Due Date: 10/13/2013
CSJ/200 Foundations of the Criminal Justice System
Law Enforcement Today
Law enforcement is something that is needed in our country. As time has passed, crime rates have gone up. New types of crimes are created by just about anything. Let’s take a look at an example of a new crime starting up. People who are driving and texting is now becoming a crime. This may seem like something minor, but it can lead to something horrible, like the cause to a fatal accident. The driver who was busy texting his buddy that he was on the way to the bar could of caused him to get to close to another car and crash into it, causing vehicle damages and even death. With technology advancing, crime has gone up with it as well. Now people commit crime online by stealing credit card numbers and even a person’s identity. Our law enforcement agencies now have to stay on top of things in today’s world, because if they don’t, the bad guys will win. Our law enforcement agencies are made up of local, state, and federal. They interact with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to ensure success with enforcing the law and keeping communities safe. They might not have the best relationship but there can be ways to improve that. Many people do not really understand the importance of law enforcement until they desperately need them to help in their time of need. Some of the things that we do not understand are that the law enforcement officers face many challenges in today’s society. Our officers have to go through much training to be where they are at today. They have witnessed horrible crimes that could possibly leave them traumatized for life. Aside from that, they face issues of racial profiling, extreme dangers during work hours, and learning how to deal with stress and facing a multicultural society. These officers have to suppress their emotions from what they face every day. They might even have to keep their
References: http://www.golawenforcement.com/LawEnforcementAgencies.htm http://www.spiritofthelaw.org/sol1art6.html http://www.golawenforcement.com/StateAgencies/TexasLawEnforcement.htm http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/foia/plcy_directive_252-11_office_for_state_and_local_law_enforcement.pdf http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/08/homeland-security-4-0-overcoming-centralization-complacency-and-politics Schmalleger, F. 2011 Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Te4xt for the 21st Century