Issues in Modern American Policing

Issues in Modern American Policing
Name:
Institution
Use of Force: Is the Media Hurting or Helping?
Introduction
Social media is helpful when used in the right way, at the correct time, and for the right purpose. Media is a way through which people communicate with the purpose of reaching many people. In the past, this indicated newspapers and television; however, currently it constitutes electronic forms like the internet. The expression “social” suggests mutual communication whereby the user intermingles with a media source. The type of social media is a social networking that permits several individuals to post data to each other. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are types of social networking Web Sites. Social media has devised its personal form of communication containing general expressions and new definitions. For example, a “tweet” is generally referred to as the message-based posting of data on Twitter.
Similarly, a “wall” is a general or semi-general part of Facebook users’ profiles whereby data is posted in the social media globe. The proof that social media is of importance to law enforcers was obtained in 2011 in a study carried out through the Institute for Criminal Justice Education (ICJE). This research discovered that more than 78 percent of those who provided police officers with feedbacks were using the social media. Out of the 78 percent, 38 percent categorized themselves on their profile as law and order maintenance officers. This study shows the interest police officers have in social media, and also the way they decide to categorize themselves to the people through social media.
Application of Social Media
The major mission of state is to safeguard its people from both internal and external attacks. In the present day, several terror attacks have been witnessed due to poor security in different nations, and this has called for advanced measures. As the major perceptible branch of the state, police officers are on the forefront in the scramble to safeguard people from harm, and to maintain law and order (Tooley, 2014). This is a major goal for every police force to ensure that law and order is maintained and the safety of citizens is enhanced. To achieve this objective, the community awards law enforcers power to manage the conduct of their fellow nationals. However, empowering the police force has been lately debated due to the increased misuse of power by officers while dealing with suspects. Law maintenance has in the past had restricted alternatives for the application of deadly and excessive force. The coaching provided to law enforcers on the application of firearms was very restricted, regularly entailing just major weapons guidelines. Currently, developments in technology, extra regular litigation, and increased public anticipations triggered through media coverage, have diminished the urgency for a reform in the way the police officers unit accomplished its mission of controlling conduct to make sure protection was available to the public. Emerging technologies are, evidently, a major aspect influencing the police force. Simply put, the use of technology triggers changes in the law enforcement sector, and cause overall rearrangement in the workforce.
As law breakers on the streets increased their chances of accessing a broader variety of firearms, police professionals faced a complex necessity for extra diverse alternatives in both the lethal and non-lethal force fields (Belur, 2010). Firearms like stun guns, military arts facilities among others have become accessible without any kind of authorization in several nations. This has been a major cause of violence and increased rates of crime in such nations. Moreover, bigger caliber and greater capacity weapons, together with developments in firearm concealment alternatives, have offered a heightened risk to the police officers’ security. In a comparatively limited period, these firearm advancements caused law maintenance declining in the level of technological advancement needed to fulfill the rising risk levels encountered by law enforcers on the street. The extraordinary growth in admiration of social networking sites in addition to different social media outlets counting YouTube, Twitter, blogs, Facebook, and Linkedin is due in huge measure to their viral nature.
Broadly, extra comprehensive press coverage heightened the public’s anticipations that law maintenance would capitalize on development in technology, and subsequently continue controlling personal officers’ application of force. This heightened anticipation caused growing chances for litigation at both the government and federal levels that subsequently, additionally fed the press engine. Therefore, a chain of raised anticipations and increased sarcasm of law maintenance caused heightened threat control efforts through bodies at each stage of the justice organization (Stuart, 2013). The effect of this media coverage is the high usage of non-lethal firearms and methods like aerosol sprays and basic defensive techniques. Social media may aid in arresting absconders, identify acquaintance suspects, connect people to street teams, and offer proof of criminal happening. Evidently, the use of social media has played great part in preventing the occurrence of terrorist activities in the modern world.
Law enforcement bodies may apply social media in the right manner to associate with the public, prevent crime, and research on criminal activities. Units that form a presence on social media network create room for liaising freely with the citizens in general (Marcou, 2010). Through this development, the public can get actual-time data, and also an electronic technique of raising queries, offering proposals, and giving tips that assist in tackling crime. For instance, during 2011, Kentucky Government Police investigators posted pictures of the tattoo, jewelry, and a makeover combination associating to an unidentified corpse discovered a decade earlier. The extra proof offered in reaction to the post facilitated investigators to recognize the dead body (Hickman, 2013).
Social media may offer an unworthy source of data for researchers. Criminals will apply social media to communicate with their companions, know their locations and how they are faring. They are as well believed to distribute pictures and videos of their illegal deeds to each other. Such electronic data may aid arrest fugitives, identify fellow companions, connect people to street groups, and give proof of illegal happening. Law maintaining bodies should know the challenges that may occur when duty and private life meet in social media. Law authorities determine what they consider as a private manifestation in the social media globe whereas distinguishing themselves like members of law and order maintenance. Combining their private and social living with their skilled ones may introduce dishonor to them and their units (Stuart, 2013).
Law enforcers sharing data concerning their reluctance when in line of duty may raise queries about their suitability for work in case of a fatal force incident or a sever...