Persuasive Essay On Law Enforcement

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An enormous benefit that we Americans take for granted is the law enforcement that governs the daily actions of the people. Throughout history, safety has been a key factor in the core of governing bodies. Citizens do not generally want random thieves breaking into their houses without being prosecuted. However in the last decade or so, the police force of America has been under fire from several groups that believe law enforcement should take a step towards the sideline in the daily lives of Americans. Some groups like Cop Block, or the Black Lives Matter Movement have actively protested in their use by calling them racist and unprofessional. I can sympathize with their aversion towards the police because the media and the internet seem like …show more content…

People in their communities are having a tougher and tougher time putting faith into their law enforcement agencies. The cause of this largely due to the recent negative media portrayal of policemen. However, it is true that officers are not required to be trained in public relations to be qualified for the job. An example of this issue is the stereotype that police officers are racist and will write up anyone that is not from their ethnic background. And while this may be true for a few bad apples, the large majority of policemen are good, hardworking people. Philip Swarts writes about a meeting for the presidential task force in Washington where the concept of a better relationship between police officers and their community was highlighted. The mayor of Baltimore says in this meeting “Police ‘“need to learn more than logistics of policing but also the broader significance of their role in society,”’ (Swarts). Their role includes being more approachable and friendly in their environment. And this behavior is need now more than ever as the nation has become less trusting of our law enforcement in the recent years. “Police need better training to improve community relations and defuse the sorts of deadly, racially charged confrontations that have divided the nation for months.” (Swarts). The issue is not completely the officers fault either. Civic engagement in America has been in decline for several years now, so even with more training in public relations, officers might still run into a brick wall due to negative media. However, it does not matter how the media degrades our law enforcement as it is still their highest priority to protect and serve the people of this

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