The Need to Integrate Community and Law Enforcement Efforts to Counter Crime - Term Paper Example

The paper “The Need to Integrate Community and Law Enforcement Efforts to Counter Crime" is a thrilling example of a term paper on social science. The rising cases of crime and insecurity have been noted by a lot of people, and rime and criminal activities have been cited as one of the biggest problems facing society today. The government has been steadfast in its attempts to fight crime, but these efforts cannot bear fruit without a collective contribution from individuals, groups and other organizations that have some influence in the society (Regoli, 2009).

When fighting crime, there are three main problems that need to be addressed. These will be discussed shortly and will be accompanied by practical and workable solutions that offer a way out of this conundrum of insecurity and crime. History and Status The history of crime is well documented, but it is impossible to point out the exact century or time in which the first criminal activities were recorded. This goes a long way to show that crime has been around for a very long time (Regoli, 2009).

Despite the fact that a lot of time and resources have been spent on fighting crime, it still presents us with a very big problem in our society. Families and individuals have all fallen prey to the threat of crime, and as per now there is still a long way to go before even the slightest sign of victory is seen. The levels of crime in our society can be considered as high, and therefore it is imperative that efforts are redoubled in order to prevent this vice from spiraling out of control and threatening the stability of our society.

The biggest problem that needs to be addressed when it comes to crime is the fact that people and organizations that are supposed to be at the forefront of the efforts that are being made are the ones lagging behind. These include lawyers, police officers, and human rights organizations. It is important that they play a bigger role in the fight against crime, and they can only do this if they are provided with the right incentives and motivation (Osofsky, 2005). There is a need to involve them as much as possible in the formulation, approval, and implementation of policies that are geared towards inhibiting the growth and increase in crime, insecurity and criminal activities.

1st Problem: Poor and Ineffective Policies The policies and legislations that are meant to regulate crime rates have been found to be highly ineffective. More often than not, criminals manage to evade justice by taking advantage of loopholes in the judicial system that are brought about by the existence of ineffective legislation. It is vital that all entities, stakeholders and interested parties come together and engage in positive and productive discussions that will result in better and highly effective legislation that strengthen the judiciary and make it difficult for a criminal to avoid being punished for participating and promoting illegal activities (Allen, 2000).

2nd Problem: Lack of Awareness (among the public) The general public needs to be aware of their rights, duties, and responsibilities in the fight against crime and criminal activities. Most of the time, it is common to find people who have friends and members of their families who are involved in crime but they just ignore this and brush it off. They feel that it is important to protect their own even if they are wrong, simply because they stand to benefit from those criminal activities. It is important that people know and appreciate their role in fighting crime, and this can only be achieved through education, awareness, and enlightenment (Osofsky, 2005).

Although it is common for a majority of people to ignore criminal activities that benefit them, it is worth noting that once they realize that they are losing much more than what they are gaining they will change their perception of crime. Awareness will play a significant role here. 3rd Problem: Inadequate Funds Fighting crime is an expensive affair. For it to be successful there must be a well-defined financial plan and outlay that will boost the success of any efforts that are made. There is a growing need for more financial resources that will go towards the buying, production, and installation of security systems, as well as the remuneration of personnel who are involved in fighting crime.

Governments everywhere need to appreciate the fact that crime cannot be fought with limited financial resources, or else the chances of success will be greatly reduced and compromised (Allen, 2000). Conclusion Even though it is evident that crime is a huge thorn in the flesh of today’s society, it is also worth noting that it can be controlled. Eradicating it is impossible, but regulating (for the better of the society) is very possible. Despite this, there is a greater urgency for more efforts to be put in the fight against crime.

This is mainly because times are changing, and so the nature, sophistication, and complexity of crime are also changing (Allen, 2000). It is therefore vital that policies, regulations, and legislation be modified in order to adapt to the changes that are taking place in the criminal world.