth

of females in policing. Several potential policies for agencies to

consider



Officer Health

Police work is highly stressful with consequences. Stress may be measured by Sewell’s law enforcement

critical life events scale Female police officers have gender-specific stress in

addition to regular job stress Alcoholism

“character flaw” theory Drug use by officers Suicide Coping with health problems



Contact with the Public

Attention has been paid to police-citizen interactions.

Media focus on negative contact. The Bureau of Justice Statistics finds that “most

people, of any race, who have a contact with police, most often through a traffic stop, evaluate the stop as having been appropriate.”

Less than one percent of police-citizen contacts involved police use of force.



Use of Deadly Force

Few argue right to use deadly force to protect lives or lives of innocent people

Historically, some states allow officers discretion that goes beyond self-defense or the defense of others in the use of deadly force. Based in English common law where virtually

all felonies were punishable by death



Managing Use of Deadly Force

Shooting control techniquesPolicy-orientedEquipmentTrainingTennessee v. Garner (1985)

Track officers who are “chronic offenders” Use of pepper spray



Police – Prosecutor Cooperation

Emerging trend is teamwork through every step of the process

Pursuing common goal of protecting society from crime and violence

Police want to make arrests that lead to punishment.

Prosecutors want to build strong cases. Teamwork improves quality of cases



Private Security

Interactive role with law enforcement Increased reliance on private security due to

police workload and tax limitations Traditionally relied on police for prevention and

control of crime. More recently, private security plays a major

protective role. Employs more persons and expends more

dollars than public law enforcement



Technological Trends

Computer-aided dispatch (CAD) Radio dispatcher is aided by a high speed digital computer

Fingerprint automation Automated latent system model

Use of laptop computers Automated police reports

DNA profiling To identify or eliminate potential suspects

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Combines map images with other spatially referenced

information



Citizens Role in Crime Prevention

Peace-keeping system in the early days of law enforcement emphasized citizen role

With specialization, citizens delegated responsibility to paid officials

Effectiveness of crime prevention depends on willingness to report suspicious activity.



Neighborhood Watch Programs

Frequently implemented under community oriented policing

Developing and maintaining program is a difficult leadership challenge.

The most successful programs recruit new members a few times a year.

Success is related to departments commitment to establishing a strategic plan, train participants, and encourage communication.



Fear of Crime

Some fear crime more than they need to Sings of crime are both social and physical

Social signs include prostitution, drug dealing, rowdy teenagers, panhandling, and mentally ill.

Physical signs include broken windows, garbage, broken bottles, and abandoned cars programs.

Programs share the goal of “breaking down the barriers”

Others address disorder and fear of crime



Crime Prevention Programs

Key findings of NIJ review of state and local prevention programs include: Neighborhood watch programs are often ineffective. Community meetings between the police and the

public do not prevent crime Police storefront operations have no impact on crime

but did result in positive evaluations of police The use of newsletters had no effect on victimization

rates.



Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Made popular by Oscar Newman in “Defensible

Spaces” Proper design and effective use of the physical

environment can produce behavioral effects that will reduce the incidence and fear of crime, thereby improving the quality of life.

Environmental design is rooted in the design of the person/environmental relationship.



Applications of CPTED

Convenience Business Security Act Rooted in analysis of convenience store robberies in

Gainesville, FL. Adopted ordinances that required strong security

steps. Act embraces CPTED principles including

unobstructed views, security cameras, and lighting. The Safe Neighborhood Program

Florida legislation provided planning grants to communities willing to adopt the program.



CPTED and Community Policing

Combination of two strategies benefits crime prevention

Relies on police, residents, and local officials for success

Specific crime prevention activitiesSecurity in parksBuilding regulationsCivil remedies



Citizen Involvement in Crime Prevention The McGruff Campaign

“Take a Bite Out of Crime” The CAT Program

“Combat Auto Theft” The Watch Your Car Program Campus crime prevention programs Community Anti-Drug Efforts

Documents

Issues & Trends in Law Enforcement