Posted: September 7th, 2024

Current Issues Impacting Law Enforcement

Current Issues Impacting Law Enforcement and How They Influence Law Enforcement Organizational Design and Function

Introduction
Today law enforcement officers have to deal with extremely complex challenges that are ever-evolving. Albrecht (2011) argues that some of these challenges are just new twists to the existing problems, while others are entirely new and would not have been imagined or prepared a few decades ago. As such, Albrecht (2011) notes that law enforcement officers are struggling to adjust to these emerging challenges, which would have influenced their ability to enhance public safety protection while decreasing the ability to do their jobs properly. This discussion focuses on the current issues that are impacting law enforcement and how some of these issues influence the organizational design and function of law enforcement.
Current Issues Impacting Law Enforcement
One of the issues currently impacting law enforcement is the problem of restoring public trust. Today the law enforcement has been rocked with high profile incidents that have diminished the public confidence in the service and exasperated some challenges that already existed. For instance, the Ferguson incident where an 18 years old black man, Michael Brown Jr was shot by Darren Wilson, white police officers raised eyebrows in regards to the issues of racism and police brutality within the police service (Lloyd, 2017). Already the police were facing challenges in regards to maintaining a positive image in the eyes of the public, and such incidents only serve to add fuel to the fire. With the emergence of similar incidents, law enforcement is having a hard time reaching out to communities because their trust and confidence in the service have already been eroded (Lloyd, 2017). This an issue that is of grave concern because it minimizes collaborative efforts between law enforcement officers and the general public, thus making it difficult for them to do their work effectively.
Recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers are also emerging as another serious issue as most law enforcement agencies continue to deal with the challenge of hiring or retaining their already qualified and experienced officers. Experts have warned that recent high profile cases involving law enforcement officers like that in Ferguson or the targeted assassinations of police officers have made it difficult to convince new young recruits to join law enforcement (Lloyd, 2017). Some of the potential recruits now perceive law enforcement as a risky profession, thus making preservations towards it. Additionally, unlike before where young people were looking into joining a specific career or field and serving for their lifetime, today, this trend has changed, and young people are looking at shorter career spans (Millie & Das, 2008). Based on these factors, it is quite clear that recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.
Training of new law enforcement professionals has also been identified as a significant issue currently affecting the sector. It is a well-known fact that proper training and education form the foundation of any comprehensive and practical law enforcement. However, some of the issues arising from modern law enforcement training are that sometimes they tend to be rushed or, in other cases, they are given less rarity, mainly due to funding or time constraints. Millie and Das (2008) argue that inconsistent or insufficient training is a risk to the wellness and safety of law enforcement officers, and it has the potential to expose the general public to potential harm. In some cases, training departments have been accused of shifting training programs constantly, a factor that sends mixed signals to law enforcement officers regarding their expectations on the job or distinguishing which are the essential training aspects (Millie & Das, 2008). Moreover, there are also growing concerns that the move from scenario-based training to computerized training is creating procedural deficiencies that are likely to result in diminished safety and wellness standards of law enforcement officers (Millie & Das, 2008). These issues pose a considerable threat to the overall law enforcement professionals because it means that it will result in improperly trained officers.
Fast evolving technologies like the use of body-worn cameras are presenting new challenging dynamics to law enforcement, an issue that would not have been imagined decades ago. Today law enforcement agencies are adopting the use of body-worn cameras intending to realize better evidence documentation while increasing transparency and accountability (Thompson, 2018). However, Thompson (2018) adds that despite these benefits, other more severe issues are emerging, some of which include privacy concerns, public disclosure policies, and financial considerations, among others. As this technology continues to evolve, it is likely to result in more increased challenges, thus endangering both the law enforcement officers and the general public.
