The Role of Police in Society

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The Role of Police in Society In today's society the police, play may roles. They are the peacekeepers, law enforcement and many other jobs. However, recently they have become the subject of a very heated and large debate. Many believe that the police should give up their brute type tactics for a more civilized and humanized approach, while others feel that the police should crack down on the most insignificant of offences to type and disparage crimes that are more serious. In this paper, we will be analyzing both sides of this issue, from the look of the police administration to the public's view of it. When we mention today's police force we will be using the New York City police force as are basis of comparison, because they seem to have the biggest public arena of discussion. To deeply under stand the issues surrounding the police one as to look at how the police has become what it is today. At the beginning of modern civilization, there was no such thing as the police as we know it today. There was no concept of society and therefore no concept of right and wrong. Justice was the ability of one man's ability to defend himself. If one man sought to acquire another man wife then all he did was kill off the first man and take her for himself. In today's modern society, these types of actions are unheard of. In this time and place, this was the unwritten law, survival of the fittest. As humans progress further they started forming tribes and small bands and society was born. In the late 15th and 16th century a period known as the enlightenment was happening. One of the ideas that came from the enlightenment was the idea of a social contract. This theory explained what happened when those uncivilized, unorganized groups of... ... middle of paper ... ...ments. It appears that in our modern society that we are to caught up in telling people what they are doing wrong then telling them how to fix them. Even today particularly in New York, with the crime rate at an all time low it appears that the police and the legislative bodes are more inclined to throw people in jail then to help them to see why they are doing what they are doing. The police have to start to make a more active role in the communities around them. That is what they are paid to be, a protector of the community not an overseer, they serve the people of that society that has placed them in that position. People must understand that a police office is just a man and capable of making mistakes. A police officer must place his life on the line in order to protect others. We all must give them the respect that person who is willing to defend others.

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