Police and Community Relations

Introduction

Police forces in world play a vital role in ensuring that law and order is maintained in the society. However, they face numerous challenges that hinder their performance. Despite their efforts to behave ethically as well as maintain a good image, people still perceive them as people who are knot friendly and kind. Therefore, the relationship between community members and the police remains to be complicated (Carter and Radelet, 2002). They involve in numerous disputes as a result of the attitude they have towards each other. On the other hand, police officers have also contributed to the negative perception in the society. At some point, police treat residents in unfriendly manner. That contributes widely to the complicated relationship between police and common citizens.

Factors Influencing Police-Community Relationship

The department of criminal justice in the united categorizes a number of variables that influence the police-community relationship. These factors include but not limited to media, crime, police misconduct as well as the history of police relations in the society. The information displayed by the media everyday regarding criminal offences paly part in determining how people relate with the police. In most cases, the media has broadcasted issues related to extra judicial killings in the society (Scott, 2002). Viewers of this information are residents who interact with the police officers in their daily operations. As a result, the perception created in the mind of people regarding soldiers is negative. At times, the media gets in to the details of how police officers conduct their duties and expose them to the society. The negatives witnessed in the media corrupt the mind of citizens making them to view security officers as people who are not human friendly.

High rate of crime on the other hand influences the relationship between common people and police officers. An increase in the rate of crime within the urban areas leads to people being jailed while others get killed in the process. It is forms a kind of antagonism between the police and citizens of the affected residents. During such situations, innocent people may find themselves having been incorporated in the crime scene (Scott, 2002). The perception such people develop has a negative effect on their relationship with the police. To add on that, high crime rates on the society may lead to limited freedom for residents as police try to restore peace and order. That means there have to be restrictions regarding time and the activities people may engage in. It becomes challenging for people to live in a restricted environment under the control of security officers. Therefore, people begin to see police as barriers towards enjoying their freedom. They develop a sense of hatred and fear towards the police, a character that is passed from one generation to the other.

The idea of the passing the belief of police hatred from one generation to another can be associated with the past experience of policing in the society. There are states where people are made to fear law and law enforcers. Police are said to use excess force when dealing with people who do not comply with what law demands. As a result, the community has punts to record the negative relationship between them and the police. Children born in such regions grow in an environment where people fear interacting with police at any given point (Carter and Radelet, 2002). They end up creating social classes in the society categorizing police officers as in their own group. However, the situation is even worse when the families related to police officers suffer isolation in the community. It is difficult for them to coupe up with the rest of the population either in school or any other public place that requires people to interact. From another perspective, the relationship between the society and the police is made positive buy the existing history. In a situation k where police officers prove to be social and interactive, community members are always ready to work with them in the maintaining law and order. For instance, there are countries where police officers engage in community services with other residents to enhance community development. They get to socialize with people and learn how to understand one another. That creates an opportunity for negotiations in case one is found on the wrong the side of the law. What the society should understand is that police officers are human beings and reason out just like any other person (Scott, Crawford and LeDuc, 2016). The only difference is the type of work an individual engages into every day as a way of building the nation.

The manner in which the police department handles issues related to the police, misconduct may also have an impact on the relationship they have with the community. Just like any other person would do wrong, security officers also find themselves committing crimes and being charged by law. However, their procedure of being subjected to judgement is a bit different from that of common citizens. The police department has la branch that deals with maintaining discipline among its employees (Scott, Crawford and LeDuc, 2016). Therefore, there are different measure and punishments applied to rectify wrong doers in the police industry. A strict and focused department ensures that every police officer found harassing common citizen is subjected to an equivalent punishment. By that, security officers always respect citizens and behave in a manner that portrays intelligence. Residents are very collaborative when forces do not take advantage of their position in the government to harass them. The same case happens when citizens decide to be rude and arrogant to the police. Both parties have to show respect to one another and work together without fear.

Last but not least, time taken by new police officers in a region to form a positive relationship with community members also determines their long-term engagement. In some places, the police department is so quick to interact with people and form a good living environment (Crawford and LeDuc, 2016). As a result, people get used to them and take them as part of the community. On the other hand, there are places where police officers seem not to incorporate residents in their line of duty. They act as if common citizens are barriers in their line of work. Therefore, enmity is created between both parties that may last for a very long period. Beliefs adopted during the first impressions are passed from generation to generation. When people think of changing the situation, it becomes challenging since people have to start begin training children how to form a good relationship between the police and community members.