Today social media has become very popular globally, and it is presenting numerous challenges to law enforcement officers because this technology has changed the dynamic of modern crimes. For instance, there is a growing trend of new crimes being committed on various social media platforms with these crimes ranging from human trafficking, terrorism, and gang recruitment, among others (Thompson, 2018). These are serious threats that law enforcement officers need to address. For instance, Thompson (2018) notes that the U.S. Department of Justice established that terrorist groups have become very adept in the use of social media to spread propaganda and undertake recruitments with most of the domestic violence cases in the United States being traced to have originated from various social media platforms. Such cases are presenting a new challenge to law enforcement officers because they often find themselves completely unaware of these threats even when they are happening right within the neighborhood. Thompson (2018) adds that some studies suggest that these issues are worsened by the fact that law enforcement globally is behind the curve when it comes to equipment, training, and specialists with the ability to monitor or intercept these social media activities before any severe incident can take place.
Today there is increasing use of drones and other uncrewed aerial vehicles within law enforcement, and it is becoming a growing concern in some quarters. According to OECD (2014), the primary intention of using uncrewed aerial vehicles within the law enforcement field was intended to reduce the costs that come with using aircraft or helicopter to undertake aerial surveillance and also the need to ensure that officers have a more secure method of monitoring the ground. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation regarding the use of uncrewed aerial vehicles within the law enforcement field, and it is a factor that has raised numerous concerns, especially in regards to privacy. Moreover, the law has failed to keep with the increased use of UAVs in private practice. For instance, some private UAV can hamper critical emergency operations or interfere with investigations when they are flown over areas that law enforcement officers are currently engaged in (OECD, 2014). These types of issues are likely to continue increasing, and they are going to be a serious concern to law enforcement because they pose a significant danger to life, property, and officers being able to conduct their duties effectively.
The emergence of new encryption methods among communication devices is becoming a significant issue in law enforcement. This is because today, law enforcement agencies are rapidly losing their ability to legally obtain information that would be necessary to protect the public from different forms of crimes and violence (OECD, 2014). Additionally, their more advocates who are advancing for more enhanced privacy measures majority of which are aimed at imposing barriers or restrictions that would prevent law enforcement officers from obtaining any historically legally accessible information (OECD, 2014). This a significant concern because such issues may hinder the prevention of violent crimes and result in the loss of more property and life. Because of these developments, it means that the ability of law enforcement to access digital evidence legally is becoming increasingly hindered by both non-technological and technological advancements barriers to access. As such, criminals and terrorists can operate enthusiastically beyond the set legal standards through encrypted networks and mobile devices.
How These Issues Influence Law Enforcement Organizational Design and Function
The identified issues are having a significant influence on the organizational design and function of law enforcement. For instance, modern organizational design and functions have to be set up in such a way that they can be able to restore public trust. Within a local law enforcement agency, community engagement has to be done with a lot of commitment at all levels (Winder, .2017). As such, modern law enforcement agency leadership is committed to reach out or meet leaders from their diverse communities located within their jurisdictions. Winder (2017) adds that these supervisors have become the new faces of modern law enforcement agencies to promote trust and confidence between law enforcement officers and the general public. This approach is aimed at ensuring that some of the issues arising from the restoration of public trust are dealt with appropriately.
Another organization function and design that is being influenced by the identified issues is that today law enforcement agencies are undertaking more enhanced training targeting law enforcement officers. For instance, among the ideal that participants advanced as the measure for improved training includes ensuring that training departments provide regular and recurring training on crisis intervention, leadership, and mental health safety targeting all law enforcement officers (Winders, 2017). Additionally, law enforcement agencies are establishing national-level training guides that are meant to enhance to enhance training through regular updated and training recommendations (Winders, 2017). The Adoption of these measures is intended to ensure that some of the issues identified in regards to training in law enforcement are addressed.
