For this research paper, I assessed basic police reforms put in place to combat crime and drug abuse. The research included analysis of past information from articles, books, and other journals from different organizations aiming at comprehending the concept of police reforms.

The information was gathered through detailed reading, comparing, analyzing, and recording all the information found from the sources. In addition, this paper comprises information from interviews conducted in the past regarding police reforms.

Introduction

The function of police agencies is law enforcement and the protection of the public. In most contexts, especially after crimes such as illegal drug trafficking and other forms of crimes, police officers are perceived as perpetrators rather than law enforcement officers mandated to protect the public from any form of crime. Most global administrations, organizations, and NGOs supported police reforms, especially in how police handle the issue of crime and drug trafficking by bridging the distance between the police officer and the public (Dammert, 2019). SSR context indicates that police reforms purpose to change the culture, practices, and values of police agencies such that the officer can execute their responsibilities in the context of democratic values, the rule of law, and human rights (McGonigle, 2021). Due to police's direct association with society and the authority conferred to them, it is necessary to ensure that officer maintains excellent levels of accountability and professionalism in their mandate. Insufficient democratic control, oversight, and accountability over police officers can lead to corruption, violation of human rights, penetration of crimes, and interference with the process of mitigating illicit drug trafficking (Wiatrowski, 2016). This literature review will focus on police reforms, particularly in combating drug trafficking and crimes. Internationally there has been some police reform put in place to mitigate crimes.

Police Reforms

To discourse drug trafficking and combat planned criminal violence, criminals must be known, sued, punished, and prohibited from conducting their illegal events (Brown, Esbensen & Geis, 2018). Effective prosecutors, police, and courts that are not corrupted are vital in attaining that end. In the case of Colombia police reforms, in 1993, the Colombia administration established a key reform in the police department after a reported violation of human rights (Dugas, 2021). Colombia has been the main global cocoa production; the coherent relationship between the police agencies and community is fundamental in combating illicit drug trafficking. Due to continuous brutality, corruption, and inefficient CNP force, the law enforcement agencies had to accept changes. The reform began with the formation of two commissions; internal to officers and external commission. The 1993 police reform incorporated numerous external commissions’ requirements, most of which aimed to maximize civilian control and build police and public relations (Bacon, 2015). Among these actions was the formation of a National Police Commissioner, a civilian authority in charge of overseeing police officer disciplinary processes; the civilian was mandated to receive, process, and analyze any complaint concerning police behavior from the public (Hope Sr, 2021) . The NCP created program evaluation and statistical analyses; the authority functions were above the authority of administrations' human rights.

Decriminalization is also a vital police reform step in the correct way for illicit drug policy reform.

Other reforms include; First, Vetting and evaluation. Administrations created a vetting and evaluation control system as a key reform to vet and evaluate police officers (Balliu, 2020).

The evaluations are purposed to ensure that police officers newly recruited have clean records and proper qualifications. These evaluations and vetting are regularly performed for active departments; they also aim to eliminate corrupt agents and detect police officers who are using illicit drugs or having psychological issues to help them. These vetting and evaluation police reforms are significant because police forces were accused of corruption and records of the police force that drug traffickers and criminal groups completely penetrated—secondly, external and internal control policy reforms (Khlif & Samaha, 2016). Police departments started an internal affairs unit with higher autonomy and power to conduct investigations, including undercover investigations of officers suspected of engaging in illicit drug and criminal activities. The internal affairs unit is also administratively sanctioned for human rights violations or other criminal activities linked to police officers. Internal control was mandated to report to the public administration department.

Lastly, police recruitment and training reform; another key focus was how law enforcement departments recruit and train personals to reflect the society they serve excellently (Thill, 2019). Approximately twelve percent of police officers were women, a percent that has been constant for a long period despite the study that indicated that women tend to use a method of policing that is less violent and less physical force; this style of handling crimes is very crucial in combating illicit drugs. Law enforcement departments increased the number of women in the police officers. On training, law enforcement departments trained officers in more communicative and less violent styles of policing.

State of Knowledge

From my literature review, the topic does not have enough robust literature, and there are some gaps in the policy reforms need to be addressed. First, decriminalization; this is a fundamental action towards illegal drugs; however, to attain good results in combating illicit drugs and the harm caused by abuse of drugs, law enforcement agencies must combat illegal drugs from cultivations, production, and distributions; this action is vital in the control of drug abuse that needs to be embraced by the police department (Dempsey & Forst, 2015). Its factual decriminalization of persons involved in illegal drugs can have good health, economic, and social outcomes, but for these clusters to be fully combated, the illegal drug market also needs to be controlled. Internationally, it is approximated that drug trafficking generates the largest money for organized crime, making such groups have the financial power to corrupt, weak police officers and other state departments (Beittel, 2015). Even with the decriminalized model, the public is still susceptible to the effects of the illicit drug trade; individuals who abuse drugs are also at risk by this model, having to sail across the doubt of an unregulated illegal drugs market.

