Running head: POLICING FUNCTIONS

Policing Functions
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Contemporary Issues and Futures in Criminal Justice /CJA394
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Policing Functions

Law enforcement plays an exceptionally significant role in society by making sure that
functions flow efficiently and criminal offenders, that cause disturbance through performing
what has been considered a crime, are detained and made to pay for their wrongdoing. One of a
police officers functions is to supply protection for community members and investigate crimes
that take place; while another function is to improve programs or processes in society that will
assist in crime prevention and guarantee the safety of community members through efficient and
positive responses to the problems of crime.

Various perspectives of the policing function from local, state, and federal organizational
levels
The police officers role is to prevent and control conduct widely recognized as
threatening to life and property and aid individuals who are in danger of physical harm
(Stevens, 2005). Police officers act in response to crime occurrences as well as collisions and
other public safety incidents that occur in society. Law enforcement provides assistance to
community members in need and recognizes prospective problems of crime in society as well as
setting up bond and relationships with community members to guarantee their collaboration in
crime situations and to develop joint solutions to potential crime issues. Police officers are often
faced with dangerous situations, and in these situations, they are faced with the added stress of
deciding which course of action to take. They must be able to make on the spot decisions that
oftentimes present themselves in life or death situations.

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According to Walker and Katz (2008), The functions of the police are outlined in the
Police Act 1861 which provided the framework for policing agencies across the nation to
establish law enforcement functions (Chapter 3). Following the traditional common law
method for policing, the legislation outlines the role and responsibilities of the police as well as
the authority they will be provided in their public officials. The Police Act defined the authority
of the police to investigate crimes and arrest criminal offenders within the confines of the law as
well as act with good judgment and follow established ethical conduct. (Walker & Katz, 2008,
Chapter 3). Police officers will be responsible for evidence collection and for acting as witnesses
in the court process.
One police function is to act within the confines of the jurisdiction in which they have
been assigned. Federal police officers have jurisdiction over crime that impacts the nation. For
example the federal law enforcement is responsible for conducting investigations on any crimes
that cross the borders of states or involve international conflict. Federal police officers are
responsible for crimes such as terrorism, immigration, treason, human trafficking, kidnapping,
and drug smuggling. If the crime that occurs falls within the confines of the state, the federal
government does not have jurisdiction or authority over these crimes.
The state policing agency is responsible for investigating crime and arresting criminal
offenders that fall within the jurisdiction of the individual state. If the crime involves more than
one state then the jurisdiction belongs to the federal government. Within the individual state
there can be many different individual jurisdictions. For example, state police would be
responsible for crimes that affect the entire state including the highways and interstates of the
state. While local police departments, such as city police, would be confined to the borders of the
city while the county police would be confined to the borders of the county.

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An example of federal law enforcement agencies, such as the F.B.I, conduct

investigations into federal crimes that have been committed as well as to work as intelligence to
develop information on any possible threats to the nation (Holder, 2010). State policing agencies
such as the Highway Patrol ensure the safety of citizens travelling on the highways and
interstates of the state as well as to respond to accident and crime incidents. An example of a
local policing agency would be a Sheriffs Department. This agency would be responsible for
controlling all crime situations and incidents that occur within the confines of the local
community.

Possible future changes in the law and overall impact

In the future, there will be many different changes that will directly impact the law
enforcement agency. In a new technological age, the functions of the police officer are
continually changing and evolving as new technology emerges. New technology will continue to
evolve, which will only increase the number of cyber-crimes and cyber-criminals in society, and
will require the police functions, roles, and responsibilities of the police officer. Police officers
will also be provided with new technological capabilities that will improve and simplify their
abilities to identify and arrest criminal offenders, but in order to be successful in adapting to new
technological capabilities.
In the future, police officers will also need to know the new legislation that will be
developed in response to the Supreme Courts ruling that police agencies cannot use methods of
racial profiling to identify suspects. In order to adapt to this new Supreme Court ruling, police
agencies will need to make the necessary administrative changes in training and in the response
to identifying criminal suspects in the field (Engel, 2002). Because of new immigration

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challenges being experienced by the country, racial profiling concerning the potential illegal
immigrant has also been limited by the Supreme Court. Federal and state police will also need to
create a new response to identifying illegal immigrants.
Police officers play an extremely important role in society and will continue to in the
future. The police officer will still be required to act with good judgment and use discretion in
the field but will also need to adapt to an everyday changing world that has expanded the
technological capabilities of the criminal and has opened the door to major threats to society,
such as terrorism and international organized crime. While terrorism will certainly be one of the
future problems of American society, criminal justice system, and law enforcement agencies,
there will be many other future challenges that will also need to be addressed.
The main function of the police officer is to ensure that citizens comply with the law and
that all necessary measures are taken to ensure that crime is prevented and citizens and their
property are protected. In the future the functions of the police will be the same as in the present
but the functions or responsibilities and the role of the law enforcement officer will change.
Without the police officer, society would be in chaos and there would be no justice for the victim
or the criminal offender. Police officers are essential to social control and a well-functioning
society.
The future of policing, no doubt, hinges on our ability and willingness to provide proper
funding, support their decisions, and to trust that most will do the right thing when called to
protect. Many new technologies are being investigated to assist the officers in protecting our
people and our nation. We will no doubt see quick advancements in every aspect of the field.
Officers are called and relied upon every day for more pressing issues than the day, week, or
month before. In order to ensure their success, it is our job as a nation, to provide them with the

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respect, technology, funding, trust, and support necessary to do their jobs to the fullest extent
possible. There will no doubt be controversies in what was done versus what should have been
done, but until we are put in the same situation, we must assume that the right decision had been
made and that the officers were acting in the best interest of the public.
No one person knows what the future will hold, but it can be assumed that many
advancements will be implemented into the police force in order to assure not only the safety of
each individual, but to ensure the safety of the officer as well. While we go about our daily lives,
we seldom think of why we are able to do just that. Our men and women in uniform have
protected our freedom for decades, and will continue to do so for more to come, regardless of
how appreciative we are or are not. We should hope for the future of the police for to be a good
one, because ultimately, their future entails ours as well.

Conclusion
In conclusion, as our society continues to grow in order for them to put our public safety
and crime prevention at the forefront of their duties to serve they need to cooperate. One
department will need to have access and help the other from one agency to the next all working
in collusion to create an atmosphere that hinders the ability for criminals to get away with
crimes. Policing and their functions are needed to be a collaborative effort within the various
departments and organization and although we need to understand that this is a system that will
likely never change it is a system that needs to be embraced as a unit rather than a collection of
individual departments. When, they work together and collaborate they are most effective.

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References

Engel, R. (2002). Theory and racial profiling: Shortcomings and Future Directions in Research.
Retrieved January 23, 2012 from http://cjonline.uc.edu/theory-and-racial-profiling-shortco
Holder, E. (2010). Functions of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Federal Bureau of
Investigations. Retrieved January 25, 2012 from
http://www.justice.gov/jmd/mps/manual/fbi.htm
Stevens, M. (2005). The Role of Police in Society. Retrieved January 26, 2012 from
http://faculty.ncwc.edu/mstevens/205/205lect01.htm
Walker, S., & Katz, C. M. (2008). The Police in America. An Introduction (6th ed.). Retrieved
from http://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content