Importance of Police-Community Relationship

The foundation set by the policing department in society regarding their relationship with citizens defines how easy their work will be. A negative relationship is more likely to create a situation that is associated with enmity between the police and residents. It is easier and faster to eliminate criminals in a society where people are cooperative. When the citizens decide not to corporate with police officers in keeping peace, it becomes difficult for them to know where and how to find criminals (Allen and Parker, 2013). Contrary to that, collaboration between both teams is the best way to get rid of crimes in the society. At some point, people find themselves in accused for crimes they have not committed and end up in jail. The situation influences the relationship between police officers and the members of the society who claims to know the truth. Once they develop a perception on the towards security officers, they become reluctant in reporting criminals to the department. It reaches a point when people begin to take action and deal with criminals referring to their own mind judgement. Such scenarios are present in a society where community does not trust the policing department any more.

Societies that experience a restrained relationship with the police is said to have a high rate of unsolved problems and disputes among members. That is due to the fact that people are ignorant in reporting information to a security department they have no trust on. Residents will always try to solve their problems by themselves at the local lev el. Afterwards, the community discovers us many unsolved cases that cause them create enmity between them and the police (Allen and Parker, 2013). In that case, they tend to associate the failure with the current security team deployed a particular area. Therefore, it is evident that the police and the society are two bodies that depend on each other to perform their duties effectively. One party cannot work on its own without relying on the other for information or action. The police-community relationship remains s essential to the development of the community at all cost.

Application of Responsible Stewardship Value

The Saint Leo University has six values that act as a guideline to establish a peaceful society at the university. One of the values is responsible stewardship which represents good use of available resources to initiate developing community. This value can be applied when forming a good police-community relationship (University, 2017). The world is made up of numerous resources that can be utilized by people to enhance peace and harmony in the community. The primary reason as to why people fight or engage in criminal activities is due to resource. The population very high yet the resources are scars making people to fight for their survival. Therefore, the society would experience no disputes if there were abundant resources for everyone to have a bug share. However, the police are meant to keep order in the way resources are shared and used among members of the society.

The perception that people have on police officers should not be negative since they act as agents of equality in the society. If there was no law, many people would live a miserable life that is full of suffering while others would all resources by their side (University, 2017). Therefore, it makes no sense to have hate security officers who have to protect the rights of a common citizen. On the other hand, police officers should handle citizens with respect and kindness since they are also part of the society and depends on the scars resources. The relationship between the two parties should aim at making changes on how to develop the society through equality. The foundation set today of a developing community will have an effect on a number of generations to come. If the society is full of unsolved disputes and problems, the situation will dwell for a number of centuries in future. Therefore, responsible stewardship value requires everyone to take care of the available resources and utilize them in manner that promotes peace and the unity in the society.

Recommendation

The relations between police and the community is an issue of concern to many nations globally. There have been fights between the government and the residents of a country trying to deal with discrimination and harassments from the police forces (Allen and Parker, 2013). The society created as a result of negative actions from either party result to a bad relationship which is transferred from parents to children. Just like the responsibility stewardship value states, resources should not make people fights but bring them together. They should act as a sign of unity in the society. However, the police department is put in place to ensure that no one tries to take advantage of the other in sharing the national cake. In a situation where the police and residents have no trust on each other, problems may never be solved in the right manner. Law protects both the weak and the strong by equalizing their rights in the society. Therefore, everyone should strive to make the world a better place for tomorrow's generation.

The Department of police in every state has an obligation to ensure that police officers behave in the right manner to serve citizens with good faith. They should worry about how they relate with people in order to get information on current activities taking place in the society. It is advisable to ensure that people are always willing and to inform the police about the criminal activities and forwards suspected criminals to face the law (Allen and Parker, 2013). Therefore, the relationship between the police and the community will always be essential in ensuring a smooth running of a society.

Conclusion

To sum up the discussion, it is evident that police officers and common citizens depend on each other to enhance unity in the society. Despite the beliefs that exist regarding how police relates with residents, they play a vital role in ensuring equality among members of the society. They should not be viewed as enemies but agents of peace and unity. Therefore, a society that has no cordial relationship between the two parties can be regarded as weak and one that is not united. Everybody is has the right to live in a conducive environment that is healthy for survival. Therefore, respect, trust and humility should be the guiding principles to everyone.

References

Carter, D. L., & Radelet, L. A. (2002). The police and the community. Upper Saddle River, NJ: prentice hall.

Scott, J. D. (2002). Assessing the relationship between police-community coproduction and neighborhood-level social capital.? Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice,? 18(2), 147-166.

Scott, C., Crawford, W., & LeDuc, J. (2016). Advancing 21st century policing: Exploring the Phoenix Police Department's best practices for community engagement.

Allen, T., & Parker, M. M. (2013). Police officers and their perceived relationship with urban communities: Does living in the community influence police decisions? Social Development Issues, 35(3), 82-95.

University, S. (2017). Saint Leo University six steadfast moral guidelines. Saint Leo University. Retrieved 2 December 2017

https://www.saintleo.edu/resources/student-affairs-division.aspx

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