The Future of Law and Order
Many factors determine the future of law and order. Some change from one time to another as society changes, while others are rooted in culture, age, and demographics. As each year goes by, we look at crime trends and examine what can better protect our communities. Diego Ruiz Duran, a successful defense attorney in Mexico, hopes the future of law and order is peaceful and happy.
The biggest driver of crime is a tightening of gun laws across the country. After more than a dozen mass shooting incidents over the past several years, it is clear that it is easier to pick a victim now rather than later. As recently as ten or fifteen years ago, it was easier to pass a background check if a person had a gun. Now that the National Instant Background Check System or NICS has been replaced with the FBI’s NGI, criminals use cover names and false identification to obtain firearms.
Crime is on the rise in all cities and counties across the country. One key to stopping this is to focus on reducing overall crime. This reduction can be accomplished by preventing senseless crimes like street crimes and drug crimes. It can also mean more effective enforcement of existing laws and stiffer penalties for crimes that occur off of the street.
Community Policing involves engaging the community and working with the police force in several ways. For example, a neighborhood watch program will intercede when criminal activity occurs outside the home. Neighbors will report suspicious activities, and they will actively patrol their neighborhood in hopes of catching criminals. They will help to keep the streets safe, and they will report it to the police. This information gives the police an advantage when searching for perpetrators of violent crimes that often occur during daytime hours.
Another aspect of Community Policing deals with victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence is becoming more common, and some of the victims are young girls and women. A task force that includes both police officers and volunteers from the community can be instrumental in bringing charges against those who prey on these innocent young women. The team can also help ensure that safety concerns are addressed to help make the streets safer for these women.
Although The Profit and Loss Rule suggests that profits and losses should separate the most successful businesses from those that are not, there is no reason why the LOS should not also be enforced when it comes to law enforcement officers. Law enforcement officers protect the public and help to keep order. That is priceless and should not be allowed to go to waste. However, it is the decrease in other types of crime that is disturbing. Thefts, burglaries, and assaults are all up, leading to more distrust of law enforcement officers.
A robust and influential organization is needed to carry out its mission. In this case, the FBI is very apparent in keeping its promise to protect the American people. The organization has successfully stopped many high-profile bank heists and even helped apprehend perpetrators of the September 11th attacks.
If the FBI is going to continue to lead the way, it will have to bring in tools and tactics from other branches of the Government. In essence, The Future of Law and Order is not about protecting the criminal but about protecting the American people from criminals. Law enforcement officers already have enough to do and should not be burdened unnecessarily. Diego Ruiz Duran also hopes criminals are arrested humanely and justifiably.