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Homework answers / question archive / Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper in which you evaluate past, present, and future trends of the criminal justice component you select
Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper in which you evaluate past, present, and future trends of the criminal justice component you select. Discuss the budgetary and managerial impact that future trends will likely have not only on the component you select but also on the other components of the criminal justice system. Be sure to include current research data (i.e., qualitative and quantitative) in your analysis.
Trends in the Criminal Justice System
Introduction
The need for social order led to the development of the criminal justice system that comprises agencies and processes established to control and punish crime and disorder. Among the components of the criminal justice system is law enforcement. As the name suggests, law enforcement focuses on implementing societal rules and regulations through various forms such as predictive policing, problem-oriented policing, preventive policing, community policing, and proactive policing. However, modern forms of policing greatly vary from past practices, highlighting the evolution of law enforcement with general changes in security threats and the constitutional rights of citizens. To meet the new challenges, policing has adopted new strategies, tools, and policies that have changed law enforcement's who, where, what, and how. The paper evaluates past, present, and future trends of law enforcement and the budgetary and managerial impact of future trends on the components of the criminal justice system.
Trends in Law Enforcement Strategies
Modern policing attributes its methods and efficiencies to gradual improvements in strategies and policies. In the 1980s, US law enforcement could hardly cope with the steady rise in crime since the 1960s. Research revealed law enforcement used traditional strategies that were ineffective, necessitating changes in policing strategies and policies. In 1960, the crime rate was a record high, with 1887 severe crimes per 100,000 people. Inefficiencies in law enforcement saw a continued rise in crime rate such that by 1985, there were 5224 severe crimes per 100,000 people, almost a threefold increase from 25 years ago. By 1990, the crime rate had once more increased to 5803 severe cases per 100,000 people. Violent crimes such as robbery, rape, aggravated assault, and murder had quadrupled within half a century, consequently raising moral panic concerns. Some of the implemented strategies that studies showed to be ineffective at combating crime included: hiring more law enforcement officers, randomly motorizing the patrol officers, increasing foot patrol officers, rapid response to calls for service, and routine criminal investigation. However, these strategies were considered to be ineffective since they were authoritative. Rather than solving the problem, these strategies focused on the use of more force. It was only after the continued failure of the policing strategies that a new approach was taken in developing and legitimizing a new model for the delivery of police services. The newly implemented approach was community policing.
Contrary to the previous authoritative-based strategies, community policing focused on building relationships with the public to enhance their crime-control effectiveness and increase public respect. Community policing encompassed strategies such as problem-oriented policing that involved identifying, analyzing, and developing tailored responses towards specific problems. Therefore, American law enforcement shifted from a politicized system to professionalism, constitutionalism, and community policing.
Trends in Tools used by Law Enforcement
Trends in the tools used by law enforcement focus on improving the efficiency and accountability of police officers. In regards to tools used, technology is among the most visible sign of change. Technological advancements have significantly enhanced law enforcement tools of work which are more digitized and effective. The need to respond to the challenges of the changing world and improve police efficiency has promoted the adoption of various tools such as radios, flashlights, window punch, and body cameras. Each piece of equipment serves a specific purpose that collectively contributess to the efficiency and accountability of the police, consequently improving law enforcement's response to the increasing demands of their work. For instance, cases of police brutality and the use of excessive force prompted the need for police accountability. As a result, body cameras were adopted to provide an unbiased record of the police interactions with the public, subsequently improving police accountability and discipline.
Similarly, the use of police radios was a revolutionary change that aimed to enhance the much-needed communication efficiency for immediate response. Therefore, compared to the 1900s, modern police officers carry way more equipment that promotes their effectiveness in the line of duty. Back then, police officers mostly carried few things such as a whistle, baton, handcuffs, and maybe a gun. However, modern police officers are decorated with a wide range of tools that collectively enhance their ability to handle multiple situations in their line of duty. For instance, a window punch would come in handy when the law enforcement officers are required to break glass to gain entry.
On the other hand, a police officer without the right tools would be rendered ineffective. Some tools have also been improved or altered to meet the general interests of the public. For instance, tasers were adopted to reduce the use of excessive force when not necessary, consequently improving the efficiency of law enforcement. Therefore, policing has evolved to focus on adopting the right and essential tools to ensure efficiency and accountability during police service.
New forms of crime have also forced law enforcement to adopt new technology to coop up with criminals. For instance, police officers with batons would be rendered ineffective when dealing with criminals armed with guns. Therefore, policing seems to be in a race to keep up with new forms of crimes that require new technology to coop up with criminals who are constantly piloting, iterating, and expanding their methods. For instance, the Bonnot Gang bank robbery in 1912 revealed the need for law enforcement to adopt technology in their service. The Bonnot Gang robbers successfully escaped the police since they used an automobile while the police used bicycles and horses. As a result, the police saw the need to absorb new technology. Similarly, law enforcement began adopting new technologies such as computers, drone cameras, satellite imaging, and spyware to cope with trends such as cybercrime, dark web markets, and money laundering. Therefore, trends reveal that law enforcement is somewhat locked in a technological arms race with criminals, each party trying to gain a technological advantage over the other.
Budgetary and Managerial Impact of Future Trends
The technological race between law enforcement officers and criminals compels a budgetary approach that ensures the police have the right resources to fight crimes. Police cannot afford to be reactive in their approach towards new forms of crime; hence they need a structured budget to prompt a proactive approach. For instance, the performance level of patrol cars needs to be high to coop with organized crime that uses specialized tools and skills. In addition, other components such as courts and correction facilities also require increased budgetary funding to ensure they can efficiently coop with new challenges in the ever-changing world. For instance, more policing may be needed for cybersecurity as recent trends reveal an increase in cybercrime. Therefore, increased criminal activity and new forms of crime require increased budgetary funding to acquire the necessary resources and skillset to combat and control crime.
Managing the criminal justice system has also become increasingly complex based on the new challenges of the changing world. For instance, the interest in observing citizens' constitutional rights has necessitated a professional approach in regards to law enforcement, the court system, and the correction system. As a result, personnel involved in the criminal justice system must be adequately trained and evaluated to ensure they meet set standards. For instance, personnel can be categorized into professionals, enforcers, reciprocators, and avoiders. Professionals represent personnel who possess both passion and the right perspective of the expected work while enforcers represent personnel with the wrong mindset. On the other hand, reciprocators have the proper perspective but lack passion, while avoiders neither have the required passion or perspective. Therefore, the criminal justice system's managerial aspect needs to be improved and regulated in response to prevailing trends.
Conclusion
The recent observable trends in the criminal justice system revolve around increased crime rates and new forms of crimes. Since the emergence of law enforcement as a component of the criminal justice system, crime has evolved with the adoption of new strategies, tools, and methods, consequently compelling law enforcement and other criminal justice system components to evolve. As a result, the criminal justice system has been compelled to adopt a proactive approach to gain an advantage over criminals that are the earliest adopters of new technology. Therefore, the new challenges and trends in crime have necessitated budgetary and managerial improvements to ensure the efficiency of the criminal justice system in the fight against crime and social disorder. In addition, evaluating past, present, and future trends present the criminal justice system with crucial insight of cooping with criminal activities in the midst of our changing world.
Outline
Trends in the Criminal Justice System
The paper evaluates past, present, and future trends of law enforcement and the budgetary and managerial impact of future trends on the components of the criminal justice system.
