Police as Crime Fighters
The role of police as crime fighters is depicted in the news article titled “Two NY teens arrested for a future plot against high school,” by Gross (2010). The article talks about a plot to carry out a shooting at the Connetquot High School in Bohemia. This plot was organized by a 17-year old boy together with his girlfriend aged 16 years. The boy was a former student at the school while his girlfriend was still a student at the time of the planning. The motive behind the plot was a revenge attack against the school. Fortunately, the deadly incident was avoided after the boy’s social worker tipped the police about the planned attack. The police moved in quickly and arrested both the teenagers after they found strong incriminating evidence from the teenagers’ computers, cell phones and Facebook. Both teenagers were convicted as adults of a plot to commit a deadly crime.
The police role as crime fighters is depicted in this article in several ways. First and foremost, the police involved in this case responded quickly to the information given by the public about an imminent crime. The ability of the police to react swiftly went a long way in fighting the crime. Secondly, the police’s role as crime fighters is depicted by the arrest of the teenagers as well as the collection of the evidence. The arrest of criminals and evidence collection is part of the police’s role in fighting crime. The depiction of the police’s role as crime fighters by the article is, therefore, a real depiction.
Police as Crime Preventers
In this era of globalization, the role of the police as crime preventers has gained increased importance. Weapons of mass destruction, increased rates of cross-border migration and terrorism all contribute to pre-eminent threats faced by countries and states. Crime prevention entails the collection of intelligence (crucial information) about the activities of potential and actual criminals, and acting on the information before any criminal activity can be carried out. The importance of intelligence gathering is the subject of the news article titled “Police officers are the front lines in domestic counterterrorism: American cops are force multipliers in counterterrorism,” by Wyllie (2009). This article is basically a report of an interview held with Fred Burton, an authoritative figure in the field of counterterrorism. During the interview, Burton argues that police officers need to be familiar with the areas for which they are responsible. They not only need to know all the structures, buildings, factories, and infrastructures of the patrol areas but they should also form trustworthy partnerships with members of the communities. Given the increasingly diverse nature of American communities, Burton argues that it is the duty of police officers to know all religious and ethnic groups that make up their communities. In addition, they should be friendly to some members of such groups who would act as informants to the police.
The reason behind this is that crime prevention cannot be achieved unless the police have leads about the goings-on in the community. And there is no better way to achieve this than to cooperate with members of the community – what is commonly referred to as community policing. Burton also argues that such intelligence-led policing should not be left in the hands of the FBI’s but in the hands of the street police officers who interact closely with the members of the community. Indeed, the role of police as crime preventers is crucial in this era given the changing nature of our societies and the environment. This role of crime prevention has been well depicted in the article.
Police as Order Maintainers
Besides preventing and fighting crimes, police officers are also responsible for maintaining order. Order is important for the smooth running of everyday activities. This role of police in maintaining order is depicted in the news article titled “Fla. Cops use TASER to subdue disorderly gold fan” written by Associated Press (2010). The article is about a “36-year-old man who had attended the second round of The Players Championship at Ponte Vedra Beach,” (Associated Press, 2010, para. 1). The man had been drinking during the game and started yelling at the players while the game went on. His disorderly behavior forced the course marshals to seek help from the police officers. The officers tried to calm him down but without success. Instead, the disruptive fan became more confrontational forcing the police officers to Taser him after he resisted arrest. The action by the police enabled the golf game to proceed without further disruptions. It also enabled the fans to continue watching the game in peace. This is the essence behind order maintenance. Police have the responsibility of stepping in and stopping people from engaging in behaviors that disrupt other people or events. In short, they have a role of ensuring that things are running smoothly particularly if other means of ensuring the same fail. The depiction of the role of police as order maintainers is a real depiction.
Police as Social Servants
Police are the servants of the people. This role of a social servant is depicted in the types of activities police officers engage in. Police officers do not just engage in crime-fighting or prevention. Rather, their duties go beyond that. Police officers are there to help people in distress and to resolve conflicts. The role of police as social servants is depicted in the news article titled “Hero on the bridge: Va. Officer saves woman’s life” written by Roanoke Times (2010). The article is about a woman who had planned to commit suicide by jumping off the 10th Street Bridge onto an oncoming train. Before she jumped, a police officer who was patrolling in the area heard the woman shouting about her suicidal intentions. The police officer rushed to where the woman was just in time to catch her leg as she threw herself off the bridge. In spite of the woman’s shouts at the police officer to let her die, the police officer was persistent in rescuing her from her self-imposed death. Through this heroic act, the police officer managed to save the woman’s life as well as her family and friends from losing a loved one. The woman was also able to receive help in dealing with the issues that were bothering her. As a result, the police officer played the role of a servant of the people. As social servants, police officers offer physical, emotional, social, and psychological assistance to people in different ways. The article’s depiction of the role of police as social servants is a real depiction.
Reference List
Associated Press. (2010). Fla. cops use TASER to subdue disorderly golf fan: A ‘fine walk spoiled’ for 36-year-old intoxicated golf fan after resisting arrest during the second round of The Players Championship. Web.
Gross, S. (2010). Two NY teens arrested for future plot against high school: 17-year-old and his girlfriend researched bomb making and tried to buy a shotgun. Web.
Roanoke Times. (2010). Hero on the bridge: Va. officer saves woman’s life: A Roanoke officer just happened to hear a woman threatening suicide as a train bore down. Web.
Wyllie, D. (2009). Police officers are the front lines in domestic counterterrorism: American cops are “force multipliers in counterterrorism,” says Fred Burton, one of the world’s foremost authorities on terrorists and terrorist organizations. Web.