The Difference between Traditional and New Law Enforcement Strategies Essay Example for Free

The Difference between Traditional and New Law Enforcement Strategies Essay Professor Maia Jefferson The law enforcement community plays an important role in our day-to-day lives. They are not only tasked with enforcing the laws, but they are also tasked with helping out the community in various ways. What happens when the traditional model of law enforcement is changed? Will there be any resistance from certain divisions of the police force? What will be the major factor for the success of a new program, if implemented? Under the traditional law enforcement model, officers are tasked with responsibilities such as patrolling the streets and reporting broken sidewalks, potholes, street, and traffic lights that need to be replaced. Under the new program called â€Å"Employing Creative Closure Strategies,† patrolling officers work with sergeants and lieutenants to review crime data and come up with the best solution to problems. In doing this, it allows officers to display their expertise in areas such as criminal investigation, traffic enforcement, drug suppression, and routine patrol. With any organization, change is going to come with resistance. Some of the major resistance would most likely come from senior members of the force. These members that have been around for awhile have probably seen many leaders want to â€Å"make their mark† by implementing their own ideas. These skeptics have probably accepted the idea that certain divisions are specialized in the area of expertise and that changing the way that they operate would disrupt the tempo of the force. However, most people agree that change is a good thing and can lead to improvement within the police force. The new changes would no doubt endure opposition on some levels, but there would also be many who would support them. The supporters would most likely be the officers that are directly affected by the changes. By allowing patrolling officers to work directly with investigators, the police officers would feel more important and more connected with the community. Moreover, the actual responsibility of investigations will be shared among the patrolling officers and the investigation team. The collaboration of these two units will not only save time, but also money. The success rate for the â€Å"Employing Creative Closure Strategies† program has been proven more effective than the traditional patrolling methods. The change held individual officers accountable for investigating and resolving crimes in their patrol area, which played a major role in their success. (Johnson, 1997) Productivity and case closure rates began to rise, proving that the patrol officers were capable of assuming more responsibility. After 14 months, the number of cases that were solved increased dramatically. The new program â€Å"Employing Creative Closure Strategies† has proven to be a step towards improving the way law enforcement patrols. With any change comes disbelievers, yet there is always room for improvement. The ultimate goal of law enforcement is to protect the community and its citizens. By implementing the new system, there will be an increased level of security and an opportunity for police officers to learn from each other by taking on more responsibility. Bibliography Johnson, R. A. (1997, November). Integrated Patrol: Combining Aggressive Enforcement and Community Policing. Retrieved from Federal Bureau of Investigation web site: www. fbi. gov