Roles and Functions of Police
Police Department Roles and Functions
Sharesa Gulley
University of Phoenix
CJA/214 - Introduction to Police Theory and Practices
Evan Cohen
January 21, 2013
Police Department Roles and Functions
Every policing department or agency has a set of organizational goals and values that provide officers with a sense of direction and purpose. Even though these various departments may have different functions, policing agencies have similar roles.
The roles of police include:
The prevention of crime and protection of life
To uphold and enforce the law
To combat public fear of crime
To promote community safety
To control traffic
To encourage respect for the law
To protect the civil rights and liberties of individuals The law determines what functions and roles police will have and dictates how they are to go about fulfilling these roles. The police have restrictions and guidelines to abide by.
Levels of Law Enforcement “Police services are provided by four different levels of government: city, county, state, and federal(Walker & Katz, 2011, Chapter 3.” The local level consists of municipal police, county police, and county sheriffs. The departments within the local level have jurisdiction over their respective counties or cities with limited jurisdiction outside those areas.
At the state level there are state police such as the highway patrol. State level departments have jurisdiction within their state only. The highway patrol only has jurisdiction over the highways and interstates within their state. Federal level agencies have jurisdiction across the entire country. At the federal level there are 17 federal law enforcement agencies which include but are not limited to the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security
Sharesa Gulley
University of Phoenix
CJA/214 - Introduction to Police Theory and Practices
Evan Cohen
January 21, 2013
Police Department Roles and Functions
Every policing department or agency has a set of organizational goals and values that provide officers with a sense of direction and purpose. Even though these various departments may have different functions, policing agencies have similar roles.
The roles of police include:
The prevention of crime and protection of life
To uphold and enforce the law
To combat public fear of crime
To promote community safety
To control traffic
To encourage respect for the law
To protect the civil rights and liberties of individuals The law determines what functions and roles police will have and dictates how they are to go about fulfilling these roles. The police have restrictions and guidelines to abide by.
Levels of Law Enforcement “Police services are provided by four different levels of government: city, county, state, and federal(Walker & Katz, 2011, Chapter 3.” The local level consists of municipal police, county police, and county sheriffs. The departments within the local level have jurisdiction over their respective counties or cities with limited jurisdiction outside those areas.
At the state level there are state police such as the highway patrol. State level departments have jurisdiction within their state only. The highway patrol only has jurisdiction over the highways and interstates within their state. Federal level agencies have jurisdiction across the entire country. At the federal level there are 17 federal law enforcement agencies which include but are not limited to the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security
References: Grant, H.B., & Terry, K.J. (2012). Law Enforcement in the 21st Century (3rd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Grant, H.B., & Terry, K.J. (2012). Law Enforcement in the 21st Century (3rd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database Walker, S., & Katz, C.M. (2011). The Police in America. An Introduction (7th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.