Increase of Distrust in Law Enforcement

Increase of Distrust in Law Enforcement
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Increase of Distrust in Law Enforcement
Abstract
The American law enforcement segment of the criminal justice system suffers from a declining public trust. Evidence from diverse research reveals that this attitude remains skewed depending on the racial groupings of the nation, with whites having a positive view while the minorities display resentments towards the force. This difference arises from the discriminative practices of the police that disproportionately leave groups such as African Americans as the leading victims of police brutality. These aspects arise from the structuring of the law enforcement, the racial suspicion, and increasing criminal activities perpetrated by the police officers. As a result, this situation requires the department to rethink its operations, practices, and approaches in communities, rescind the distrust, and improve its perception.
Introduction
The law enforcement departments are fundamental in every nation because of their critical roles in maintaining peace and order through their diverse duties and responsibilities. Brooks et al. (2016) acknowledge that a society without police officers can easily degenerate into chaos. As a result, they are critical in maintaining societies through law enforcement. However, their operations and interactions with communities face diverse dynamics and complexities, leading to differing perceptions about the police. According to Barthelemy et al. (2016), people expect police officers to remain impartial in their duties and to treat all people equally irrespective of the circumstances. Their service-inclined profession should refrain from discriminatory practices to maintain a positive perception from the public. Unfortunately, United States law enforcement is replete with suspicion and accusation of being discriminatory based on diverse aspects, including racial lines, social economic, and even religious inclinations. This aspect has led to a gradually shifting perspective, with many viewing the police from a distrustful viewpoint due to their persistent incapability to demonstrate their impartiality. As a result, this paper explores the reasons for the increasing distrust in law enforcement, associated consequences, and solutions to restore public trust.
Causes of Increased Distrust in Law Enforcement
One of the leading reasons for distrust in police officers in the nation is that the entire organization remains fundamentally constituted to uphold the needs of the ruling groups while marshaling the masses for the benefit of the select few. This argument arises from the discriminative treatment of the economically deprived individuals in the societies while blatantly privileging the rich. For instance, Brooks et al. (2016) clarify this by indicating that the policing development in the nation focused on creating a body capable of cracking down on misfits or people constantly opposing the ruling class. This aspect explains why people historically referred to them as the big stick. Other associated duties, including slave patrol, worsened their historical perception because, despite the c...