Secondly; Drug couriers are persons who use transport drugs; studies have indicated that drug carriers are from a marginalized and vulnerable part of the community in most settings (Coomber & Moyle, 2018). Most couriers are usually encouraged by economic hardship and poverty and have less knowledge of outcomes if caught; other couriers are usually forced to transport drugs and threatened against their close people if they resist transport. The moment couriers resume their duty, they are typically powerless. Illicit drug owners typically transport less than couriers because they understand the results if law enforcement agencies find them.

Couriers are mostly held responsible and convicted for situations and decisions out of their control (Baltzer, 2018). To criminalize and convict a person involved in transporting illegal drugs out of external forces and economic status is unjust.

Still, farmers of crops used to manufacture illegal drugs, for instant, coca and opium poppies, usually are involved in illicit drug cultivation because of economic challenges (Buxton, 2015). Most stay in regions where access to the legal market, infrastructure, and health care are insufficient. In such a situation, farming illegal crops becomes the ultimate decision since it provides them stable economic life, and the crops grow even in low agricultural conditions.

However, farmers face a threat of criminalization, having their incomes destroyed. For decades, the elimination of illicit drug crops has been a major constituent of failed supply reduction labors. Such abolition labors have had terrible results, not only economically for farmers but also for the health and safety of the entire society. For example, in Colombia, violent in-flight fumigation campaigns to eradicate coca plantations caused important collateral harm: people’s legal crops were damaged, soil productiveness was spoiled, and there were reports of gastrointestinal, respiratory, and skin complications, along with miscarriages, all connected to fumigation (Shelton & Cutting, 2015). Illegal drug consumption is a reality in communities all over the globe. Though governing units are being applied in certain authorities for illicit drugs, it is time for governments to move further by correctly controlling all drugs by providing and using other reforms instead of forceful approaches.

Police conduct towards the community is also a gap on this literature. I believe the issue of police conduct toward the community has not been well addressed in the past literatures. In the stir of current events involving police officers' use of strength and other matters, the validity of the officer has been grilled in most societies (Ellis, 2021). Most towns in the United States encountered large-scale protests, and in some other cases, there have been unrests over perceptions of armed officers’ delinquency and excessive use of force. In Colombia, people who live remote areas where coca farming have been taking place, experience excess force from police officer which make them cooperate with illegal groups that tends to protect and support them. Police agencies need to improve associations with their communities. A positive police society relationship is significant for acquiring society’s confidence and safeguarding their help in criminal anxiety. Community support and collaboration are built basically upon a connection resulting from just conduct by law implementation officers. The police officer image among the community is usually the product of a few brief individual encounters with law implementation (Nagin & Telep, 2020). As underlined by the media, any negative community encounter can have a wave effect. These events can often seriously harm long-standing affirmative between law enforcement and community relationships.

There are numerous general procedures of conduct that if enhanced by police officers on a steady basis, assist in creating and maintaining community help (Wilson & Kelling, 2017).

Specifically, police officers should always enhance good conduct toward society, disregarding race or ethnicity when relating to the people. In addition, police officers should treat every person with dignity, respect, and courtesy. Overbearing arrogances and language that can ridicule, intimidate or demean individuals should be evaded. Handling people in a fair, impartial, and unbiased manner is also vital to gaining community support, cooperation, and trust (Tyler & Jackson, 2014). These should be done when relating with the public in law enforcement encounters and when providing services like crime prevention activities and preventive patrol.

Generally, police conduct toward the public play a significant role in building a coherent relationship with the public; this can help combat crimes and help in mitigating illicit drugs. Police conduct policy help improves law enforcement balance between major and minority.

Some of the methods used in this literature are such as case study, surveys, questionnaires, and interviews (Baskarada, 2014). This literature has strengths and weaknesses. Some of the strengths of this literature include; have gathered together most of the information accomplished, it allow for great and wide summation for people who are new to the topic, incorporate inconclusive and small researches that help in making clear conclusion. Some of the weaknesses of this literature include; it does not have systematic research evaluations and methods, it have some restrictive on focuses of certain methods used in research, there are contradictory sentiments concerning when exact methods are essential for the literature, it does not have set methods to ensure all information on the topic was put into consideration.

The function of police agencies is law enforcement and the protection of the public. To mitigate illegal drug trafficking and combat planned criminal violence: criminals must be known, sued, punished, and prohibited from conducting their illegal events. Effective prosecutors, police, and courts that are not corrupted are vital in attaining that end. In the case of Colombia police reforms, in 1993, the Colombia administration established a key reform in the police department after a reported violation of human rights. Colombia has been the main global cocoa production; the coherent relationship between the police agencies and community is fundamental in combating illicit drug trafficking. However, from my literature review, some gaps in the policy reforms need to be addressed, such as decriminalization.

References

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