Law Enforcement Agents: The Forefront of Illicit Integrity Trends - Essay Sample

Introduction

The bygone, extant and imminent illicit integrity trends involve the prevention of crime and guarding the people of America. Currently, law enforcement agents are quick to respond to calls regarding illegal activities. Other than responding to calls, law enforcement agents arrest lawbreakers, investigate crimes, practice routine controls, secure public events, control traffic, and enforce traffic laws, among other duties. They also spend time writing and updating the offenders' crime occurrence. Some agents are restricted to practice law within a particular jurisdiction. In rare cases, the officers help agents from outside their authority as long as it is within a county or state. This paper is an analysis of past, present and future criminal justice trends, budgetary effect, their managerial and courts directions on law enforcement.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Past, Present and Future Trends of Criminal Justice

A previous event within the system of criminal justice, which dramatically affected the agents of law enforcement was the 9/11 terror attack. Law enforcement system is no longer following criminal felonies and misdemeanors but instead focus on protecting the United States against terrorism. Federal, local and state law are focused on protecting the citizens from the acts of terror. These teas include the CIA, FBI, ATF, and DEA. Before the 9/11 attack, there was an invisible division of the law enforcement system. However, the blurred line amongst them was removed, and now these bodies work together towards the same goal. According to Odom (2009), the law enforcement bodies now freely share intelligence information, which helps curb crimes. He adds that this move must have been the cause of exceptional improvement in the criminal justice system.

Since the event of 9/11 terror attack, law enforcement agents were given the power to arrest suspects, a move that has helped change plans of various terror attacks. The primary mission of the law enforcement agency is to protect the citizens of the United States. However, with the enforcement of the Patriotic Act, which was made after 911, the mission has been more achievable than before. These agents, alongside homeland security, have the duty to answer to crimes and war acts. Since 9/11, most America citizens have seen a lot of changes in law enforcement practices. It would feel better to not live to that past event, but it would be ignorant if Americans forget what happened that day (Odom, 2009).

USA Patriotic Act

On 26th October 2011, America had already settled from the 9/11 attack when President George W. Bush passed the patriotic Act (Odom, 2009). The act aimed to stop and punish any people planning to attack any part of America or the world. The patriotic act gave all law enforcement agents power to investigate any acts of terror and criminal activities. It also minimized the restrictions which were imposed by the court system, especially whereby surveillance could only be allowed for investigating common crimes like drug trafficking. Law enforcement agencies now have permission to search for crime evidence on the suspect's emails, personal records, phone, medical and financial records. The act gives the agents the mandate to investigate all aspects of crimes like biological and chemical weapons, which could lead to mass destruction. The patriotic act also removed the barrier which stopped agencies like national defense forces and intelligence to work together by sharing information towards protecting the people of America.

Trends Impact on Homeland Security

After the 9/11 terror attack, the priority of the mission of homeland security changed border patrolling to bar weapons of mass destruction and terrorists from accessing the United States (Council of state government, 2006). The homeland security developed U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP), two immigration enforcement agencies, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). CBP agency was given the power to inspect transportation checks, U.S entry on coastal border and U.S entry port. ICE is responsible for detaining, investigating and exiling all illegal immigrants within America. CBP is answerable for protecting America's ports of entry. The border patrol then maintains the jurisdiction over all the middle section of two ports entries hence giving the border patrol federal authority countrywide.

Future Criminal Justice Trends.According to a survey done by (Hollywood et al. 2019), cybercrime is likely to be the topmost trend of crime in the next three to five years. The study found that the use of credit cards is recently safe until it lands to the hands of a criminal. The research asserts that the advancement of technology is likely to boost the rate of cybercrime all over the world. Technology has been used to make and control dangerous weapons in the past. Besides, criminals use technology to plan attacks, recruit fellow criminals, and to impersonate, among other things. The criminal justice system intends to work on DNA typing used to create DNA profiles which will be used to identify criminals. Also, develop technological devices which can detect knives, guns and other weapons from far. The law enforcement agents will also be required to take a step in familiarizing with technology to discover criminal activities.

Trends Effects on Budget

The Government of the United States spends billions in budgetary allocation of security and law enforcement. TSA organization from the department of homeland security has spent almost $57 billion while inspecting plane cargos, and plane passengers' at all major transportation centers. Glacier & Hutchison (2011) states that in 2011, the fiscal year budget allocation for criminal justice was $ 7.65 billion and was projected to rise to $8.11 billion in 2012. Federal allowance allocated to local agencies increased vastly due to new training and regulations requirements, and government emergency budget inclusion. Since the 9/11 attack, there has been reduced or no major terror attacks, thus minimizing the budgetary allocation of the government of the forces. Currently, Lake County Emergency Management Agency has applied for $ 4 million meant for planning, training, and equipment. Following the high performance on law enforcement, U.S budget allocation is likely to reduce in the future.

Trends Effects on Management and Court Directions

Regarding reports from the Bureau of justice, in 2000, the law enforcement system had 7000 fully sworn officers, both locally and state level. FBI's were 11, 523. After 9/11, law enforcement officers dramatically increased at all organization levels. National Emergency Management Association reported that the number of state homeland security representative in 2002 increased from 11 to 15 in 2003. By 2019, at least 49 states have begun a terrorism committee task force. With the available changes to curb terror attacks, the management has had to alter how organizations are managed to respond positively to any crime or terror attacks (Council of state government, 2006). According to Allen & Sawhney (2018), the criminal justice management system is considering providing better services to offenders of various crimes by advancing the skills of law enforcement agents. The court system of the United States is likely to improve the enforcement of law if it does the following. It can consider the increase of the use prosecutors in investigating police misbehaviors, develop data collection regarding the deaths of police, implement the biased training of federal forces which is subjected on all tasks forces and improve federal watch over police conducts.

Conclusion

This paper has been an examination of past, present, and future trends of criminal justice, its budgetary, managerial and courts direction on law enforcement. The law enforcement system is responsible for keeping law and order in the United States. Since the 9/11 terror attack in the United States, law enforcement system dramatically affected change. The law enforcement agents like FBI, CIA, and DEA started working together towards a common goal. It is after the attack that the patriotic act was introduced. Homeland security was given more powers to protect the border. Today, the rate of terror attacks in the United States has significantly reduced. With improved technology, criminal justice is likely to be an excellent pace in the future. The budget allocated for law enforcement is also expected to reduce due to reduced crime activities. Management of criminal justice is going to focus on providing better services to the offenders through imparting skills to law enforcement agents. Court system is likely to focus more on police force misconduct because that is one of the issues that have been ignored for a long time.

References

Allen, J. M., & Sawhney, R. (2018). Administration and management in criminal justice: A service quality approach. Sage.

Council of State Governments; Eastern Kentucky University. (December 2006). The Impact of Terrorism on State Law Enforcement: Adjusting to New Roles and Changing Conditions. National Institute of Justice. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/216642.pdf

Glacier, D. & Hutchison, J. (September 2011). 9/11 impact still seen among law enforcement agencies. The News-Herald. Retrieved from http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2011/09/09/news/doc4e68d8b685f0a795924517.txt?viewmode=default

Hollywood, J. S., Woods, D., Lauland, A., Jackson, B. A., & Silberglitt, R. (2019). Emerging Technology Trends and Their Impact on Criminal Justice.

Odom, B. (June 2009). Changes to Law Enforcement-War on Terrorism. Associated Content. Retrieved from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1856245/changes_to_law_enforcement_war_on_terrorism.html?cat=17