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Role of a police officer
The concept of police reasonability leads to the debate on the identification of right policies and their implementation. A police officer has the responsibility of maintaining law and order by taking appropriate actions. They must be able to integrate adequate tactics for dealing with crimes and criminals. Key strategies involve adopting problem-oriented policing, deterrence approaches, and crime deterrence. Attention is required for enhancing legitimacy as police have to follow the legal regulatory framework. New strategies and approach can be integrated for improving officer's role. Evidence-based practices can be more effective in deterring crimes and dealing with criminal procedures.
Hot spots policing states that officer must search at places where crime rates are high. Evidence suggests that “police resources on crime hot spots provided the strongest collective evidence of police effectiveness that is now available” CITATION Cod12 \l 1033 (Telep & Weisburd, 2012). The areas with high crime rates exhibit a high likelihood of future crimes. When police targets high crime areas they manage to reduce crimes. In small geographical areas, the role of police has been effective because a significant reduction in crime rates was observed. The policing states that fifty percent of the crimes occur at areas that are concentrated in less than five percepts of places. Officers mostly take actions that target the streets but not the neighborhoods. Street-by-street heterogeneity is also reported in case of crimes. Hot Spots policing this claims that officers must be able to identify the areas where potential risks of crimes are high. It is inappropriate to cause inconvenience to the larger population.
Police officers must respond efficiently that will remove the risks of crimes. Their central duty is to reduce crimes and promote an environment of peace and order. Although Hot Spot policies stress on targeting risky areas but police require instructions for responding to situations of threats. The officer must be able to spend an ideal time of 14 to 15 minutes in a hot spot. With the increase in time the probability of deterring crime declines. Evidence suggests, "police can maximize crime and disorder reduction at hot spots by making proactive, medium-length stops at these locations” CITATION Cod12 \l 1033 (Telep & Weisburd, 2012). This also reflects the officer's ability to respond to the event of a potential threat. The more immediate response means a high probability of controlling crimes. The Hot Spot policy thus identifies that the role of the officer is to respond to the situation on the earliest basis. Delay in response increase the chances of crime and its consequences.
Situational prevention strategies state that the officer must be capable of reacting to the crimes according to the situations. This ensures that the strategies are well positioned for targeting criminals and areas exhibiting high risks of crimes. Host spot strategy indicates that crimes are clustering at specific locations. The officers must address the criminogenic factors of risk that refers to client-specific needs. This links with cognitive behavioral principles. This suggests that the officers need to use resources for reacting to high-risk clients in hot spot areas. The strategy is useful for eliminating the waste of resources.
Problem-oriented policies depict that the police officers must target different geographical areas for reducing risks across the country. Their proactivity will allow them to mitigate the risks and remove the occurrence of crimes. Officer adopts a problem-oriented attitude that indicates his ability to identifying risks and reacting in an appropriate manner. They start from scanning that indicates the determination of potential problems. Police “often engage in a form of "shallow problem solving" that involves only peripheral analysis of crime data and a large law enforcement-oriented response” CITATION Cod12 \l 1033 (Telep & Weisburd, 2012). This takes the officer to the responding stage where he reacts to the situation appropriately. The problem should be handled in a short time and period. Expansion of repertoire response increases the possibilities of crime deterrence.
Pulling levers is another strategy that defines the roles of police officers in dealing with the situation of crimes. This stresses on forced deterrence tactics for ensuring removal and reduction of crimes. By adopting pulling levers, “police can increase the certainty, swiftness, and severity of punishment in a number of innovative ways, often by directly interacting with offenders” CITATION Cod12 \l 1033 (Telep & Weisburd, 2012). Officer's interaction with the offender allows him to understand the motives and nature of the crime. The model stresses on promoting intolerance against violence. The officer will ensure that the criminals are put in jails that will eliminate future risks of violence or serious crimes. The officer needs to follow legislation and rules for making the right use of power. Any role beyond legislature is against police ethics and duty.
Directed patrol to gun violence suggests that the police officer must act to control gun violence. Intensive patrolling is an effective tool for reducing gun violence from the country. The policy states, “more intensive police presence in high gun crime beats seems to be effective” CITATION Cod12 \l 1033 (Telep & Weisburd, 2012). This reflects the involvement of police in responding to the situation of gun violence. Using DNA evidence is also required action for finding the right criminal. The officer must undergo an investigative process such as identifying the DNA of the criminal. DNA testing will eliminate errors in investigations.
A police officer has a duty to follow the legal framework and work efficiently for deterring the crimes. The central purpose is to restore law and order by protecting the lives of citizens. The officer has a responsibility to engage in intensive patrolling and identify potential risks for eliminating crimes.
Reference
BIBLIOGRAPHY Telep, C. W., & Weisburd, D. (2012). What is Known About the Effectiveness of Police Practices in Reducing Crime and Disorder? Police Quarterly, 15 (4), 331–357.
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