Citizens Fear of Crime - Essay Example

Citizens Fear of Crime Within the past 30 years, the discussion of crime and security of the citizens continues to emerge as a significantly notable issue of public concern. Further, as the public seeks redress from the concerned offices, the debates continue range. The concerns of the citizens reach the public officers with the responsibility of guarding and protecting the citizens. The political unit that is legislature promises action, often drafting and passing intemperate laws whose likelihood of reducing crime is minimal (Larkin, 2013). Similarly, the criminal justice systems, the courts and correction facilities are failing to stand the pressure from the vast and rapidly increasing population of the offenders. The flaws within the law enforcement figures further infuriate the situation as they fail to meet their responsibility with integrity and willingness. All these happenings are at the expense of major public expenditures, in addition to their security, which is a right they deserve to enjoy as citizens of their government. There are pertinent observable trends within the US Criminal Justice System to the case presented by the citizens of Centerville. Historically, the criminal justice system continues to evolve, growing in expertise, legislation and population (Farrall, Jackson & Gray, 2009). Thus, the political unit of engrafting the policies and laws for governing action within these systems continue to passing laws filled with flaws. Their concern and argument seems legit; however, they enact laws at the expense of public expenditures and security of innocent people. For instance, in this case, two clearly observable features relate to the happenings in the Criminal Justice System. In the first case, is the critical issue of crime recidivism within the criminal justice system. The impact and success of the justice system is in doubt as the scenario presented in the case study indicates. The release of Jason Rivers after committing a murder within such a short period, before even serving a quarter of his sentence raised main fears in the community. The founding of the concerns became evident after he committed another murder, killing a beloved elderly woman of the Centerville community within few weeks of release. This happening resonates with several such cases within the justice system of the United States, in which offenders, after receiving parole or after serving their sentence, they find themselves receding into the criminal life. Thus, the citizens are weary of their safety from such high crime rates. Additionally, there is a concern on the increasing population of incarcerations within the correctional systems. The legislature tries to alleviate the situation by facilitating laws that propose alternative sanctions in their endeavor to support the judiciary. However, this is failing, since, despite such happenings, the crime rates are increasing remarkably. This increasing trend of criminal acts within the society initiate fear in the citizens as is the case in Centerville resonates with the happenings in the criminal justice system of United States. Over the past few years, as the reports of justice systems indicate, the population of reported cases, and incarcerated offenders are increasing remarkably (Farrall, Jackson & Gray, 2009). The available facilities such as courts and correctional holding facilities are inadequate. This worries the people as exemplified in the fear of citizens of Centerville due to the increasing crime rates. Thus, this increasing trend of crime raises significant concerns on the effectiveness of the law enforcement agencies, the legislature and the criminal justice system units in the country. Corruption is an ethical compromise that continues to creep into and ground the efforts of progress within the society. Police corruption is a happening that most people distantly attach it to ‘big city police’. However, the factor of corruption is an integrity issue that affects all people including the citizens, as well as the law enforcement units. The case of the high profile officer in Centerville is not in isolation; as such, happenings are becoming a subculture of the police units in the country. The impact of such personal decisions of flawed and incapacitated police officers can have a dire impact on the entire enforcement agency. For instance, a case such as this where a high profile police officer has a questionable character it raises concerns on the reputation of the entire police unit within the community. Community thinking is such that people think in crowds and generalization. This psychological behavior means that the acts of a single police officer become the general description of the entire agency. Thus, the community loses trust in the agency, leading to them not reporting many cases. Additionally, the acts of a corrupt officer can cost the entire agency its funding as when the funding organizations or people establish that there is abuse of their funds they withdraw their funding. Withdrawal of funding in large numbers can cripple the functioning of the agency. Moreover, when the criminals realize that an officer is corrupt; they will seize advantage and continue with their heinous crimes in conjunction with the corrupt officer (Punch, 2009). It is not startling to notice cases where corrupt officers collaborate with criminals. Thus, corruption of a law enforcement officer dents the reputation, integrity and working of the entire enforcement agency. Violations, misdemeanors or felonies, are the classifications of crime acts basing on the seriousness of the crime. The legislature has the role and responsibility of crafting and passing laws to prohibit and punish any acts of crime. The criminal justice system has the sole responsibility to interpret the laws that legislature passes and implement them when a crime happens. However, the legislature defines the confines of action of the criminal justice system (Larkin, 2013). Thus, the legislature defines minor offences such as driving and drinking offences as violations, crimes that do not warrant more than a one-year sentence as misdemeanors and gross violations such as murder and robbery as felonies. However, due to the recent economic wrangles and increasing population of incarcerations, the legislature, as is the case in Centerville drafted law passing the release of convicts on parole. Additionally, it suggests