Plan of Action to Maintain Law & Order: A Global Perspective - Essay Sample

Introduction

The police maintain law and order by either preventing crime or by arresting wrongdoers. People are discouraged from engaging in Crime and misdeed out of fear of punishment by the authorities. All 186 countries of the world have a police force that is in charge of regulating citizens' behavior and crime. Disciplined Forces, a general term, refers to the Police and other groups (Army, Navy, etc.) given the mandate to maintain law and order. The paper aims to expound on a plan of action to deal with an increase in cases of robberies at Any Town Gallery Shopping under the leadership of newly appointed Chief of Police Alexandra Delatorre. A primary strategy is to make use of Community Policing, i.e., police and the community work hand in hand to fight the menace.

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The Social Forces Existing in the Scenario

The social forces existing are four; the Police (have the mandate and expertise/training to respond), the Anytown Community members (some of whom are affected by the robberies), the Criminals/robbers (the members responsible for the robberies) and to a lesser degree, the National Government to which the Police reports to. It is vital to understand what each of the social forces contributes and know the role and liability of each one.

Preparation

The best place to start in preparing a strategic plan is to identify the geographical epicenter of the crime (the area around the Shopping Centre) and make a report from what the victims have to say about the situation. Doing this will give valuable information, e.g., the time when robberies are most likely, the types of victims targeted (age, gender, etc.). One more important thing is to publish information. If Community Policing is to become successful, then the latter is of utmost importance. It is impossible to respond if the community has not been informed.

To reiterate, apart from the parties mentioned above (Social Forces), it is essential that the Community Members employed at the mall be involved. It would also be wise to contact the business owners of outlets that previously operated at the mall. The two are in the most direct position of contact with the robbers. Vulnerable/special interest groups that should be involved include; minors (under 18 years), the PLWD (People Living with Disability), and the Elderly (60+ years).

Mostly because these groups may lack the physical and mental capacity to defend themselves, they are most likely to be targeted. Just like predators in the wild target the young and weak. The final product will be that no one is neglected, and the strategy to stop the crimes is all-inclusive. Just like a good organizational plan should involve all members.

Gathering Information

It has been said countless times that 'numbers do not lie' (Baryshnikov, 2016). Thus, in the same way, those in charge of the Security Operation must have accurate and relevant information to enable informed decisions at every stage in the process. Information may include; a (quantitative) number of community members, special interest/vulnerable populations, and the homeless (the prime suspects). It could also be qualitative, old reports on the same issue, Police OB (Occurrence Book), racial diversities and gender parity, etc.

Such information helps to make decisions like; the amount of physical and financial resources needed and what has worked in the past. It can also help get to the root of the problem. For example, why some people are homeless and what can be done to raise their standards of living. The Homeless people are the main suspects, and it makes sense they would be. Removing them from the streets would eliminate their need to acquire a life through illegal means (robbery).

Organizational Review

The COP (Community Oriented Policing) as a strategy by Chief of Police lays testament to a substantial claim. The Anytown Police Department cannot have their eyes and ears everywhere. This is why many security agencies say,' Security begins with you.' It makes sense because the Police will always miss a security protocol or two. This is where the community members come in to fill in the gaps. The daily Operations at the Police Department will become more comfortable as they will not be fighting crime alone.

Organizational culture at the department will be affected in that; a close-knit relationship will form between the police and the community. It will create a positive public image. Especially from the fact that Police are often misrepresented to be a source of trouble and are dangerous as most carry a service weapon (gun or truncheon). It is no surprise as the shooting of innocent civilians by rogue police officers in countries like the US is not news (Dunham, 2017).

The Community

The primary strategy towards community involvement is; publishing information on the Plans by the Police Department. Members can thus know what to do and what not to. For example, to carry out citizen arrest under the Community Policing Programme. At the same time, they should not engage in misdeeds like; assault or mob justice on the wrongdoer. The Police Department should indicate through word of mouth, Print, or Electronic Media on the rights and obligations of both parties. Especially on the part of the Suspect.

Remember, the Suspect is 'Innocent until proven guilty.' (Pennington, 2003). Unlike in the past, it is rare to find an entire community with one culture. Anytown Community isn't a unique case. One significant aspect of culture to recall is; language. Not every community member understands the standard language (English). Thus, the Police Department must accommodate all members by communicating (oral or written) in their respective languages where needed. The rest will fall in place.

