Statement of the Problem
In Memphis, TN, the Wokefield Police Department faces many internal and external issues that influence its normal working and thus need effective measures and solutions. One of the external challenges is the increased crime rates, especially carjacking, executed by juveniles. Crimes committed by persons below 18 years of age create a critical problem in the community of Memphis, TN, which results in social instability by insecurity and instability against and by young individuals. Moreover, juvenile crimes hurt the community since they make it unsafe and force the government to spend vast amounts of money on security and law enforcement.
In addition, increased crime rates impede economic development and advancement since they discourage long-term investment, increase economic uncertainty, and erode the rule of law. Juvenile delinquency is a serious societal issue affecting the victims of delinquents, their families, and the community (Welsh & Tremblay, 2021). It becomes traumatic for the family members to have a juvenile delinquent, creating instability and a sense of insecurity for the other members.
Internally, the police department is faced with reduced productivity among its workforce. The loss of productivity in the Wokefield Police Department may create a cascade of challenges, such as poor performance, bad relations between the top management and the employees, outdated systems, and poor decision-making. The criminology theory that will be applied in analyzing the problems experienced by the Wokefield Police Department is the rational choice theory (Hudik, 2019). Similarly, it assists in understanding why individuals make choices that outwardly appear to be less than ideal.
Analysis of the Problem
Recurring Trends or Patterns that City Data Reveals about the Issue
Juvenile delinquency is a complicated research topic, as the perpetrators need a unique approach to curb and combat crime. According to a survey by FOX13 Investigates on city carjackings, by the end of 2021, the number increased by 68 percent (Solomon, 2022). In addition, the report shows that there were 23 percent more carjackings between 2020 and 2021 compared to the previous years. A clearance rate is a metric that tracks the number of court cases solved, represented by an arrest. Based on the findings of FOX Investigates, in 2018, the police arrested 59 percent of their total cases, followed by a little more than 60 percent in 2019 (Solomon, 2022). In the following year, the number decreased to less than 54 percent (Turner, 2022). Most carjackers are repeat offenders who mainly use guns and are often affiliated with gangs.
The high number of juvenile crimes may be partly attributable to the coronavirus’s change in social relationships and the practice of wearing face masks in public areas. Moreover, a youth pattern could signify poor deterrence policies, inefficient crime-solving, and a lack of alternative job opportunities for the young generation. A study by Turner (2022) indicates that the current statistics of carjackings in Memphis, TN, will have drastically increased by roughly 70 percent by the end of 2021. Furthermore, in the same year, the number of arrests related to this offense included over eighty young people, while crimes executed by adults were only sixty-five individuals (Turner, 2022). The actions of potential and acting offenders should be rooted in criminological theories to develop practical solutions.
The rational choice theory provides a reasonable explanation for a broad selection of criminal activity on the group, individual and societal levels. It underpins that most people commit offenses after evaluating the risks and benefits of their consequences (Hudik, 2019). For juveniles, this hypothesis shows that their understanding of reward and cost differs from that of adult people since they are most likely to be fueled by peer influence. In addition, young individuals are vulnerable to reoffending, mainly in an environment characterized by low-resolved crime rates and inefficient prevention strategies.
External Contributing Factors Supported by Research
One external factor contributing to increased crime rates among juveniles is early exposure to violent environments in the family. Even when violent acts are not modeled in the home, there is a lack of efficient social ties and controls, along with the parents’ negligence in informing their children of established standards and norms. Moreover, the presence of illegal markets and gangster organizations in the neighborhoods, particularly in drug distribution networks, offers higher exposure to violence (Yao, 2021). The learning institutions have the potential to generate frustrations, conflicts, and violent responses among young individuals to these situations. Furthermore, being brought up in a minority, low-income family, and disorganized community directly impacts violent behavior, inhibiting adolescent development and lack of employment opportunities (Yao, 2021). In terms of the low productivity among law enforcement, the contributing factors in this category include poor management, excessive involuntary and voluntary shifts, low pay, and threats to the health and safety of the officers.
Internal Contributing Factors Supported by Details Provided in the Scenario
One of the factors contributing to the decreased officers’ productivity is the heavy workload. From the scenario provided, it is evident that one hundred and ninety-six police officers cover a jurisdiction that spans twenty-two square miles. Additionally, the Wokefield Police Department is underfunded since it gets an annual budgetary allocation of USD 40 million. The reduction in officer productivity has made the department maximize its spending since it does not get grants and forfeitures. As a result, the forfeiture income has decreased to USD 500 000 from the previous financial year, leaving no funds for staff items and benefits, including department maintenance, acquisition of new vehicles, and lack of training opportunities for road patrol officers. On the flip side, substance abuse, low-income family structure, low levels of parental attachment, and negative peer influences are some of the internal contributing factors to increased juvenile delinquency.
