Law enforcement is an essential part of any society, with the primary purpose of protecting communities, holding people accountable, and ensuring justice. But how exactly do the police perform these functions and what other responsibilities have they assumed? Who controls the police force at different levels of government and who holds them accountable? How can we close the gaps between citizens and officials? To ensure that law enforcement agencies are operating in the best and safest way, they must comply with industry best practices and regulations. This means adapting police policies and procedures to the highest standards. Law enforcement officers are responsible for responding to, detecting, and preventing crimes.
They must be able to adapt to unexpected or unknown situations, as well as to recognized situations such as robberies or domestic disputes. This requires an understanding of “the creation of meaning” and situational awareness. At the state level, an attorney general acts as “the state's chief legal officer” and oversees law enforcement and reform. However, due to the amount of travel within the country, law enforcement has not kept up with ensuring that officers receive the same training.
To address this issue, research should examine how community policing and officer welfare programs can simultaneously improve outcomes for both the community and law enforcement. The security leader can also play a key role by working with information and privacy experts in their own organization and with local police representatives to develop a clear policy that meets regulatory, organizational, and police requirements. Research should also focus on what is best for local communities and improving the health and well-being of law enforcement. Since there is no mandatory, standardized registration system for law enforcement agencies, each agency can create its own database or use one of the many patented record keeping software packages that are marketed to law enforcement.
By switching to a digital service, agencies can start saving money from day one by eliminating the need to print copies. Additionally, without the assistance of public law enforcement agencies, criminal charges initiated by the private sector would not be possible. Congress has legislative powers that allow it to “enact laws related to law enforcement matters”. Research should focus on how these processes are complementary pieces of a larger puzzle, and how information-related behaviors are interwoven into a richer explanation of the use of information in law enforcement agencies. There is also evidence from the Department of Homeland Security that shows how far-right extremists attack law enforcement.
Finally, federal budget provisions support state and local law enforcement through judicial assistance grants and public safety programs.
