Police Patrol

Over the weekend, police across Australia conducted their yearly weekend blitz on alcohol-fuelled violence and anti-social behaviour with Operation Unite. Extra police were sent out in force targeting drunken violence. This operation takes on the zero tolerance approach as police and the government want to let people know that they are sick and tired of alcohol violence. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/15/3217211.htm 

Police need to maintain a positive public image, but some of their techniques are out of line. Some images of police getting tough on crime and arresting people can make others in the community feel safe and reassures them that something is being done to protect them.  However, police always attract much criticism about the way they choose to handle some situations. I know that people can drink excessive amounts of alcohol and get out of control, but having 7 or 8 officers pinning one guy down seems a bit much. The images seen in the media of police officers using violence to target violence does not represent a positive image.

This all relates back to “law and order commonsense” where it is said that police need greater powers to control people and that we need tougher penalties to keep society in order (Hogg & Brown, 1998). Crime is shown to be a massive problem and if it is not handled quickly, the community will spiral out of control. This weekend blitz is seen as something of a solution to alcohol-related crime. Although crackdowns seem to work for the short term, there needs to be better responses to combat this problem. Maybe the solution is not to get tougher on crime, but to educate people about the consequences of their actions.

How the police are portrayed in the media can have an effect on public knowledge and opinion (Marsh & Melville, 2009, pg 130). A positive image of police can encourage the public to cooperate and assist in reporting crime. You never want to rub people the wrong way, and this is especially important with police as they have a job to protect the community and need all the help they can get to catch criminals. The relationship between the police and media can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can be beneficial to promote the police as friendly and caring. However, the media (especially the news) can show police getting heavy-handed with people and using excessive violence to control them.

Love them or loathe them, the police are here to stay.

References:

Hogg, R & Brown, D. (1998). Rethinking law and order, Pluto Press, Australia

Godfrey, M. (2011). Drunk idiots too common in oz, 15 march 2011, Sydney Morning Herald

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/drunk-idiots-too-common-across-oz-police-20110515-1ent1.html

Marsh, I & Melville, G. (2009). Crime, justice and the media, Routledge, USA

No author. (2011). Police crackdown targets 'boozed-up idiots', 15 March 2011

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/15/3217211.htm