Police Services and Resources

Law enforcement is the most visible part of the criminal justice process because 1) officers work directly with the public; 2) there are many more police officers than there are judicial or correctional employees; and 3) most officers wear distinctive uniforms. Over 80 percent of the approximately 800,000 people currently employed by American police agencies are sworn officers; the remainder are civilian employees. Sworn officers have taken a legally binding oath to uphold the law and they hold a special license to perform police-type tasks. The majority of civilian employees hold clerical positions. The majority of police employees work for municipal police departments.

As in most bureaucracies, police roles can be roughly divided into two basic types: line and staff positions. Civilians are restricted to staff positions; they provide support services that allow sworn officers to function effectively. Line officers actually perform the tasks that their agencies were created to accomplish: they conduct patrols, investigate crimes, arrest suspects and are in fairly constant contact with citizens and criminals. While some sworn officers perform staff functions, all line personnel in law enforcement are sworn.

Virtually all modern police officers have been specially licensed or certified by the state for their roles. This means they have been trained in skills required of officers such as use of firearms, batons, self-defense and driving, the penal code, report-writing, radio codes and other procedures. Many city and county jurisdictions have requirements that exceed their state's minimum standards.

The process of becoming an officer usually begins with a civil service test, an interview with a group of senior officers, and a thorough investigation of the person's background. Psychological and medical tests, as well as polygraphs and urinalysis may be used to determine if an applicant is fit to become a police officer. These measures are used to select the best candidates for training as officers. Several weeks of academy training give officers the basic skills required by the job. Then the rookie officer is assigned to a field training officer (FTO) for six months to a year of on-the-job training to supplement academy instruction. Applicants who survive these selection processes are then defined as civil service employees and cannot be fired without strong reasons.

Most major police departments provide three basic types of services within their jurisdictions: 1) enforce the laws; 2) provide various non-crime-related services; and 3) maintain order. Some law enforcement agencies, especially sheriffs departments, are also mandated to provide service for other agencies. Operating the county jail and providing bailiffs for area courts are the most common of these duties. Which of these functions receives the highest priority from a law enforcement agency varies from one jurisdiction to the next. The legal mandates that create each agency have much to do with the prioritization of these services as do the concerns and needs of the citizens in each jurisdiction.

Two definitions of the appropriate role for police have emerged. Liberals generally want to prevent incidents of brutality and illegal behavior by further professionalizing the police. They stress the need to promote communication and understanding between community residents and patrol officers. Those holding more conservative views see the police as the front line troops in the war on crime. They argue that more equipment and manpower are required to keep the streets safe. Neither side really disagrees with the suggestions of the other. The main difference between these two positions is a matter of emphasis or priority.

The increasing sophistication of various criminal practices and organizations, and society's increasing technological sophistication, have also forced changes in American policing. Increasing use of computers and physical evidence, as well as the complexities of the legal system, have added to the need for highly-educated and well-trained officers. These forces also encourage the growth of police professionalism. This, in turn, requires constant increases in departmental personnel and budgets.

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