The Root Cause of the Issue
The primary cause of the diminished productivity at Wokefield Police Department is poor motivation in the workstation, which results in low levels of engagement between the officers and the management and high employee turnover rates. Generally, when workers are motivated, they tend to be dependable, innovative, industrious, and thoroughly engaged in whatever they do, boosting their overall performance (Ehsan & Ali, 2019). In addition, when law enforcement officers are demotivated, they may influence the overall team, creating a hostile working environment. The overall productivity is reduced with increased work lateness, absenteeism, and lack of focus on daily tasks. Another cause of diminished productivity is increased stress since the officers are overburdened. On the other hand, high juvenile delinquency may be attributed to a lack of moral guidance. That is because parental influence is one of the significant factors in deterring juvenile crimes (Anjaswarni et al., 2019). Other causes include inconsistent or excessively severe discipline, failure to set specific child behavior expectations, and poor parental monitoring.
Proposed Solutions
The most effective way of preventing juvenile delinquency is by assisting the children and their families early on. In addition, modeling educational programs is another way to teach parents how to raise healthy children and inform them about the effects of gangs, possessing illegal weapons, and drug abuse (Corbett, 2019). Developing a habitual program effectively reduces re-offenders and lowers crime rates among juveniles. In this case, an appropriate task force is formed from a pool of staff to consistently track re-offenders and monitor youths who are most likely to engage in criminal activities. Another intervention involves creating a community-outreach event with local groups for combating crime among juveniles (Xiao, 2022). In this scheme, the law enforcers host youth-focused programs to establish strong relations with community members and raise awareness.
The overall employee productivity can be improved by the Wokefield Police Department looking for innovative ways of motivating the staff. For instance, the department should develop mentorship, training, and leadership programs to help the personnel build self-awareness and understand their weaknesses and strengths. They should also provide access to career development opportunities and be able to grow as leaders (Ali & Anwar, 2021). The department should affirm incentives and rewards to motivate their staff by recognizing those officers that fulfil challenging, essential goals. The organizational leaders and systems at Wokefield Police Department must ensure that promotions and rewards are based on valid measures of performance and qualifications. Finally, the management of the law enforcement agency must create a conducive environment for the employees and encourage teamwork and problem-solving (Ali & Anwar, 2021). Workers who feel valued and supported by the organization develop a sense of self-worth and security and exploit their full potential, increasing overall productivity.
In conclusion, the main issues facing Wokefield Police Department are higher rates of juvenile crimes, particularly carjackings, and low productivity of law enforcers. Tracking for repeat offenders and drawing initiatives that create good community outreach help address these challenges. When there are the right ways of motivating the staff, employee turnover becomes a non-issue and their productivity soars. To boost employee motivation, the department should provide benefits, perks, and compensation they require, deserve, and expect.
References
Ali, B. J., & Anwar, G. (2021). An empirical study of employees’ motivation and its influence job satisfaction. International Journal of Engineering, Business and Management, 5(2), 21-30. Web.
Anjaswarni, T., Nursalam, N., Widati, S., & Yusuf, A. (2019). Analysis of the risk factors related to the occurrence of juvenile delinquency behavior. Web.
Corbett, J. (2019). Parental influence on juvenile delinquency (Doctoral dissertation). Web.
Ehsan, M., & Ali, K. (2019). The impact of work stress on employee productivity: Based in the banking sector of Faisalabad, Pakistan. International Journal of Innovation and Economic Development, 4(6), 32-50. Web.
Hudik, M. (2019). Two interpretations of the rational choice theory and the relevance of behavioral critique. Rationality and Society, 31(4), 464-489. Web.
Solomon, K. (2022). Juvenile crimes and arrests jumped 30 percent from 2020 to 2021, TBI reports. FOX13 Memphis. Web.
Turner, D. (2022). FOX13 INVESTIGATES: Number of Memphis carjackings spikes during the pandemic. MSN. Web.
Welsh, B. C., & Tremblay, R. E. (2021). Early developmental crime prevention forged through knowledge translation: A window into a century of prevention experiments. Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology, 7, 1-16. Web.
Xiao, Y. (2022). Elementary analysis on the characteristics and causes as well as countermeasures of juvenile delinquency. Asian Journal of Social Science Studies, 7(4), 90. Web.
Yao, F. (2021). Analysis on psychological and social causes of juvenile delinquency–A study based on grounded theory. The International Journal of Electrical Engineering & Education, 0020720921996608. Web.