MODULE LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS AND PLANNING WITH CRIME MAPPING
CHAPTER 1 : OVERVIEW OF THE POLICE OPERATIONS
Objectives:
1. Distinguish the knowledge of Police Operations
2. Identify the operations, functions, goals and responsibilities of
the law enforcement.
Police officers are responsible for keeping the peace and preventing
crimes. You may see officers talking to individuals in a car they have pulled
over, arresting a suspect, or simply just driving through your neighborhood.
Have you ever wondered what police officers do when they are driving around
and patrolling? Let's take a look at police operations.
Police operations are defined as the job duties, responsibilities, and
activities that law enforcement agents complete in the field. In this lesson, we'll
explore different aspects of police operations, such as communication,
patrolling, specialized police operations, and diversity challenges.
Police operations deals with what officers in the field do as they ‘serve
and protect’. Operations include patrol, traffic, investigation and general calls
for service. To fulfill their responsibilities, law enforcement officers have been
given great power. This power has been entrusted to them by the people they
serve and is defined by the laws of the land.
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Functions of Police Operations
Many citizens consider the function of the police in everyday life to
extend beyond their law enforcement and peacekeeping roles.
The lower classes call the police to perform a variety of services. They
defend police assistance in times of trouble, crisis and indecision. The question
of what police do, day-to-day, is the subject of a variety of conventional
wisdoms. There are visions of police as crime fighters,
social workers, peacekeepers, street corner politicians,
traffic controllers and recorders of important social events.
Even though we refer to the police as law
enforcement officers, the enforcement of criminal law (in
other words, investigating crime and apprehending
criminals) is only one of several functions that the police
perform. The functions of the American police include
providing basic social services, maintaining order, and
controlling crime.
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MODULE LAW ENFORCEMENT OPER
OPERATIONS AND PLANNING WITH CRIME MAPPING
• In the area of social service
service,, the police help people who need
emergency assistance, whether it is giving first aid or finding
lost children. Typically, over 50 percent of the telephone calls to
the police requesting assistance involve social service as
compared with less than 20 percent relating to crime.
• Among the order‐‐maintenance activities are traffic control,
crowd control, resolving domestic disputes, and moving
prostitutes from the streets. The focus of order maintenance is
on handling situations to preserve the peace rather than
enforcing the letter of the law. The appropriate
order‐maintenance
maintenance solution may be making an arrest (for
example, in case of domestic violence), but it often consists of some less
formal action (for example, getting an illegal panhandler to move on).
• In the area of crime control
control,, the police engage in a range of activities,
such as patrol and criminal investigation.
Police Operations by Karen M. Hess ((West Publishing Company, New York, 1997)
Goals and objectives of the Police Operations
According to many police administrators and scholars like Goldstein,
Goldstein
appropriate objectives and priorities for police service that local communities
should recognize the given goals and objectives which focus on the following:
1. To preserve the peace
2. To protect civil rights and civil liberties
3. To prevent crime
4. To enforce the law
5. To provide services
6. To improve the quality of life in the community.
Police Publishing Company, New York, 1997)
olice Operations by Karen M. Hess (West Pu
Major responsibilities
The American Bar Association's Standards Relating to the Urban Police
Function lists these 11 responsibilities:
• To identify criminal offenders and criminal activity and, when
appropriate, to apprehend offenders and participate in later court
proceedings.
• To reduce the opportunities for the
commission of some crimes through preventive
patrol and other measures.
• To aid individuals who are in danger of
physical harm.
• To protect constitutional guarantees.
rantees.
• To facilitate the movement of people and
vehicles.
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MODULE LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS AND PLANNING WITH CRIME MAPPING
• To assist those who cannot care for themselves.
• To resolve conflict.
• To identify problems that is potentially serious law enforcement or
government problems.
• To create and maintain a feeling of security in the community.
• To promote and preserve civil order.
• To provide other services on an emergency basis.
Factors shaping police work
Several factors shape what the police do. Twenty‐‐four hour
availability broadens police contacts with the public. People call the police
because there is no other agency available. A disadvantage is that such
availability gives police a heavy workload. The authority to use force stamps
police work with a uniqueness that sets it apart from other lines of work. Force
includes the right to use deadly force, to arrest people, and to use physical
force. Whatever aspect of the police mission is emphasized—whether it involves
checking on suspicious persons who appear to be out of place or responding to
reports of crime—the police have to be willing, in the last analysis, to threaten
force and to back up the threat with action. Discretion leaves an imprint on all
areas of policing. Police are often free to choose among alternative courses of
action or inaction. They routinely rely on their own experience, training,
common sense, and judgment to make decisions involving the life and liberty of
citizens. Examples of discretionary decision making include decisions involving
arrests, traffic tickets, deadly force, and domestic abuse. In each of these
situations, officers determine whether or not to invoke the power of the law.
Factors influencing discretionary decisions
The seriousness of the crime and the strength of the evidence affect
an officer's decision to arrest. The more serious the crime and the stronger the
evidence, the more likely an officer is to make an arrest. A suspect's
demeanor also makes a difference. The more disrespectful and the less
deferent a suspect acts toward an officer, the more likely that officer is to use
force.
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police-work
Responsibilities
Charlie really wants to be a police officer, but he's not sure what his
duties would be if he joined the force. Is it just running around after criminals
all day? Well, not exactly. There are four general responsibilities of police
officers. They are:
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MODULE LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS AND PLANNING WITH CRIME MAPPING
1. Enforcing laws - Investigating crimes and
apprehending offenders is a part of a police
officer's work. In fact, when people think about
the police, that's generally what they think of.
When Charlie imagines being a police officer, he
is thinking about running around after criminals,
which is part of enforcing laws.
2. Preventing crime - Responding to routine
incidents, like fender benders, and going on
patrol is another major part of an officer's job.
This is about being in the community so that
people know that there are police officers around
and hopefully will not commit crimes.
3. Responding to emergencies - Last month, when there was a multiple-car
pileup in the city where Charlie lives, many police officers showed up to help
control crowds and block off the section of the street where the problem was. In
this way, police officers respond to emergencies to help out.
4. Providing support services - In addition to all of their other duties, police
officers need to provide support services for their town. This could be running
training for members of the community, or it could be something like working
at a gun buyback program, buying guns to get them off the streets.
Many people think of police as enforcing laws, but the other three are just as
important and often form the majority of a police officer's career. If Charlie
wants to become a police officer, he should make sure that he'll enjoy all
aspects of the job, not just the part where he's putting someone handcuffs.
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MODULE LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS AND PLANNING WITH CRIME MAPPING
Reference:
Hess, Karen M. Police Operations. New York : West Publishing Co.,1997.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/police-operations-theory-practice.html
https://study.com/academy/lesson/role-of-police-in-democratic-societies.html
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/criminal-justice/police-function/the-nature-of-police- work
Video links:
1. Overview of the Police Operations
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2. Function of Police Operation
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3. Responsibilities of the Police Officer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CSI4_Xe_IA
