Читать книгу Police in America - Steven G. Brandl - Страница 22

The police are not equally concerned with all types of crime. The police, local police in particular, are more oriented toward what have been referred to as predatory types of crime, or street crimes, such as murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, and so on. Part of the reason for the greater focus on these types of crime is that police territory is the streets, literally. The police patrol the streets and sidewalks. The streets are public space; the police have the most presence in public spaces, as opposed to private spaces like living rooms or business offices. When the police are in private places, it is usually only because they were invited or needed there.

Because they are responsible for crime control, officers tend to have a greater presence in areas where there is more street crime. Such areas tend to have high levels of unemployment, poverty, and population density. They are often racial minority neighborhoods. So, at least in urban settings, the police pay more attention to some areas and some people than others. Indeed, the police spend more time in some public spaces than others.²² This can lead to criticism about overpolicing in some neighborhoods and underpolicing in others. Citizens who perceive too much police action in their neighborhoods may be just as upset as citizens who perceive too little in their neighborhoods. Either way, the police may be subject to criticism.

overpolicing: The perception of too much police presence and action in a neighborhood.

underpolicing: The perception of too little police presence and action in a neighborhood.

Law enforcement agencies other than local police departments are also more concerned with some types of crimes than others. For example, federal law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), devote more resources to combating predatory crimes and terrorism than other types of crimes. Although the strategies used to combat criminals differ, federal law enforcement agencies also devote more resources to certain places than others and pay more attention to some people than others.