the blame of increased recidivism on the absence of alternative means of addressing offenders’ issues. However all these happenings are because of money. Money influences the decisions they make as they press to regulate the expenditure on the criminal justice system. However, this is increasing insecurity as the people fear when a violent robber gets out on parole. This threatens the security of citizens. Therefore, the justice system should incorporate the public in legislation that affects their security. For instance, they can publish public abetment on the suggested legislation and hold public conferences in within the people will express their views. Then, after collecting views of citizens, they consider their concerns before implementing the legislation. Additionally, the judiciary should establish communal correctional facilities and allow public to attend such proceedings to witness the offenders undergoing correction, in such facilities, they introduce activities such as training on god behavior and skills so that the released offender will have alternative activity to engage other than crime after release. This will earn the legislature and criminal justice system the trust of the citizens, bridging the gap among them. The subject of early release of violent offenders remains of significant concern in the community (Mohr, 2013). The seemingly unprecedented happening in the case of Rivers is regular these days. Nonetheless, the government in its endeavor to control its spending, principally in the dawn of the increasing financial constraints emphasizes such happenings to regulate the population in the correctional facilities. However, in my view, this position is not a sustainable solution to the situation. For instance, the criminal will pretend to reform while in the holding correctional facility so that they can pass the designated period of release on parole then once outside, they recede into crime (Larkin, 2013). Therefore, the legislature along with the criminal justice system need to draft other alternatives to handling the financial crisis they are avoiding, as well as, the overpopulation in these facilities. The criminal justice system alongside the legislature and community should work jointly to establish alternatives such as expanding the correctional facilities to address the population issue. Secondly, the concern is on the maintenance of this population that consumes the taxpayer money without contributing anything. Therefore, I suggest for the criminal justice system to establish programs that allow the inmates to contribute to nation building while in the correctional facilities (Larkin, 2013). For instance, they can introduce programs such as carpentry, masonry and other skills and allow these inmates to work in the prisons to generate finances for their upkeep. This will reduce the constraint on budgets. For the cases of recidivism, the correctional facilities are not addressing the concerns of the convicts. Additionally, discrimination by the community after release contributes more to recidivism than monetary concern. Therefore, the community needs to work along with the correctional system to facilitate correction and rehabilitation of the incarcerated people before releasing them. The law enforcement recruitment process is not responsible for the “fear of crime” concern of the citizens in my view. The subculture of the police agencies contributes to the unfortunate behaviors as witnessed in the detective case in Centerville. After recruitment and training, the new officers are usually enthusiastic and ready to facilitate service to the community and citizens (Prenzler, 2012). However, with time in the agency, they accustom to the happenings and culture of the older peers in the work, leading to adoption of behaviors and trends that affect the agencies negatively. The fears of the citizens in this case have a strong founding, considering that, such an establishment of officers, corrupting with criminals raises concerns of the number of free criminals receiving police protection. Moreover, such corrupt officers collude and actively participate in criminal acts against the citizens; thus, the concerns of the citizens are genuine. Therefore, in recommendation, I suggest that the community and the Centerville leaders should work together to root out such corrupt officers. The security of the citizens is their responsibility too, not the police only. Therefore, community policing where the police put information of wanted criminals to the public and the citizens give their feedback to the police will aid remarkably. The citizens then make a follow up on the reports to establish the working progress of the police in pursuing the case. Additionally, the law enforcement officers in Centerville can draft a police civic committee in which they facilitate a ground for interaction between the police and citizens (Punch, 2009). This interaction will remove the fear concerns and increment trust of the citizens in police. Moreover, the officials should pursue the punishment of such officers, banish them from the force, and conduct such process publicly to earn and keep the trust of the citizens. Security remains a sector of concern with the increasing threats to world peace. Therefore, internal law enforcement agencies and criminal justice systems must enhance their services to the citizens. The growth of a state relies on the refuge of the possessions and lives of the people as such secure places attract investors among other financial gains. Therefore, Centerville along other towns, cities and states governments need to oversee the implementation of procedures ensuring the security of the people. References Prenzler, T. (2012). Policing and security in practice: Challenges and achievements. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Farrall, S., Jackson, J., & Gray, E. (2009). Social order and the fear of crime in contemporary times. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Larkin, P. j. (2013). Clemency, Parole, Good-Time Credits, and Crowded Prisons Reconsidering Early Release. The Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy, 11(1), 1-44 Mohr, G. (2013). Intergrated Criminal Justice System Working Collaboratively to Reduce Recidivism. ( CT FEATURE). Corrections Today, (4), 28 Punch, M. (2009). Police corruption: Deviance, accountability and reform in policing. 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