Policing in the United States Today
The U.S. Government and Policing in the United States Today
Renee McGary
CJA/214 Introduction to Police Theory and Practice
February 27, 2012
Jeremy Leach
The United States Government and Policing in the United States Today The closest encounter citizens of the United States have with the federal government’s criminal justice system is with the police. Some encounters are a routine traffic ticket, and some are much worse and more serious. Crowded cities within the United States are producing more conflict and violence with the police. When the police step out to start their beat for their shift, they never know who is going to be the next predator that is going to try and take his or her life. The relationship between our criminal justice system and the police begin with the government. The government, not the police make the laws. Then we hire the police to go out and enforce these laws and every day the police are out in our violent society serving and protecting us. After the government comes up with the laws and rules of our society we turn these laws over to the police to do our dirty work. When the government has the different laws in place they rely on the police to go and fight the war on crime. This relationship between our government and the police uses the police as the scapegoat. This relationship is left up to the police to take care of and nurture from going out in the community and enforcing our values and laws, not their own. Usually when there are mistakes in the courts it’s usually not the police that cause these mistakes it’s the prosecuting attorneys and the defense attorneys. According to Katz (1997), Justice Louis Brandeis states, “If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.” The relationship between the police and government starts from different laws that have been passed that makes the job of a police officer a lot harder. Starting with the law called the exclusionary rule.
Renee McGary
CJA/214 Introduction to Police Theory and Practice
February 27, 2012
Jeremy Leach
The United States Government and Policing in the United States Today The closest encounter citizens of the United States have with the federal government’s criminal justice system is with the police. Some encounters are a routine traffic ticket, and some are much worse and more serious. Crowded cities within the United States are producing more conflict and violence with the police. When the police step out to start their beat for their shift, they never know who is going to be the next predator that is going to try and take his or her life. The relationship between our criminal justice system and the police begin with the government. The government, not the police make the laws. Then we hire the police to go out and enforce these laws and every day the police are out in our violent society serving and protecting us. After the government comes up with the laws and rules of our society we turn these laws over to the police to do our dirty work. When the government has the different laws in place they rely on the police to go and fight the war on crime. This relationship between our government and the police uses the police as the scapegoat. This relationship is left up to the police to take care of and nurture from going out in the community and enforcing our values and laws, not their own. Usually when there are mistakes in the courts it’s usually not the police that cause these mistakes it’s the prosecuting attorneys and the defense attorneys. According to Katz (1997), Justice Louis Brandeis states, “If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.” The relationship between the police and government starts from different laws that have been passed that makes the job of a police officer a lot harder. Starting with the law called the exclusionary rule.