As the 21st century approaches, changing societal issues and priorities present new challenges to the law enforcement community. Society demands remedies to rising crime rates, drug use, and traffic fatalities/injuries, and communities want increased police visibility. However, law enforcement agencies, in most cases, are expected to do this with current or static resources and budgets. As a result, law enforcement administrators are searching for new ways to do business and for more efficient and effective uses of existing resources. Proactive law enforcement is an effective tool that can assist in meeting these new challenges.
Based on your reading in the text and credible research from the Internet, respond to the following:
- What major characteristics identify the proactive police agency?
- If you had to prioritize the changes needed within the police department to convert from a reactive form of policing to one that is more proactive, what would your priorities be?
- What do you see as the greatest impediment to implementing a proactive style of policing?
- What do you see as the greatest benefit of implementing a proactive style of policing?
