Unit 8: Law, Courts, and Procedure

Law Enforcement’s Role in Society

If all the myriad purposes of law enforcement agencies were narrowed to one, it would be the responsibility of preserving the peace in a manner consistent with the Constitution. This responsibility is shared with others in society, including each individual, and each level of government. Police do, however, have a primary role in reducing both the threat and fear of crime.

The preservation of peace is more complex than simply preventing crime, making arrests for violations of law, recovering stolen property, and providing assistance in the prosecution of persons charged with acts of criminality. Police spend only about 15% of their time enforcing the law. The majority of the rest of the time is spent providing services, such as mediating conflicts, providing directions to motorists, evacuating neighborhoods threatened by natural disasters, and serving as a bridge (point of contact) between other social service agencies and persons who come into contact with police, such as the mentally disturbed.

The extent to which any society achieves public order through policing depends in part on the price that society is willing to pay for it. These costs include the price of resources for police and the price in reduction of freedoms enjoyed by citizens. Thus, any policing system must be examined in light of the political system in which it operates. A police system in a totalitarian state is much freer to “operate” than one in the United States. It will also be more efficient. But, unlike private businesses, government agencies are designed primarily to protect the rights of citizens and not (primarily) to be efficient.