Introduction
Society entrusts its police services with maintaining law and order, protecting fundamental rights and freedoms, preventing and fighting crime, and assisting the public. In carrying out these duties, police officers are granted a wide range of discretionary powers on behalf of the state. The primary functions of the modern police are crime control, order maintenance, and social work. Progress does not stand, so modern police officers use many devices to help capture criminals using high-tech equipment (Blumberg et al., 2019).
Crime Control
The methods by which police control crime are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Moreover, the second point is the changing nature of the crime that the police are fighting. There are several historical generations of crime that the police had to deal with: initially, it was violent, property crimes, then the area expanded, and fraud and intellectual property crimes were added. Along with technological advances, the ways of finding criminals are simplifying and changing, for example, finding criminals by tracking phones, using surveillance cameras, bugging calls, and using all kinds of gadgets for wiretaps and sensors, databases. As part of this function, the police are responsible for catching criminals, preventing crime, and ensuring public safety.
Order Maintenance
Public order means a functioning system of social relations governed by a series of legal norms and other socially acceptable norms, which guarantees the unhindered and non-conflictual functioning of the individual in society. Public order includes all social relations regulated by law and norms of other systems, as well as those formed primarily in public places. In modern society, the police closely monitor public order and identify violators: “The police are strictly connected with public order and peace and their maintenance”(Muharemi, 2019, p.1). This policy function does not require high-tech devices and innovations. However, in the 21st century, it is easier for the police to find and identify offenders with the help of, for example, video surveillance cameras. As part of this function, the police are responsible for identifying violators, preventing violations, and issuing fines.
Social Work
Police officers also perform this social work function. One important function of social work is to help the individual avoid the various risks and threats of the modern world, to help build the trajectory of his life path, and to activate his strength and resources: “Patrolmen manage domestic disputes, administer stern warnings to wayward juveniles, find lost children, talk suicidal people down from rooftops”(Cordner, 2019, p. 35). This function is important because it is social work that helps prevent crime. Many offenders commit crimes because of mental trauma, mistaken beliefs, addictions, and similar life problems. Social work helps people rethink their actions and change society for the better. Technological advances have also affected this police function. For example, the Internet has helped in the search for missing persons, as has telephone tracking. Various disciplines and continuing education courses have appeared to help police officers become competent. In social work, it is important to have a quality education that allows police officers to understand people’s psychology and behavior. I believe that there will be many more approaches and ways of performing social work in the future.
Conclusion
I believe that the main function of the police is to fight crime. When other agencies can perform the other two functions, it is in this activity that the police are indispensable. The police have authority in society, inspire trust, and perform their duties. The police are equipped with weapons and the necessary devices to catch criminals, which is why they can perform this function well.
In the future, as humanity develops, certain types of crimes may be added, and cybercrime may develop even more. That is why the police must continue to constantly develop the technology used in their work, to introduce innovations to make their work easier. In the future of society, preventing and finding the perpetrators of crimes such as robbery and murder will become much easier since, at that point, almost all police officers will be equipped with high-tech devices.
References
Blumberg, D. M., Schlosser, M. D., Papazoglou, K., Creighton, S., & Kaye, C. C. (2019). New directions in police academy training: A call to action. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(24), 4941.
Cordner, G. W. (2019). Police Administration (10th ed.). Taylor & Francis.
Muharemi, I. (2019). The influence of social changes in the police organization development and the function of the police in society. International Journal, 30(6), 1471-1477.