Public Policing and Private Security

Public Policing and Private Security Chapter 5

Law Enforcement Today • After September 11, 2001, state and local agencies shifted resources to terrorism prevention • Intelligence gathering became important, and so did interagency cooperation • Since 2000, policing, along with the whole criminal justice system, have entered into an evidence-based era • Increasing pressure to do more with less

Metropolitan Police • Size • They range in size from the New York City Police Department down to cities with a single officer • Their role is expanding as society changes, to include: • AIDS-infected suspects • The homeless • Victims of domestic and child abuse • Homeland security

County Law Enforcement • The senior officer, the sheriff, is usually an elected political official (in all states except Rhode Island and Hawaii) • They are restricted to unincorporated areas, unless someone requests their help • Standard tasks • Servicing civil process (summons and court orders) • Providing court security • Operating the county jail • Investigating crimes

Less Common Tasks • They may serve as: • Coroners • Tax collectors • Overseers of animal control • Emergency medical services

State Police • They were created to deal with crime in nonurban areas • Local sheriff's weren't doing a great job of stopping crime • There was corruption and favoritism, since the sheriff's knew all the people in their area of jurisdiction • Most agencies couldn't protect against highly mobile lawbreakers • Becausethey would go outside the jurisdiction of the area where the crime was committed • These police report to the state and the governor of the state • Today they have the same powers as municipal police, but they are limited by the state's boundaries--not the city's • They are responsible for highway patrol and traffic law enforcement • In California, they enforce traffic laws

State Police—additional duties • Their crime laboratories help local departments in investigating crime scenes and analyzing evidence • They also do bomb-site analysis and homicide investigation • They are involved in highly sophisticated traffic and highway safety programs • Use of helicopters for patrol and rescue • They test safety devices for cars • Conduct postmortem examinations to find the cause of fatal accidents • Restrictions: they can’t get involved in strikes or other labor disputes, unless violence erupts

Federal Law Enforcement • The U.S. Justice Department • It is the legal arm of the U.S. Government • Headed by the Attorney General • Powers • Enforce all federal laws • Represent the U.S. when party to court action • Conduct independent investigations

Branches of Justice Department • Legal Divisions • Civil Rights Division • Proceeds legally against violations of federal civil rights laws that protect people from discrimination on basis of their race, creed, ethnic background, age, or sex—mostly in education, housing, and employment • The Tax Division • Brings legal actions against tax violators

Justice Department Branches • The Criminal Division • Prosecutes violations of the Federal Criminal Code • Enforcing statutes relating to bank robbery • Kidnapping • Mail fraud • Interstate transportation of stolen vehicles • Narcotics and drug trafficking • They have administrative control over other independent branches of justice

Justice Department Branches • Federal Bureau of Investigation • Limited to federal laws not assigned to other agencies • Primary objective today: terrorism • Counterintelligence during the Cold War • Anti-gang and drug control before terrorism became a problem in this country • Investigative areas • Espionage: the practice of spying or of using spies, typically by governments to obtain political and military information • Economic espionage—misappropriating trade secrets to benefit foreign entities • Sabotage: deliberately destroy, damage, or obstruct (something), especially for political or military advantage • Treason: (also high treason) the crime of betraying one's country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government • Civil rights violations • Additional Areas: Murder and assault of federal officers, mail fraud, robbery and burglary of federally insured banks, kidnapping, interstate transportation of stolen vehicles and property, white-collar crime, cybercrime

Drub Enforcement Administration (DEA) • Assist local and state authorities in investigating illegal drug use and carrying out surveillance and enforcement activities to control importation of narcotics • Work with foreign governments to destroy opium and marijuana crops • Undercover DEA agents infiltrate drug rings and conduct sting operations by acting as buyers

Marshals • Court officers who implement federal court rulings, transport prisoners, and enforce court orders • Ride on commercial jets to look for terrorists

Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) • Administers immigration laws • Deports people here illegally • Helps people here legally to become naturalized citizens • Maintains border patrols to prevent people from crossing illegally

Organized Crime and Racketeering Unit • Under the U.S. Attorney General • Uses federal racketeering laws to discourage organized crime • Racketeering: extorting money from a business by threatening violence • Also uses these laws to discourage dishonest or fraudulent businesses

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) • Used to be in Treasury Department, but moved to Justice • Controls sales of untaxed liquor and cigarettes • Controls illegal sales, importation, and criminal misuse of firearms and explosives

U.S. Treasury Department • Internal Revenue Service (IRS) • Enforces violations of income tax, excise tax, stamp tax, and other tax laws • Customs are levied on goods as taxable items at the border, while excise is on goods at the point of manufacture (tobacco, alcohol, gasoline, and others products) • The IRSIntelligence Division actively pursues gamblers, narcotics dealers, and people who do not report illegal financial gains as taxable income

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) • Customs and Border Protection (CBP) • Guards points of entry into the U.S. • Prevents smuggling of contraband (goods prohibited in trade--smuggled goods) • Ensures taxes and tariffs are paid on imported goods • Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) • Responsible for Identifying and shutting down vulnerabilities in the nation’s border • Responsible for economic, transportation, and infrastructure security

Secret Service • Originally charged with enforcing laws against counterfeiting—still does that • Protects the president and vice-president and their families • Protects presidential candidates, as well as former presidents, heads of state, and high level officials • Maintains the White House Police Force • Maintains the Treasure Guard that protects the mint

Interpol • The International Criminal Police Organization • The world’s largest international police organization with members from 190 countries • Its mission: preventing and fighting crime through enhanced cooperation and innovation on police and security matters • It is not a law enforcement organization with arrest powers • Its job is to provide technical and operational support to police organizations globally

Interpol, con’t. • It is mostly an intelligence-gathering entity that helps member countries fight complicated international crime problems • Such as corruption, organized crime, international drug trafficking, financial crime, high-tech crime, terrorism, and human trafficking • It manages a variety of databases with information on wanted criminals, including fingerprints and DNA profiles • Limitations • Their focus is on common criminals • It is strictly forbidden for the Organization to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious, or racial character

Public Policing and Private Security