The Law Enforcement Community

[The law enforcement community has a vast number of agencies, from federal, state and local systems. They have gone through many transitions over the almost two hundred years of organized police agencies. In this paper we will discuss the organizational structures of policing agencies, communication patterns within and outside of the agencies, and the trends in the approach to the policing function. In exploring this issues we can identify the changes to the field over the years and changes that may continue in the future. [In the past, traditional approaches to law enforcement were centered on responding to crime after it occurred. Therefore, before police departments were established, self-protection was organized in communities. These communities
The problem was that the efforts did little to prevent crime, not until 1838 did Boston create a police force to supplement the watchmen ( CJ ch5). This did not prevent continuing problems in the early police departments. Therefore, efforts to improve policing have gone through several models. The political model, the reform model, the professionalization model and the community policing model (ch 15). The different types of policing were attempts at finding the best method at protecting the community and preventing crime. The model prevalent in the past thirty-five years is the community policing model, this is focused around engaging the community in the effort of crime prevention and community protection (ICJ ch5). Similar to the ideas of two hundred years ago, the community is now an important part of policing in all levels of enforcement. Although the model may be similar, a major change in the twentieth century of policing is specialization ( ICJ ch 5). Large departments used task specialization to assign officers into divisions or units, like traffic, homicide, or vice (ICJ ch 5). Additionally, most departments or agencies are organized in a military style chain of command. The hierarchy of most large departments with several levels between the patrol officer and the chief of police. In these cases the rank and file officers must follow
The theory states that when neighborhoods appear “rundown” criminals assume that there is a lack of caring in the neighborhood and believe that they can commit crime there safely. Officials believe that if the community is invested in the neighborhood the less likely that the neighborhood will be taken over by individuals selling drugs, robbing people, and violence. The police work with the community if possible to target areas for problem-oriented policing, zero-tolerance policing, to gain greater information about communities and their problems. The hope is that the community will invest in the approach however, that does not always happen. Another trend is to make a more diversified police force that accepts more minority and female officers in the community, and police that patrol on bikes or on foot. Additionally, police agencies are becoming more professionalized and require a higher level of education (CICJ 15). The departments are also looking for individuals with good social skills, including conflict resolution, and have respect for citizens and the policies of the department they work for (CICJ 15). Hence, the more well trained and educated an officer is the more likely that they are able to mediate disputes and be a problem solver, not just arrest