The Police must also be aware of religious differences. There could be religious schism or bias in the community. Thus a crime may be overlooked if the suspect is of the same religion as the arrestor. Inversely, an innocent person may be framed because of their religious affiliations. The police must make it clear that any member found guilty of such offenses will be punished. Though, the above is in extreme cases. But then again, better safe than sorry.

The media will play a crucial role in disseminating information to the community. It could be information on; the progress of the security project, criminal prosecution, successful cases of community policing, etc. Other than that, Media Houses play an essential role in preventing the spread of propaganda or misleading information. It acts as a filter. The success of a project relies on the accuracy of the information exchanged.

In most cases, if Media Houses knowingly or accidentally spreads false information, the Public is highly likely to believe it and vice versa. The media is also a watchdog of any misgivings by parties, e.g., misappropriation of security funds, unfair prosecution, or wrongful arrests—media doing this has a significant effect on the success of the Security project or a spectacular failure.

Implementation

Security, apart from the three basic needs, is also a need. Without it, a society cannot function as indicated earlier in the introduction. If a project is a matter of Security, then it should begin as soon as time and money allow. It is something that, when started, should not be crippled by factors like; insufficiency of funds or personnel. Thus it should begin as soon as all the resources (physical/ financial) have been confirmed adequate within the time frameset. A SMART project. Specific. Measurable, Attainable. Realistic. Time-bound (not too long or short).

The people involved include; the Community, the Police, the Local Government. The latter will provide funds and even individual permissions, i.e., to prevent legal issues. Special activities to carry out include; to invite the input of security experts and expert systems or consultants who can offer valuable insights. For example, a security analyst may be able to pinpoint shortcomings to the project viability while a financial consultant may provide advice on the economic feasibility of the whole project.

Preliminary Evaluation

Monitoring happens during a project, while Evaluation occurs at the end of a project. It is about constructive 'finding of faults' in the health of a project. The initial stages should involve evaluating things like; exploring cheaper but effective options to combat crime. For example; Would use of CCTV (Closed Circuit Television ) cameras be sustainable than Community Policing?? Such questions should be asked in the initial stages. It is like saying, 'look before you leap.'

Feedback (Evaluation and Monitoring)

After implementation, there should be a 'feedback and response' system so that all stakeholders can learn what is going on. The feedback will come from all parties mentioned earlier, but the AYPD (Anytown Police Department) is the primary source of feedback. They could hire monitoring and evaluation experts to give progress reports, which are circulated to the community. For example; If the project is a success or there is a need for a partial or full review.

Economic Decline

Economies, especially national economies, are ever-shifting between the four stages, including growth, Prosperity, Recess, Inflation (Decline). Situations like Inflation severely affect the citizens, especially the poor. As seen in this case, some turn to robbery to make ends meet. In order to address the issue and prevent crime by extension, it is necessary to offer economic aid in the form of; foodstuff, medical care, clothes, and security. There are several other drastic ways, e.g., relocation or delocalization of populations by government, but the above is the most workable.

Challenges

Challenges exist in the plan. They include; Uneven resource distribution(economic disparities), cultural differences, e.g., language, Drug abuse, Poor Financial Planning/Infrastructure, and reduced public awareness. The strategies to address the challenges include; multi-lingual press releases, economic aid from government, arrest, and rehabilitation of drug addicts, review of infrastructure, e.g., street lights and demolition of gang hideouts and training of the public on the problem at hand and the causes.

Response to Terrorism

If Terrorism does occur, the Anytown Police Department plans to respond to the security threat accordingly. The Department intends to beef up security around town by whatever means, e.g., CCTV cameras or use of Spies or as far as deploying helicopters or military-grade drones for aerial surveillance. Nothing is irrelevant for use. Bringing security and peace of mind to the general population will be achieved by all means necessary.

References

Baryshnikov, V., & Coalson, R. (2016). Numbers Don't Lie: Statistics Point to Massive Fraud In Russia's Duma Vote. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, September 20.

Dunham, R. G., & Petersen, N. (2017). Making black lives matter: Evidence-based policies for reducing police bias in the use of deadly force. Criminology & Pub. Poly, 16, 341.

Pennington, K. (2003). Innocent until proven guilty: The origins of a legal maxim. Jurist, 63, 106.