Democracy is defined by broad values involving participation and formal rules about procedures such as elections. But for most persons most of the time these are removed from daily life. That is not true for the police, the agency of government that citizens are most likely to see and have contact with.
All industrial societies use police to control crime and to contribute to public order (e.g., mediating and arbitrating disputes, regulating traffic and helping in emergencies). But the conditions under which police operate, the means they use and the ends they seek vary greatly between democratic and non-democratic societies. It is ironic that police are both a major support and a major threat to a democratic society. When police operate under …show more content…
There are social scientific and moral debates over what practices are most conducive to a democratic police (e.g., centralization vs. decentralization, specialists vs. generalists, internal vs. external controls, closeness or distance from those policed, maximum or minimum discretion, single vs. lateral entry). But it is clear that a democratic police can take many forms.
There are four general responsibilities of police officers. They are:
1. Enforcing laws - Investigating crimes and apprehending offenders is a part of a police officer's work. In fact, when people think about the police, that's generally what they think of. When Charlie imagines being a police officer, he is thinking about running around after criminals, which is part of enforcing laws.
2. Preventing crime - Responding to routine incidents, like fender benders, and going on patrol is another major part of an officer's job. This is about being in the community so that people know that there are police officers around and hopefully will not commit …show more content…
For example, in the United States we have a quasi-military, rather decentralized, non-standardized, fragmented system, although one which mixes local and national police agencies. There is a single-entry system. Those who supervise come from the rank and file. There is a Bill of Rights and other laws, which significantly circumscribe the behavior of public police. Private police and citizen initiatives are permitted. Police have relatively little to do with the judicial system until they actually make an arrest. The adversarial system gives the accused opportunities to challenge the government’s case. Police have powers denied the citizen. There are clear procedures for citizens to file complaints against police and police are subject to a greater degree of direct political control than in many countries in Europe.
All industrial societies use police to control crime and to contribute to public order (e.g., mediating and arbitrating disputes, regulating traffic and helping in emergencies). But the conditions under which police operate, the means they use and the ends they seek vary greatly between democratic and non-democratic societies. It is ironic that police are both a major support and a major threat to a democratic society. When police operate under …show more content…
There are social scientific and moral debates over what practices are most conducive to a democratic police (e.g., centralization vs. decentralization, specialists vs. generalists, internal vs. external controls, closeness or distance from those policed, maximum or minimum discretion, single vs. lateral entry). But it is clear that a democratic police can take many forms.
There are four general responsibilities of police officers. They are:
1. Enforcing laws - Investigating crimes and apprehending offenders is a part of a police officer's work. In fact, when people think about the police, that's generally what they think of. When Charlie imagines being a police officer, he is thinking about running around after criminals, which is part of enforcing laws.
2. Preventing crime - Responding to routine incidents, like fender benders, and going on patrol is another major part of an officer's job. This is about being in the community so that people know that there are police officers around and hopefully will not commit …show more content…
For example, in the United States we have a quasi-military, rather decentralized, non-standardized, fragmented system, although one which mixes local and national police agencies. There is a single-entry system. Those who supervise come from the rank and file. There is a Bill of Rights and other laws, which significantly circumscribe the behavior of public police. Private police and citizen initiatives are permitted. Police have relatively little to do with the judicial system until they actually make an arrest. The adversarial system gives the accused opportunities to challenge the government’s case. Police have powers denied the citizen. There are clear procedures for citizens to file complaints against police and police are subject to a greater degree of direct political control than in many countries in Europe.