Politically and Practically Feasible for State Police Essay

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politically and practically feasible for state police to partner with non-State actors (policing) so as to extend access to justice and security.

State Police Partnership with Non-State Actors in Policing

Justice and security matter to citizens in fragile states. Insecurity in the world today is the greatest setback to the development of nations. According to a report presented by the World Bank in the year 2005, security and justice matters most to women and children. These groups of individuals in a society face security challenges because of bad policing, corrupt justice systems and weak penal and justice systems (Baker and Scheye, 2007). Consequently, they are likely not able to access government services. Crimes have made it necessary for police to find ways of policing rather than its end. There has been a paradigm shift of police operations from the incentive-driven or the reactive approach to the partnership approach.

This proactive approach by the police sets out to identify problems in their respective community. The police target the physical and social disorders and remove them by targeting their root causes. These strategies include the problem-oriented approach to policing. In this approach, all departments of the police identify problems and tackle each of them. This policing model has to focus on problems in the public domain, make full use of data at police stations, encourage broad solution search for the problems and identify all risks (Baker and Scheye, 2007). The police departments need to be proactive, include members of the public in finding solutions, and consequently understand incidents.

There are many challenges that the police in states encounter in the 21st century. Criminals in today's communities are better trained and vicious. There is the new threat of terrorism, drug wars and organized crime (Bush, 2009). Therefore, police officers and departments need to adopt new strategies in policing. These strategies need to include interactions with members of public and other non-state actors. However, implementing such strategies, the police departments face many challenges. The first challenge relates to funding. Police departments have to reform to manage the increased limited resources, and increase their response capacity (Thacher, 2001). These means that police departments are to develop innovative ways by reducing or eliminating some services, privatizing or selling some of their services.

Other strategies that can improve their policing performance include, sharing other police service responsibilities to the community, collaborating with the community and private sector to assist in financing and resourcing of some police services. Increase in their response capacity by contracting civilians, private security firms, cadets, and retired police officers. Their policing strategy, on the other hand, should include corporation with police departments of other states. There are many strategies to policing. These strategies may include state actors and non-state actors. The most popular strategies in use by police departments in the world are the community policing strategy and the problem-oriented policing (Maguire and Mastrofski, 2000).

Community policing should not be confused with the problem-oriented policing. Community policing strategy improves the relationship between state officials and members of a community while a problem oriented approach deals with the root causes of the problem. Problem oriented policing relies on good information from members of the public and a good relationship with police departments (White, 2007). Due to globalization, the threat of terrorism has made community policing an important aspect of policing. Technology has enabled terrorists carry attacks with ease. With advanced telecommunication systems, terrorists can communicate within various cells. Therefore, the police and the community need to fight terrorists. Stopping of terrorism activities needs partnership from non-state actors, allies, and international players.

Politicians and community leaders are another set of actors in policing. All other actors in a nation understand the role of a politician in policing. Politicians and community leaders formulate policies, make laws, and Acts; their role goes to the extent of instituting police laws. Politics in governments translate into public favors. Public favors relates to job security for the elected or administrators. These individuals have an opportunity of collecting substantial amounts of money through grants. This availability of grants creates incentives to police agencies implementing strategies.

These grants translate into politics that affect the performance of policing units in a strategy. This therefore attracts politicians making the strategies change. Nevertheless, politicians have positive and negative influences on a policing in states (White, 2007). Religious leaders have a function in a policing strategy.

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They represent actors' religious affiliations. With the recent increase in terrorism attacks, religious leaders of Muslim and Christian faiths have had a role to play, in maintaining religious harmony despite the elements of fundamentalism. These have made religious leaders important actors in various policing programs. There are other actors who area institutions, business communities, and members of the public.

Case: Security and Justice in African states

In developing countries, there have been debates on the roles of Justice and security systems to development agendas. The security and justices in developing nations such as Africa need considerations. Many donors approach the topic of Justices and security in Africa with a view of state building and democratic governance. States in these countries play a role in the dispensation of Justice and security. However, this is not the case for third world countries. From historical records and through facts, it is true that these states cannot exercise full authority without the assistance of other players. Moreover, recent studies provide that most of developing countries' Judicial and Security depend on outside funding. However, working with non-state organizations, donors expose themselves to risk (Baker, 2008). These risks have a proportionate influence on the way they perform their duties. This results to donors working in unfamiliar ways and with unfamiliar partners.

In fragile states, governments play the biggest role in ensuring Justice and security. The role of the states also includes being accountable for all matters relating to security. The state provides these benefits through setting minimum legal standards, legal frameworks, and policies and being accountable to their mandate (Baker, 2008). Non-State institutions and individuals play a role in maintaining Justice in Africa. In rural Africa where means of communication, low levels of literacy; Elders, community leaders, youth and women leaders play critical roles in maintaining security, as well as Justice (Kyed and Lars, 2006). However, in such a societies, justice, and security in compromised by elite minorities and other factors. The challenge of corruption and cases of discriminations is rife in these systems.

Security and Justice Policies in Africa depends on a number of actors. These actors include customary leaders, local politicians, donor agencies, street associations, international and national security agencies, ethnic associations, religious associations, and neighborhood watches. In local Africa local / traditional or customary leaders play roles in ensuring Justice and Security. Traditional leaders have been in existence in Africa from time immemorial (Baker, 2008). Their role still exists; in instances where a problem border customary practices, traditional are summoned to solve. This helps the state in policing since they save on costs and labor. In Southern Africa, traditional leaders play a role in maintaining security and Justice. These leaders lead cases in the customary courts.

The benefit of traditional leaders in rural Africa is to strengthen the traditional court system, assist in implementing community level incentives, and strengthen relationships between state and citizens and offering an alternative to Justice. Globalization has had an impact on Africa; in major cities of Africa, there has been an increase in slums. The upsurge of people moving from rural areas to urban areas in search of a better life has made securing justice and security an uphill task. This has made crime rates increase as well as killings. In these slums, community leaders, youth, and other members has their way of offering alternative security services (Kyed and Lars, 2006). Members of these slums have formed associations to fight for the security of its members. Youths have organizations who watch over the security of the neighborhood.

Even in Affluent places, neighborhood watch has become a norm in Africa. There are ethnic associations who offer security and Justice Member's services. Other non-govermental associations and workgroups work in providing security services. These organizations offer assistance in terms of education, service delivery that assists provision of Justice and security. In the streets, few organizations offer street services. Africa has a unique case since it is developing. Streets in their developing state so there are less street families and communities (Kyed and Lars, 2006). A majority of Africans live in rural areas where government services do not reach. Therefore, it is upon the local community, youth leaders, and local entrepreneurs to play a role in policing. Recent security events in the world have made Africa a target from terrorism. Therefore, there are many organizations offering security and justice services......

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