The roof of a police patrol car at night, with the blue and red lights flashing.
The future of policing in America
Policing in America is changing, as technology and crime trends have revolutionized the field of law enforcement. The future is uncertain for policing in the United States, but surprisingly many experts do agree that we may be headed toward a more “robust” approach to policing. As we can see by reading through the articles below, there are lots of issues with policing in America which need to be addressed. Whether these concerns should be fixed by more police officers patrolling an already overcrowded city street or by creating a new crime-fighting industry; only time will tell if these problems can be solved.
There are many reasons why policing in America needs to change, but the biggest one is that the police force has become too large. As the population increases, so does the need for more officers patrolling streets; however, this can lead to corruption and other issues within a community. While police officers have always been given power over civilians, there comes a point where they have too much control over our lives. An example of this would be law enforcement agencies using racial profiling to arrest suspects before they commit any crimes at all
In this article, we are going to focus on 3 aspects that will play a vital role in the future of policing in America.
Technological Development
In the past, the American police force was a small group of men who were trained to fight and arrest criminals. But, today, there are many other important aspects of policing than just arresting criminals.
One of these new aspects is technological development. Technological development in policing has made it easier for officers to gather information about a crime scene or suspect. For example, with the use of body cameras, officers can record their activities on the job and later provide evidence if necessary in court.
Another aspect of technological development is drones. Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) that can be used by police officers to patrol areas where they would be too dangerous for human beings to enter without risking their lives. The use of drones has been controversial among some police departments because they have been used to spy on citizens without their knowledge or consent through aerial surveillance cameras mounted on them or through video feeds transmitted by them back to base stations.
However, other police departments believe that using drones to help prevent crime and apprehend suspects will improve public safety. A majority of police departments use drones to help with search and rescue operations by providing them with a bird’s eye view of dangerous terrain so they can better assess the situation and plan their next move. For example, in 2015 the Los Angeles Police Department used a drone to locate a man who was threatening suicide on the ledge of an eight-story building.
Community Policing
Community policing is a philosophy and approach to policing that emphasizes partnerships with the local community to reduce crime, disorder, and fear(Marcus, 2022). Community policing involves officers working with citizens to solve problems and improve their quality of life. Community policing is not a new idea; it has been practiced for decades in many communities throughout the United States.
In recent years, more attention has been focused on community policing because of its effectiveness in reducing crime and improving public safety. Many agencies have adopted community-oriented strategies as part of their overall policing philosophy. These strategies include establishing partnerships with other public agencies, such as schools and health departments, as well as residents. Unlike traditional approaches to law enforcement, which are often reactive in nature, community-oriented policies focus on preventing crime before it occurs or responding after a crime has occurred.
Recruitment, Training, And Retention
The next decade may be the most important in the history of policing in America.
The rapid rise in violent crime over the past decade has driven a need for police officers that was not anticipated by either law enforcement or the public. The inadequacy of current recruitment, hiring and retention practices are demonstrated by recent news stories about police who have been forced to retire early due to injuries sustained on the job or because they were not able to maintain their fitness levels. Worse yet, there are reports that some agencies are using criminal background checks and polygraph examinations as a means of screening candidates before allowing them an interview.
The result is that there is an increasing shortage of qualified law enforcement personnel who can keep pace with the demands for service from local residents and those who travel through our communities. This shortage is exacerbated by low pay scales, poor working conditions, lack of benefits, and poor training opportunities for new recruits.
The problem goes beyond attrition rates; it also includes a lack of diversity within law enforcement agencies themselves. Studies show that minorities are rarely hired for positions as police officers or sheriff’s deputies because they tend to be seen as less trustworthy than their white counterparts.
Reference
Marcus. (2022, October 21). What is community policing? Everbridge. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from https://www.everbridge.com/blog/what-is-community-policing/
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