Impact of Technology and Community Policing on Eliminating the Street Gangs - Essay Example

Impact of technology and community policing on eliminating the street gangs Initially, Los Angeles streets were controlled by gangs which extorted money from the residents. In addition, they carried out murder in broad daylight without fearing the authority and the law enforcers. People could not use their parks or any other public places that were controlled by the gangs. All residents feared for their lives. However, the gangs were very powerful to an extent that police could not respond to their threats. They used to respond to police arrests through killing innocent residents. Therefore, police watched helpless as the residents were terrorized and forced to pay money in order to receive protection from these gangs. Since the entry of the technology in the market, the police force has been able to improve the security levels in the streets and public parks. In an example, through CCTV cameras and other technologies, it has become possible for the police to react on time, an aspect that has played a significant role in reducing cases of murder and extortions in the neighborhoods. This is an indication that the government and the people need to embrace the use of technology in curbing crimes and crime related activities. For instance, the police need to shift from the use of the traditional methods of communities and instead start the use of social media in order to receive the grievances from the residents. This would play a significant role in ensuring that there is no vacuum in the society which can be used by the gangs to terrorize the locals. In addition, it would enable the police to be up-to-date with what is happening. Moreover, such technology would be significant in providing a platform where the law enforcers can interact and share ideas on how to improve the security in the area. The local people are the ones who are affected. As a result, they might give options or ideas on how to eliminate the street gangs in the society. Street gangs exist in areas where there are no effective coordination between the law enforcers and the local population. In many cases, citizens accuse the law enforcers of complacency especially when dealing with petty issues. However, when young generation is brought up in lawless areas, they are likely to fall into the acts of the gangs. Therefore, the parents and the police need to work together in order to ensure that all people are safe. This cannot be achieved when there are blame games between the police and the public. For example, in the case that happened in Fergusson, the authority tried to put the blame on the people for not teaching their juniors on the need to respect the law enforcers. Such statements escalated the situation. Instead, both parties needed to sit together and work as a single unit and work towards a common solution. Therefore, for one to state that life was cheaper when the gangs were controlling the streets indicate that there is need to educate the members of the public on the danger of allowing a gang to make rules in a community. For instance, these are people who can take the law on their hands without having to worry of the repercussions. Therefore, any area that is controlled by such groups is likely to lag behind in terms of development. This is because there is no investor who is willing to invest the money in an area where one cannot get the value for the money. Therefore, life is harder and getting the necessary services becomes even a tough task because many of the suppliers fear for their lives. Therefore, it’s important for the authority and the people to work together as a single unit in order to enlighten the people on the need to observe the law and order. The local population is a rich source of information. Street gangs keep on changing tactics in order to remain relevant. Therefore, in order for the law enforcers to understand some of these tactics, they need help from the locals who interact with these people. This can only be achieved through restructuring the police force in a way that will improve the relationship with the people. This would be achieved through training the officers on how to handle the local population as an asset rather than criminals. This would improve the trust of the local population towards the police force. Therefore, they would be willing to provide the law enforcers with links that would enable them to arrest the members of the street gangs. In an example, the Los Angeles Police Department had to undergo an intense restructuring in order to embrace community policing (Quinones 1). For instance, it ensured that all people are represented. This is through employing law enforcers who emanates from different races. This is to erase the perception that people from a particular race was being targeted, an aspect that was strengthening the position of the gangs in the society. This played a significant role in enabling the force to deal with the issue of the street gangs. Working with the community gives the authority an opportunity to understand why the street gangs mushroom in the society. In Los Angeles, the police department came to understand that there were few patrols especially in the parks and other public places (Quinones 1). This gave an idea to the law enforcers who were able to draft a strategy of patrolling these parks. For example, each park was assigned a certain number of law enforcers depending on the threat that was posed by the gangs. This is an indication that community policing can enable the law enforcers to organize themselves effectively in order to tackle crime issues more effectively. In conclusion, crime issues in our neighborhoods cannot be tackled through finger pointing. Instead, it is through the working together of the law enforcers, government, and the community that would make it possible to address the issues. Therefore, police should ensure that they create a strong relationship with the local population in order to achieve success in fighting street gangs and other criminals. Works Cited Quinones, Sam. "A Change in the Landscape: L.A.'s Parks No Longer Belong to Street Gangs - LA Times." Latimes.com. LA Times, 7 Feb. 2015. Web. 2 Mar. 2015. . Read More