Establishing real crime centers is another organizational measure undertaken to address the issues emerging from increased threats resulting from advancing technology. For instance, law enforcement agencies are using these real crime centers to consolidate and share information collected from various crime surveillance infrastructures such as the body is worn cameras or drones (Winders, 2017). This collaborative effort is aimed at eliminating some of the risks and issues associated with such technologies. Winders (2017) highlights that the establishment of these “real-time crime centers” is bearing fruits with places like The Detroit Police Department seeing a reduction in crime of more than 40 percent. Establishing these law enforcement organizational design and functions has been as a result of the issues arising from information technology challenges within law enforcement.
Unfortunately, Khan (2013) argues that the organizational design of most modern police organizations is rarely discussed and continues to be a very underdeveloped topic existing among most managers. Previously, law enforcement administrators have experimented using various efficiency models and directed patrols that were aimed at increasing productivity among law enforcement officers while promoting better relations with the general public (Khan, 2013). However, these efforts have been criticized because their primary focus has been on enhancing community relations instead of improving organizational efficiency through the incorporation of their plans to empower their employees. Khan (2013). argues that empowering law enforcement officers responding to various crime problems in the community is a task requiring flexible structures to make the right adjustments both efficiently and quickly. As such, law enforcement administrators should work in such a way that they can design organizational functions with the ability to empower their officers, especially those at the lower level.
Studies show that various administrative and operational functions benefit the most when law enforcement officers are fully empowered (Winders, 2017). However, as a consequence of this measure, it means that the budget for undertaking such polices will be impacted to some extent. In most departments, Winders (2017) adds that high-ranking officers tend to have their expenditure scrutinized to make sure that funds outlay remains a consistent factor within their organizational priorities.
Conclusion
From the preceding, law enforcement officers have to deal with extremely complex challenges that are ever-evolving. For instance, today the law enforcement has been rocked with high profile incidents that have diminished the public confidence in the service and exasperated some challenges that already existed. Such incidences have made it difficult to convince new young recruits to join law enforcement. Some of the potential recruits now perceive law enforcement as a risky profession, thus making preservations towards it. Another issue is that advanced law enforcement training is that sometimes it tends to be rushed or, in other cases, they are given less rarity, mainly due to funding or time constraints. This inconsistent or insufficient training is a risk to the wellness and safety of law enforcement officers, and it has the potential to expose the general public to potential harm. Finally, Fast evolving technologies like the use of body-worn cameras, increase the use of drones, and other uncrewed aerial vehicles are presenting new challenging dynamics to law enforcement. This issue would not have been imagined decades ago. The problems identified are having a significant influence on the organizational design and function of law enforcement, where modern organizational design and functions have to be set up in such a way that they can be able to restore public trust. Additionally, various measures are being undertaken to enhance administrative and operational functions as they benefit most law enforcement officers by empowering them.

References
Albrecht, J. F. (2011). Significant Issues Facing Twenty-First Century Law Enforcement. Effective Crime Reduction Strategies, 533–534. DOI: 10.1201/b10596-31
Khan, S. N. (2013). The effects of education on law enforcement officer’s awareness about human trafficking. Santa Barbara, CA: Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Lloyd, I. J. (2017). 17. Enforcement issues. Law Trove. DOI: 10.1093/he/9780198787556.003.0017
Millie, A. and Das, D.K. (eds) (2008) Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement and Policing. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
OECD. (2014). Compliance and enforcement: Making transparency and integrity in lobbying a reality. Lobbyists, Governments and Public Trust, Volume 3, 83–96. DOI: 10.1787/9789264214224-7-en
Thompson, A. (2018). Challenges facing law enforcement in the 21st century: hearing before the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, first session, May 17, 2017. Washington: U.S. Government Publishing Office.
White, M. D., & Escobar, G. (2008). Making good cops in the twenty-first century: Emerging issues for the effective recruitment, selection, and training of police in the United States and abroad1. International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, 22(1-2), 119–134. DOI: 10.1080/13600860801925045
Winders, D. (2017). Administrative Law Enforcement, Warnings, and Transparency. SSRN Electronic Journal. DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.2920870

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