Police Department Roles and Functions Term Paper

In most cases, their duties revolve around statewide investigations, highway patrols, and enforcing other traffic laws. They usually work with the Bureau of criminal investigations in dealing with emergencies, training law enforcement official and social crime such sex offenders and illegal drug abuse and other investigations that go beyond the jurisdiction and resources of the local police (Dantzker, 1999).

On the other hand, the federal agency deals with not only statewide concerns, but also oversees the solving and tackling crimes that directly or by extension affect the entire state. This level requires high specialization, training, and knowledge on both the local and state laws as it covers the entire country. Some of the bodies in this category include the Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigations (F.B.I), the Border Patrol, and the United States Enforcement Administration (D.E.A) (Stevens, 2011).

The patrol unit is one of the most significant departments in police organization in mobilizing and managing resident's contribution regarding social control and prevention of crime. Consequently, there role is to receive and process sensitive information from volunteers that may pose a threat. They plan, coordinate, and execute appropriate counteractions. They majorly undertake precautionary patrols in a certain locality to protect the property of citizens and prevent any crime by conducting inspections and interviewing suspects. They are responsible to answer all emergency calls and act instantly on alarming issues. They also collect information and compile police reports including accident reports, offense, and arrests. Within their respective areas, they are responsible for enforcing traffic laws including directing and controlling accident scenes, parades and fires.They are expected to acquire any useful information or knowledge of all criminal laws thoroughly and refute any false claims posing unnecessary tension in their area of operation. All these require both the cooperation and volunteership of the residents. Therefore, it is the mandate of the patrol officer to be aware of every state of security (Palmiotto & Unnithan, 2010).

In conclusion, the roles and functions of the police force are diverse and indispensable for the internal security of any country. As already explained above, the various departments of the police are responsible for maintaining and enforcing the law. This is to mean that after the congress approves a given law, it is the duty of the police to ensure that the law is followed and respected to the latter. For instance, one of the laws passed and approved by the president illegalizes the use of hard drugs such as cocaine. It is at this point that the police needs to come in and apprehend any individual who participates in such an illegal trade. With the nature of the complexity and technicality of the job involved, it calls for proper coordination and clear distinction of roles as any conflict could compromise safety.

References

Dantzker, ML. (1999). Police Organization and Management: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Boston, MA: Elsevier

Palmiotto, M. J & Unnithan, N.P. (2010). Policing & Society: A Global Approach. New York, NY: Cengage Learning

Stevens, D.J. (2011). An Introduction to American Policing. Upper Saddle River, NJ:….....