Unleashing the Cops to Reduce Crime Rates

965 Words2 Pages

In the fifth chapter of Walker’s book, he discusses the idea that we can reduce crime rates if we “unleash” cops and give them more capabilities, deter future crimes through more severe punishments, and that we should lock up more criminals and for longer terms. The author of 14 books on issues of crime, policing, and policies surrounding those issues, Walker holds the title of Emeritus Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he taught for many years, even though he has not taught there since 2005. Before this, in 1973, he acquired a Ph.D. in American History at Ohio State University which is his highest degree to date. Walker has written and done research on numerous subjects involving the criminal justice system and because of this has keen insight into the world of law and policing. In this particular chapter I am focusing on, Walker broaches the topic of “unleashing the cops”, a concept that he assumes Conservatives believe is one of the main solutions to decreasing crime. In the crime control agenda for Conservatives, they expect increasingly rigorous police patrol, which would be done by expanding the number of units available for patrol whose focus is either on intense crackdowns on specific crime or general focus on certain areas and crimes as a whole. They also expect the criminal justice system to give police in general more powers that have otherwise been restricted by the Constitution on matters of obtaining evidence and coercing admissions of guilt. By approaching these ideas with solid research goals and planning, researchers have come up with two basic crime fighting strategies that can increase police effectiveness. The first strategy Community Policing, which addresses immedia... ... middle of paper ... ... trusted statistics and carefully worded statements did not appear as though the author was pushing excessively for his own viewpoint but instead wished to share as many factual statements so the reader could come to their own logical conclusion along with the author giving no room for a reasonable argument that he had not already approached at some point in the chapter. His opinions and statements, in my opinion, are accurate and logical reasonings based on legitimate evidence, and for anyone wishing to discuss the idea of giving police full-access to everything with no limitations, this would show them where such a policy could and most likely would go wrong. I would recommend the book, as a whole, to those interested in the more sociological aspect of the criminal justice system as Walker does a more than adequate job of narrating facts and illustrating concepts.

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