Policing Functions

The functions of the organizations are actually very similar (“Term Paper Warehouse”, 2012). Local law enforcement is the most common. These are municipal police officers representing cities, villages and townships (“Owe Money”, 2013). There are numerous types of local law enforcement agencies which Include the following City Police Department, County Sheriffs Office, Transit Authority Police, School District Police, Housing Authority Police, District Attorneys’ Office, Investigators, Airport Police, Harbor Police, university Police, and Hospital Police (“Go Law Enforcement”, 2008).

The main difference between these officers and those at the state or federal level Is that they are the initial enforcement front for all criminal laws. Chiefs at this level are usually appointed by the mayor however they are occasionally elected to office. These officers range from support staffers, detectives to dispatchers to Jailers, who protect citizens and enforce laws passed at all levels of government. Officers at this level are limited to the jurisdiction that they are assigned to unlike the state and federal level (“Owe Money”, 2013).

State law enforcement agency officials in most American states are elected by county voters. Sheriffs and their deputies are most times responsible for patrolling an area’s such as state and federal routes, as well as its unincorporated or in municipalities that are not policed. They often find themselves enforcing local, state, and federal laws. Commonly found on highways are highway patrols or state police officers, sometimes both enforcing state traffic, criminal or civil law. State drug task forces, executive departments, even state parks agencies employ state law enforcement agents to engage in more specialized enforcement efforts.

Officers in state prisons also are considered part of each state’s law enforcement efforts, different from the others In that they’re enforcing state laws within the confines of a state Institution (“Owe Money”, 2013). There are several types of law enforcement agencies that the federal level employs. All enforcing laws and policies established at the highest level of Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, ranging from the Internal Revenue Service to the Bureau of

Indian Affairs. When suspicious activity is spotted they do report to local and state authorities; however they do not enforce local or state laws. In order to prosecute federal crimes, federal prosecutors often coordinate the efforts of agents from several agencies at once to build case (“Owe Money”, 2013). The United States may have several future changes in the current laws that will affect the field of policing. Some of these changes could include the legalization of marijuana, prostitution, and mandatory helmet law.

Something that has been said for he past few years is that “marijuana is going to be legal soon anyway;says”, this comes out and leaves a slap on the wrist to those who offend by handling of marijuana. There are no studies that show that marijuana has a negative effect on an individual, where as tobacco and alcohol, which are both legal, do. One of the positive sides of legalizing marijuana would be the drop in the prison population and over population in corrections per probation officer. Prostitution like marijuana is already legal in few states in the United States, in the next few years it would be legalized as well.

This would bring income into cities in need, promote Job opportunity. The worry is about the spread of Stud’s however this is easily solved with mandatory drug screenings of the prostitutes. Making helmets mandatory in all states for any sort of motorcycle riding could have the potential to save lives. The field of policing would experience less crowding in prisons and an overall better legal system with the legalization of marijuana. Police would have more time to worry about other more serious types of crime, therefore making a law abiding community.

The promotion of Job opportunity that the legalization of prostitution might prevent money related and sex related crimes, leaving the window open for police to again take care of more serious crimes. The helmet law would most likely take more time for the officers as they would have more traffic stops but all at the cost of saving lives. In general local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies share the same directives as well as support and oversee the same laws of the land. The only differences that these agencies have are their Jurisdictions, staffing, funding, support and operations.