Law Enforcement Administrator Challenges Essay: Constitutional Policing & Accountability

The criminal justice system in the United States is divided into several departments, all having the same objective of public safety. Police departments are within the more comprehensive criminal justice system, comprising prosecutors, court systems, juvenile court systems, and correctional facilities (U.S. Department of Justice, 2015). Examples of such facilities include jails and parole and probation offices. In addition, many entities at the municipal, national, and federal levels influence the efficiency of the criminal justice system. This paper analyzes constitutional policing, the role of police, specifically law enforcement, and the issues and satisfactions of that particular role.

Constitutional Policing

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (2015), police officers must carry out their varied functions and obligations to safeguard citizens’ constitutional rights. Constitutional policing can be defined as legitimate policing at its most fundamental position. Therefore, this implies that policing should be carried out in conformity with the standards established by the United States. The United States Constitution, federal laws, and several court judgments have explained in further context what the wording of the Constitution signifies in the context of regular policing activities. Police are tasked with vast amounts of power, such as the jurisdiction of using force. They must carry out these duties in a lawful, respectable, and consistent way with local interests. For instance, regions may adopt distinct approaches to topics such as federal immigration law enforcement or drug tolerance or prohibition. Police departments must also emphasize accountability and transparency to show the public that police officers behave fairly and equally and that processes are in place to uncover missteps or violations of police powers. When police participate in illegal or inappropriate conduct, they lose public confidence and collaboration, which are critical components of efficient policing.

Need help writing a law enforcement or criminal justice essay? Our experts at law homework assistance provide tailored support with assignments on constitutional policing, administrator challenges, accountability, and legal analysis. Whether you’re tackling academic papers, essays, or complex law enforcement assignments, we simplify difficult topics and guide you toward academic success. Get professional support today and excel in your coursework with confidence.

Roles of the Police

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (2015), from the general public’s viewpoint, police officers are one of the most prominent manifestations of the criminal justice system. Police departments do not establish laws; they are entrusted with enforcing laws passed by authorized legislature representatives and interpreted by the judiciary. Partnering with the public to avoid crime and tackle numerous life issues, preserving order, and carrying out investigations are also significant roles. Additionally, the police perform fundamental and look into criminal and traffic investigations, compile detailed documents and observation notes of interrogations and surveillance operations, and can apply discretion in selecting when and how much force to employ. However, this paper will focus on the police’s primary role, enforcing laws.

Issues in Law Enforcement

Police forces from across the nation have been under severe public investigation in recent years. The emphasis remains on police enforcement personnel’s behavior, and agencies are responding to demands for urgent adjustments at several levels. Criminal justice practitioners face the challenge of doing important community service while contemplating public perception. Therefore, there are various issues in law enforcement that have an impact on police departments.

First, police selection and retention is a significant challenge impacting law enforcement. Among the many circumstances that lead to officers quitting are police officers looking for work externally, uncertainty and stigma associated with law enforcement, and exhaustion. Soon, keeping the police officers who are currently at work will be even more difficult in the aftermath of public criticism (Columbia Southern University, 2022). There are vacancies for law enforcers now; hence people are being lured away from higher-paying jobs. It is challenging to navigate lower pension payments, staff shortages, and the dread of committing an oversight that could result in criticism and possibly criminal prosecution. It will take extra work to maintain high satisfaction and excitement for policing. Therefore, effective, competent management and a positive engagement with the public will counteract criticism and ensure the motivation of the police officers that the industry so clearly needs.

Secondly, police accountability is another major issue in the police department. For instance, a primary concern is who has the capability to police. Various new legislation has been enacted nationwide, covering topics such as body cams, force utilization, not using warrants, disciplinary procedures, and public supervision (Columbia Southern University, 2022). All law enforcement department strives to increase credibility between their officers and the general public. In addition to regulations imposed by federal governments and other external organizations, authorities inside police agencies play a substantial impact. Therefore, law enforcement authorities should seek to create transparent policies within their organizations by integrating agency principles with public values, setting a positive example, and educating managers to keep their employees accountable.

Subsequently, adopting technological developments in law enforcement is an issue. Another major problem is integrating technology when assessing where law enforcement is going in the future. Transformation is likely to occur rapidly, and examples of innovative technologies are biometric identification, portable sensors, and face detection systems that can enhance the certainty of identification. Devices and mapping innovations recognizing gunfire in high-crime places are also essential (Columbia Southern University, 2022). Police drones can photograph the crime scene and survey investigation zones. In addition, vehicles chasing darts can be fired from police cars and attached to a car, enabling officers to trace their moves via GPS. Planning and financing for these technological advancements would be a significant issue for police commissioners, and some people may reject embracing new gadgets or systems and feel stressed about mastering how to utilize the technology rapidly.

According to Columbia Southern University (2022), crime prevention is based on data, the idea of leveraging data in law enforcement is not unique, but advances in processing power can make this technique more realistic for police forces. Data can predict place and day crimes, enabling authorities to effectively station cops and possibly prevent crimes. Intelligence-led enforcement takes the concept further by attempting to detect possible victims and lawbreakers using data. When contemplating forecasting or intelligence-led tactics, departments can use case histories. However, the opposition to these strategies raises issues, such as the information utilized to make these choices may be inaccurate since the data is extracted from personal judgment. Appointing more cops to monitor high-crime areas in the past has inevitably resulted in more detention in that region, promoting the idea that such sites have more crime than others. In addition, investigating people who are thought to be potential criminals – or possible victims – might be considered a privacy breach. As the effect of big information and its possible applications in law enforcement grows yearly, criminal justice decision-makers will encounter difficulty reconciling community issues with implementing innovative crime-prevention techniques.

Conclusion

The issues that law enforcement officers face might shift swiftly. Every day might bring new and challenging concerns to solve, whether finding methods for keeping cops or adopting practices for crime prevention without jeopardizing the public’s trust. Furthermore, constitutional policing—compliance with the Bill of Rights and other principles safeguarding civilians’ rights as established by the context of the Constitution and legal precedent is a basic standard for law enforcement organizations. Police should evaluate the credibility and fairness of their acts from the viewpoint of their residents in addition to meeting constitutional criteria. If a population does not perceive that the police are unbiased, ethical, and respectful in their tasks, they are less likely to yield to police powers.

References

Columbia Southern University. (2022). Current Issues in Law Enforcement: What Will Departments Face in 2022? Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://www.columbiasouthern.edu/blog/blog-articles/2022/february/current-issues-in-law-enforcement/

U.S. Department of Justice. (2015). Constitutional Policing as a Cornerstone of Community Policing: A Report by the Police Executive Research Forum. Retrieved September 13, 2022, from, https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/cops-p324-pub.pdf