Introduction
Law enforcement in the United States has changed dramatically since its inception. In colonial times and at the initial stage of the country’s formation, the role of law enforcement agencies in local communities was performed by groups of volunteers and part-time officers who were members of the local community privately funded.
For every 1,000 people living in the United States, there are an average of 2.2 law enforcement officers, and the size of police departments largely depends on location and population (John & Gurav, 2021). In cities such as Amherst, Virginia, or Hot Springs, North Carolina, less than five officers each.
Law enforcement officers play an essential role in the community, ensuring public safety and holding people accountable for breaking the law.
The Role of Policing
Trust and accountability between the communities and law enforcement agencies they are sworn to protect are essential to achieving these goals. The Government has the right to use force to achieve its goals, but it must do in a way that protects the rights of members of society and maintains the rule of law (John & Gurav, 2021). Good police practice requires law enforcement agencies to respect civil liberties and build positive relationships with their community avoiding tactics that use excessive force against citizens.
An effective way to ensure public safety in local communities is through the joint work of the police and community members to provide public safety. The role of the police in the population’s life reduces the level of crime and fear of crime, as well as the perception of police discrimination. Moreover, it increases public satisfaction with the work of the police and a positive attitude toward officers. A recent analysis of research in the field of public order protection confirms its positive impact on general satisfaction and perception of the legitimacy of the police (John & Gurav, 2021). However, it gives mixed results discussing its impact on crime and a sense of security in the same communities (John & Gurav, 2021).
Stop and Frisk
Since then, when policing has turned into discriminatory practices, such as the “stop and frisk” policy, which gives police the right to stop and search someone without a warrant if they have reason to believe that people are doing something wrong. This has evolved into the practice of racial violations. Profiling people so that they “match” the description of the suspect, which the police can then pay attention to (John & Gurav, 2021). Along with this practice, the war on drugs has further aggravated the situation by giving the police the right to detain drug users, persecuting people of color on racial grounds, and further creating opportunities for discrimination and harassment of marginalized communities.
The Main Reason of Brutality
One of the main reasons police brutality continues to occur is that the police do not bear real consequences for their actions. As has happened many times before, police officers reportedly found themselves in compromising situations, which led to inhumane treatment and, in many cases, the death of innocent people (John & Gurav, 2021).
Reference
John, S., & Gurav, V. (2021). Policing for Social Change: Tracing the Historical Evolution of Policing and the Role of Police in Society. Issue 4 Int’l JL Mgmt. & Human., 4, 200. Web.