Читать книгу Police in America - Steven G. Brandl - Страница 150

 We have the police for various reasons:To control crimeTo deal with situations where force may be neededTo respond to people with special needsTo handle situations where something ought not to be happening and about which something needs to be done immediatelyTo enforce the law, maintain order, and provide services

 When police enforce the law, they give it meaning. The police do not pay equal attention to all laws or to all offenders.

 Although law enforcement is an important function of the police, as it is critical to the functioning of the entire criminal justice system, the police spend relatively little time on law enforcement activities.

 Crime control is a difficult, if not impossible, mandate. This means that because the police cannot control the factors associated with crime, they cannot control crime.

 Many strategies used to try to achieve the crime control mandate are controversial, such as pedestrian and vehicle stops.

 Crime control is difficult to measure. Crime statistics are flawed, and variation in crime levels is not easily attributed to police actions.

 Ideally, crime can be controlled through the incapacitation and/or deterrence of criminals. Deterrence is difficult for statisticians to measure and for the police to provide. Some people do not need to be deterred; other people cannot be deterred.

 One of the most important tools of the police is their ability and authority to use force; that is a defining feature of the police occupation. However, police use of force can be controversial.

 Not only are some functions of the police difficult or impossible to achieve, some conflict with one another.

 A police department is not a “one size fits all” entity. Different communities have different expectations of their police. As a result, departments may emphasize different aspects of the policing role (law enforcement, order maintenance, or service). The outlooks of police officers may also determine the role orientation of their departments.