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Role of Police

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The role of police in our society today has not really changed all that much from many years ago. Our officers of today are still responsible for enforcing the laws, apprehending law breakers, preventing crimes, preserving the peace among citizens and providing any other needed services to the community (Schmalleger, F. 2011). The actual role that a police officer plays will depend on the situation that they are placed in at the time. If the role of the police were lessened as it applies to the theory and practice of community policing there would be a major setback in the relationships between police and community. When our police are involved in the various communities it actually creates a healthy relationship between the officers and those that are in the community. Having officers actively involved in the community allows us to see a different side of the police and we get to know them better instead of them just being law enforcers.

Probable cause affects the police from a legal standpoint because if their judgment of the situation is incorrect they could arrest an innocent person. Probable cause has to be dealt with very carefully because all the bases have to be covered before any accusations are made of someone’s guilt or innocence. To insure that a person is not being accused unfairly or unjustly there has to be checks and balances in place so that all areas of detection have been followed. When these steps are followed there will be less of a chance of the police department being sued for wrongfully accusing or arresting an individual.

Schmalleger, F. (2011). Criminal justice today: An introductory text for the twenty-first century (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Prentice

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