Contemporary Policing In America Essay

Understanding contemporary policing in America requires a cogent appreciation of history of policing in America (Walker & Katz, 2012). Appreciating the history of policing requires one to dig deep into the past eras. More specifically, one needs to assess the political and reform eras (Johnson, 1981). Also, the law enforcement officers normally acquire skills and knowledge during training in the academies. The skills and knowledge so acquired are manifest in their day-to-day practices influenced by their cherished traditions. A holistic understanding of the present-day policing in America also requires one to comprehend these skills and knowledge acquired during academy training. The career of a law enforcement officer commences from the academy to the streets. One also needs to navigate through the career path of a police officer to fully appreciate the nature of their work. Police do not work in isolation, or more accurately, in a vacuum. The police need an effective partnership between them and the communities within which they function in order for one to gain a better understanding of the functions and development of the

It in this regard, solving crimes and/or mitigating conditions that give rise to public safety issues is viewed as a joint responsibility between the law enforcement agencies and the respective communities in which those agencies function. Traditional policing on the other hand views law enforcement and maintenance of public safety as a sole responsibility of the law enforcement communities. Put differently, traditional policing model finds no value in problem-solving through partnership with the communities concerned. It is therefore safe to say that traditional policing promotes reactive approaches to problem-solving hence encourages responses such as those witnessed after crimes have been