Modern Day Policing and Society: Where Are We Headed?

Modern Day Policing and Society
Name
Professor’s name
Course Title
Date
Modern Day Policing and Society
Policing has undergone tremendous transformation over time and this has significantly contributed towards the development of a robust working framework insofar as policing is concerned. In this regard, policing has become a core part of the American society, and one that continually influences the manner in which policing is effected as well as how the public responds to policing efforts (Brown, 2013). Although the history and development of policing has generally had both positive and negative impacts on the society, it has contributed towards the overall improvement of the society in terms of safety and security for communities.
One of the most fundamental eras of policing is the political era (1840-1930). During this time, the police officers were very well acquainted with their communities and this helped bring law and order into the budding towns and cities. However, this era of policing was also marked by excessive police brutality and rampant collaboration of police officers in organized crime rackets (Crank & Kadleck, 2013). In this way, this era of policing was characterized by more harm than good being done by policing. However, it proved to be an essential foundation because it helped subsequent eras refine the processes of policing while eliminating many of the negative traits of the process. Another era of policing that has significantly transformed policing is the community policing era (1980-present). This era of policing has been instrumental in redefining how police officers interact with the public, how the collect information, and how they discharge their duties. The adoption of a decentralized policing system that focuses on collaboration with local communities has significantly improved how well officers can regulate criminal activity in neighborhoods. It has also strengthened the level of confidence in the police force among the public, as evidenced by the readiness and dependency of the public to seek help from police officers (Chriss, 2015). However, many dissenters of this era of policing posit that it detracts officers from fighting crime and has them focus on doing social work. Nonetheless, these two eras have been instrumental in shaping the manner in which policing is perceived today.
Two of the major issues facing law enforcement today are the use of deadly force and the use of body cameras. Across the USA, the use of deadly force by the police has been a source of turmoil and conflict, particularly when such force is, or is considered to have been, applied in a discriminatory manner (Cra...