Policing in the Society - Essay Example

Topic: Policing and society Name: Course: Instructors name: Date: Introduction Community ranks groups of individuals in a bureaucracy through social stratification, which is dependent on four primary principles: It is a feature of the community, not simply an expression of personal variations, it takes on from creation to creation, it is worldwide but varying, and it includes not just inequality but values as well. Social stratification gives rise to social classes (Fry, 2006). A social class is a set of individuals of equivalent status, frequently sharing analogous levels of power and prosperity. In sociology, social classes identify social stratification. When a community is structured by social classes, instead of by castes, it is, in theory, feasible for individuals to obtain an improved position than the position with which they begun. This paper focuses on the application of policing on the different social classes. It analyzes the different social classes. It also outlines the social class that is more likely to make contact with police and the reasons behind the uneven application of policing. Policing in the society Policing refers to regulation, taking charge or controlling, and keeping in order with a law enforcement agency. They are tasks taken by governmental department assigned with the regulation and control of the activities of any community. Policing is primarily the duty of a police department established to help in maintain law and order, enforce it, and prevent and crime from happening (Schaffer, 2010). Types of social classes Sociologists use three techniques to ascertain social classes: the objective method, subjective method and reputational method. These methods yield four social classes: lower class, working class, middle class and the upper class. The lower class is characterized by hardship, lack of employment and homelessness. Individuals in this category, a handful of who have completed secondary education, experience poor health care, insufficient shelter and food, bad outfits, insecurity and unprofessional training (Bottomore, 2008). The working category is composed of those minimally knowledgeable individuals who practice manual work with minimal or no reputation. They may earn more revenue than employees in the middle class. However, their tasks are usually more physically challenging, and in some situations quite risky (Bottomore, 2008). The middle-class lies in between two classes, which are lower class and upper class. Individuals in this class have more income than those in lower class, but less than those in upper class. The upper class is the highest social class. Individuals in this group have more cash than they could potentially spend; thus they have much spare time for nurturing a wide range of interests. They reside in exceptional locations, assemble at high-priced social clubs and take their children to the best educational institutions. Often, they also command a lot of influence and power (Bottomore, 2008). The social class that is more likely to have contact with police It has been observed that policing employed in societies differ depending on the sort of society the law enforcement officer caters for. Areas with strict legislation demand no-frills policing in which penalties are imposed equally to all people. Some societies anticipate authorities to function with an advanced level of discernment, while other communities anticipate the authorities to use a mixture of prudence and law. The policing style employed in a certain community also depends on the social class of individuals in a specific community. (Walsh, 2011). This therefore has resulted to uneven application of policing in the society. The relationship between police and the society dictates, to a considerable level, just how efficient policing will be in the defense of social order. Police forces do not exist in solitude and cannot function on their own. Police in a democratic community are assigned their power by the state on account of the citizens and are, in the bottom line, expected to be responsible to the individuals they serve. Actually, the status quo, concerning the social order in a society, is usually identified at any specific point, by a sense of balance in the power relations between the various classes in society. Such power relations are usually dynamic and adjustment results in a renegotiation of power between the classes (Schaffer, 2010). As such, type of policing employed to a certain location and the class the majority of that area’s inhabitants belong to dictate the nature and effectiveness of policing. Individuals in the lower class of society are more likely to have contact with police and be charged with an offence. People in this class are mostly uneducated and have inadequate basic needs. Therefore, there is a higher possibility of encountering illegal acts within such a society than in any other social class. This probability decreases as one goes up the hierarchy. People in the upper class, who often command a lot of power, are usually discrete. In addition, they are well connected with other influential people. Police will often not bother with individuals in this social class in spite of the fact that they are not above the law (Walsh, 2011). The income differences among individuals have increased inequality in society especially in policing. Lack of wages among the low class has increased the number of convicts in prisons today. Rising inequality has increased crime in the social ladder. Sociologists maintain that mainly individuals from the low class are involved in crime than those in other classes (Morris, 2002). It is believed that majority of inmates in many nations comes from lower socioeconomic status in the society. Within the criminal justice system, individuals from lower class can easily be charged, incarcerated, sentenced, convicted to prison and be prisoned for longer period than individuals from elite class and white collar. It is believed that the system, such as policing, that is normally placed to reduce crimes and protect individuals in the society, has been transformed and employed in targeting and oppressing the poor. This has been proved by the way police handles individuals from different social classes. The criminal justice system in the society is practically a funneling procedure, from arrest to sentencing. This normally results to socioeconomic discrimination at every stage of the procedure, thus shaping the group of individuals in the society to be charged and be prisoned. Individuals that do always find themselves behind bars are those from low class group. This is because; criminal behavior of individuals in low socioeconomic status is normally taken seriously while that of individuals in high socioeconomic status is normally taken lightly and attributed to their situation (Allen, 2012). A good example of this kind of biasness occurs during arrest and convictions of individuals possessing drugs. Most drug abusers are believed to come from low income group. Individuals in low class, who are arrested on drug offenses, are normally viewed as drug abusers and sent to prison. This normally makes police to make contact with them more so as to minimize the drug abuse habit. Individuals in higher class on the other hand are less likely to be viewed as drug abusers due to their situation. They are normally provided with other alternatives such as rehabilitation and probation. With the aim of strengthening war on drugs, police do always target inner cities with the aim of arresting poor individuals in the society. This therefore normally allow them make more contact with low class individuals in the society (Weatherburn, & Snowball, 2006). Even though poor individuals have greater levels of property and person crimes, crimes committed by individuals in middle and high class society are widely spread and provide huge economic detriment. The main variation is that crimes committed by individuals in high class society are not actively pursued as those committed by the underprivileged. Crimes are normally committed in all socioeconomic classes. However, the way the crimes are targeted is usually discriminatory. The legal system that is not balanced has developed several delicate ways of dealing with rich people in the society, which has resulted to lower arrests among the rich committing crimes. Many people in white collar and high class, who commit crimes, are hardly arrested. However, when arrested they normally receive lesser sentences than individuals from lower class (Nofziger & Williams, 2012). The major factor that promotes inequality in the system of criminal justice is the great variation in the manner in which the police treat or view poor individuals as compared to the manner which upper class individuals are treated. The discrimination is due to the fact that poor individuals do always have less privacy as compared to rich individuals, thus making the poor more visible to the police and other people. In the police training, police are normally conditioned to be suspension of certain types of people, most of them the poor minorities (Schuck, 2012). Conclusion It is evident that the society is divided into various classes depending on the status quo of individuals. These classes have unique characteristics, which determine how police departments handle cases associated with them. Individuals in the low class of the community are more prone to being arrested than those in the upper class. This is mainly because low class persons are poor and will often be involved in petty crimes to cater for their needs. Conversely, although people in other classes up the social ladder may also be involved in crime, they will mainly be sophisticated in nature and may take a long time to unearth. Many people in white collar and high class, who commit crimes, are hardly arrested. However, when arrested they normally receive lesser sentences than individuals from lower class. References Allen, J. (2012). Weaknesses of the Criminal Justice System. < http://www.ehow.com/list_7158564_weaknesses-criminal-justice-system.html > Bottomore, T. (2008). Classes in modern society. London: Harper Collins Academic. Fry, N. (2006). Social class and stratification : classic statements and theoretical debates. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Morris, N. (2002). Crime & social organization. New Brunswick, N.J: Transaction Publishers. Nofziger, S. & Williams S. L. (2012). Perceptions of Police and Safety in a Small Town. Police Quarterly. Schaffer, E. (2010). Community policing. London: Croom Helm. Schuck, et al. (2012). The Influence of Race/Ethnicity, Social Class, and Neighborhood Context on Residents' Attitudes Toward the Police. Police Quarterly. Walsh, A. (2011). Social class and crime : a biosocial approach. London: Routledge. Weatherburn, D. & Snowball, L. (2006).The economic and social factors underpinning Indigenous contact with the justice system: Results from the 2002 NATSISS survey. < http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/cjb104.pdf/$file/cjb104.pdf > Weisburd, D. & Waring, E. (2006). Stanton Wheeler. Class, Status, and the Punishment of White-Collar Criminals. Journal of America Bar Foundation. Volume 15, Issue 2, pages 223–243. Read More