Criminal Law
The well being of the society is overly contingent on the existence of a reliable system of authority, conventionally known are policing. In a democratic society that is governed with rules and regulations, the need authority can never be undervalue. This, therefore, warrants the question; what is the role of the authority in the society? This paper aims at delineating some of the principal roles of the authorities in the society, the attitude that the society should have towards the authority figures in a bid to have a correctly functioning society as wells a description of some incidences that happen in the society that begs the question of the essence of authority figures and their commitment to protect the society and serve all people equally. In addition, the paper canvasses on the issue of armed guards in school.
Functions of the Authority
The term authority and the police authority are always used interchangeably. It follows, therefore, that an accurate depiction of the role of the authority is attainable with an in-depth discussion revolving around the role of the police. Moreover, a proper account of the role of the police is only attainable with a thoughtful consideration that looks beyond technical and operational aspects of police work. In this regards is always asserted that that function of the authority is to maintain law and order; an assertion that is overly wide if looked intro critically. Maintaining law and order in its broadest sense include; regulate the conduct of society members, creating a feeling of security to the society, solving societal conflicts and
According to Pino, & Wiatrowski (2006), the function of the authority extends beyond the maintaining law and order. The authority figures act as a link between the government and the society (Pino, & Wiatrowski, 2006). For instance, records of occurrences in the society can be easily accessed from the police records be the government. The role of the authority as a linkage between the government and the society has greatly been enhanced with the introduction of community policing. It is worth noting that the responsibilities of the police cannot be effectively accomplished with the society having a positive attitude towards the police. In this light, the society should have a positive perception of the police.
Society’s Attitude towards Authority Figures
Even as the authority is served with the responsibility of maintaining law and order, the attitude of the society towards the authority figures has an underlying influence on the effectiveness of the authority figures as the custodians of all. However, empirical findings have always shown that the conduct of the authority figures greatly determines the society’s perception towards them. Confessedly, as Champion (2001) reports, the concerned departments oft fail to impose high standards of accountability to be observed by the authority figures during their public encounters. For this reason, the authority figures are always accused of a plethora of accounts of misconducts which negate the society’s attitude towards them. In his book, Champion (2001) highlights some of the misconducts that are often exhibited by the police; use of excessive force, psychological abuse, legal abuse, corruption and sexual violence particularly towards women. For, instance, New York Times recently publishes an article in which an officer allegedly shot dead an 18-year-old for unclear reasons. Reportedly, the teenager rushed into his family’s house to take refuge, but the office shot him once on the chest leading to this death. This is just but one of the many incidences of police brutality that are always reported in America.
Armed guards in American high schools
Over the past decades, public high schools in America have undergone significant physical and ideological changes with regard to discipline and security. The commencement of armed guards as a part or permanent fixtures of schools, with no doubt, can be a particular significant change and an issue of necessity (Ismaili, 2011). A number of changes have been taking place in different high schools, in relation to discipline matters, and the public has established a perception of an escalation and permeation of school violence (Ismaili, 2011). In light with this, the schools have also been perceived as unable to prevent substantial incidents and offer adequate protection to students and staff, thus the requisition of armed guards (Ismaili, 2011). Further, the nature of violence and crime committed in such institutions, for instance, possession of guns, drugs and murder, has catapulted the idea of introducing armed guards, to manage and offer protection to the students and staff (Ismaili, 2011).
Conventionally, the increased use of physical security measures, concerns about crime and violence in American public high schools, have also brought about the urge for introducing or increasing the number of security personnel used in school, which includes the security armed guards (Ismaili, 2011). In addition to this, it is with clear conscious that with the provision of armed guards in schools, they will act as a deterrent, and students will be less likely to bring weapon or drugs to school, or commit other crime while at school (Ismaili, 2011). This, will aid in reducing violence and crime rates in schools, and also create a safer environment suitable for learning (Ismaili, 2011). Further, concentration of students in school will be enhanced, and school performance increased since all aspects of fear will be eliminated and security heightened.
References
Champion, D. J. (2001). Police Misconduct in America: A Reference Handbook. California, CA: ABC- CLIO, Inc.
Flegenheimer, m. (2012). Officer Fatally Shoots Teenager In Bronx. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/nyregion/unarmed-teenager-fatally-shot-by-officer-chasing-him.html
Ismaili, K. (Ed.). (2011). U.S. Criminal Justice Policy: A Contemporary Reader. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.
Pino, N., & Wiatrowski, M. D. (Eds.) (2006). Democratic Policing in Transitional and Developing Countries. Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing Limited.
