The police in the modern world is a body endowed with certain powers and responsibilities. Its mission is to enforce the law, prevent crime, and ensure public safety with community support (United States Police, 2022). Such goals always accompany the actions of the police in advertising statements and official events. Police officers often find themselves at the center of scandalous incidents that cause public outcry and protests. It is due to the fact that the police are the only structure authorized to use weapons even to kill, not isolated from society, but rather integrated into it (Kelling, 1995). For example, the cases of Michael Brown and George Floyd called into question the respectful treatment of police officers for minorities in the community (VerBruggen, 2022). However, in most cases, the system operates according to its mission, and deviations are more likely to slip into the press, giving the impression of a controversial reputation for the body.
Even though the police officers carry firearms, and military equipment, are organized in a rank system, and have a distinctive uniform, this body cannot be called a paramilitary organization. Military operations have a strictly different structure from the activities of the police, and therefore the items of equipment and the set of firearms differ in detail even from ordinary foot soldiers in military organizations (Shults, 2022). The same aspect applies to cars that are not equipped, for example, with machine guns. On the other hand, many of the characteristics listed above are features of a paramilitary organization. Police officers within the framework of public order use only a part of the necessary components of this type of organization because the peaceful environment is significantly different from the wartime environment. In this regard, there is no need to resort to excessive weapons, which in the United States are already higher than in other countries. Already used attributes of this type of organization contribute to security, visibility, and compliance with the law.
References
Kelling, G. L. (1995). How to run a police department. City Journal. Web.
Shults, J. F. (2022). Is paramilitary structure bad? National Police Association. Web.
United States Police. (2022). Our Mission. Web.
VerBruggen, R. (2022). Fatal police shootings and race: A review of the evidence and suggestions for future research. Manhattan Institute. Web.