Law Enforcement Today Paper
ISSUES OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN TODAY’S SOCIETY
BY: HOLLY HANDLON
February 20th, 2012
The issues that our police departments face in today’s society consist of corrupt police departments, publicity, operating expenses, and constant training to meet the guidelines set by court decisions.
Corruption and brutality scandals have severely tarnished the public’s faith in the police. From the killings and brutalizing of citizens in New York City to the widespread corruption in the Los Angeles Police Department, more and more law enforcement administrators are faced with the task of reforming police department, with little guidance on how to bring about the necessary changes. This is not the first time in our country’s history that corruption and brutality have been front page news. Part of our current problems stem from the unprecedented level of drugs, gangs and guns in our cities. Systemically, the problems are caused by law enforcement agencies that continue to hire the wrong type of people as police officers and then participate in cover-ups of misconduct. As with any other enterprise, the law of supply and demand pertains to the drug business. Since most of these drugs are illegal, persons wishing to use them must participate in a criminal transaction to obtain drugs. As our society has become more affluent, the demand for recreational drugs has skyrocketed. And, the only source of supply of these drugs is drug dealers. Years ago, most police officers would not accept bribes. It was not worth losing your job over a few hundred dollars to look the other way. Today, police officers have been arrested for selling drugs, providing protection to drug dealers, and stealing the proceeds of illegal drug sales. The money to be made can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, much more than a police officer could hope to earn in years of work.
In addition, there has been a great deal of political pressure to clean up the streets. That type of pressure
BY: HOLLY HANDLON
February 20th, 2012
The issues that our police departments face in today’s society consist of corrupt police departments, publicity, operating expenses, and constant training to meet the guidelines set by court decisions.
Corruption and brutality scandals have severely tarnished the public’s faith in the police. From the killings and brutalizing of citizens in New York City to the widespread corruption in the Los Angeles Police Department, more and more law enforcement administrators are faced with the task of reforming police department, with little guidance on how to bring about the necessary changes. This is not the first time in our country’s history that corruption and brutality have been front page news. Part of our current problems stem from the unprecedented level of drugs, gangs and guns in our cities. Systemically, the problems are caused by law enforcement agencies that continue to hire the wrong type of people as police officers and then participate in cover-ups of misconduct. As with any other enterprise, the law of supply and demand pertains to the drug business. Since most of these drugs are illegal, persons wishing to use them must participate in a criminal transaction to obtain drugs. As our society has become more affluent, the demand for recreational drugs has skyrocketed. And, the only source of supply of these drugs is drug dealers. Years ago, most police officers would not accept bribes. It was not worth losing your job over a few hundred dollars to look the other way. Today, police officers have been arrested for selling drugs, providing protection to drug dealers, and stealing the proceeds of illegal drug sales. The money to be made can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, much more than a police officer could hope to earn in years of work.
In addition, there has been a great deal of political pressure to clean up the streets. That type of pressure
Cited: Department of Homeland Security. Interaction of Homeland Security with State and Local Fusion Centers. Concept of Operations. February 2012. Web December 2008. http://www.fas.org/irp/agancy/dhs/conops.pdf . PDF File