1. Introduction – Policing and representation of the community by the Police
Over the years, there have been a lot of debates on the ethical role of police, especially looking at what is termed as police brutality or excesses. While in some countries certain ethnicities have accused the police of racial profiling and hatred, in other countries extreme force has been used to disperse protesters which were associated with slaughtering of college students. If anything, such incidents alienate the police force from the general community and often create a greater law and order problem throughout the nation which often result in the loss of government control. This perspective often leads people to suggest that the police should represent the community which they police. It is this aspect which is the main factor behind this research study that seeks to substantiate the statement with more facts and findings.
In order to be able to address the long standing debate on whether the police should be representing the community they police or not, the first and foremost aspect that needs to be discussed is why is there a need of policing and how can different governments be able to ensure that security and protection is provided to the citizens? In the discussion on police in general, one of the most important aspects which come into question is commitment by the police force. When the citizens of a nation or any locality need policing, in reality they are asking for a representative body which will ensure the safety and security, and which will protect them from harm and help them obtain justice when they are wronged. So technically, the citizens of any particular country or state will feel safer and secure when the police force responsible is more relatable and approachable. How can the government of any country achieve that? One of the best ways to be able to gain the trust and confidence of the citizens in this regard is to ensure that they are comfortable with the men in uniform around, responsible for their safety through ensuring the utmost standards of law and order in society.
The underlying question here in this regard is that given today’s demographic composition of the society and communities, how feasible is it to suggest and recommend representation of the community by the police force? Is it really feasible for the police force of nations to ensure that the different sections of the community are represented in the overall task force? What are the advantages of inclusion of police personnel from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds and what are the drawbacks to the same? In this regard, it is important to highlight the task which the research intends to achieve. The researcher is of opinion that indeed the police force deployed in the administration of a nation by its government need to ensure that they represent the community which they are assigned to protect and serve. As is the case with all research studies, the researcher intends to prove this point through presentation, analysis and discussion of facts and findings from various sources of data information. It also needs to be highlighted that the parallel to which the researcher will draw reference is that of the New South Wales police department.
2. Representation of community in Police – a discussion
However, it becomes important to focus on the ideologies and perceptions about the police in the first place. The police force in most countries is what their homeland security comprises of. Usually, the people of the nation elects the government to vote and it is this government which finally decides upon the composition of the police force which is meant to provide safety and security to the citizens within the nation’s borders. In earlier days, the responsibility of developing a task force for invigilation rested on the shoulders of the rulers of the kingdom and it was the ruler of the land who had to take care of the expenses associated with maintenance of this force responsible for homeland security. However, as time progressed, kingdoms and monarchies in different parts of the world were replaced by electoral forms of government which sought to change the way the homeland security force would work.
In most countries today, the government is elected to power. It is the people – the citizens of the nation which vote the governing body of the nation and it is purely a representative ideology. Electing the government also means electing the different constitutional bodies as well – in many nations these are termed as ministries while in others they are termed as departments. However, in most cases the police department (like others) is more often than not handpicked and carefully developed by the respective authority and the duty to protect and serve the citizens is vested on their shoulders. An important aspect that needs to be highlighted in this regard is that the image of the police has changed a lot in the last 20-25 years, thanks to globalization. Not only is it expected from the police to be able to address greater threat perceptions, but at the same time it has also become important for police to ensure adherence to laws and statues. Perhaps, never had been the public more concerned and aware of their rights and police violations in issues of law and order.
Many experts are of the opinion that this change in outlook has also made it more difficult for police to maintain law and order conditions. While people have become more likely to alienate themselves from the police on account of news headlines of police brutality, it has also become important for law enforcers to be able to enhance connections with society as organized crime such as drug trafficking, terrorism have become more sophisticated. Today, it is absolutely necessary for the police to not only keep residents informed and aware of danger, but also stay connected to people in order to obtain vital information about crime and possible threat to law and order in society. The only way in which police forces around the world can expect to achieve this is by staying connected with the people in the community. In this regard, there can be no doubts that individuals are more likely to connect with another from the same race or cultural background, than someone from a background about which the individual is knowledgeable or accepting.
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