CJM 321 CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORIES - Essay Example

because computers, mobile technologies, and the Internet are now being used to conduct cybercrimes, not to mention, deviant behaviors, such as cyberbullying, which can also lead to criminal activities. Clearly, the sources of criminality have spread and diversified to touch various aspects of human society which is why law enforcement is trying to find ways to respond to them using limited people, budget, and resources. Ensuring and preserving public safety is one of the top priorities of local governments and law enforcement agencies.

People’s safety and the security of their properties are perceived as basic human rights and important to the community’s total quality of life (Plant & Scott, 2009, p.8). The main concern of the paper is to understand how law enforcement can provide the essentials for today’s communities. These essentials include crime-fighting though the police also performs other functions, such as aiding the movement of people and vehicles, helping those who cannot take care of themselves, such as the mentally ill, children, and the homeless, and resolving conflicts between individuals or groups.

The paper explores the issues that have to be addressed to ensure “safety” for all, including discussing their obstacles and existing and potential solutions. The main issues to be addressed to ensure safety are crime prevention strategies that include prevention of substance abuse that leads to crimes and accidents, gang crimes and organized ctimes, hate crimes, and terrorism. The selling, distribution, and use of drugs, including related drug crimes continue to create social problems for society.

It does not help that, due to the globalization of technology and transportation, illegal drug business has expanded and become more resourceful in evading the detection of law enforcement. In 2007, law enforcement agencies across the U.S. made 1.8 million drug-related arrests (McElreath et al., 2013, p.11). In 2008, almost 100,000 inmates in