Agreement and Disagreement Essay

To establish crime policy, proponents and opponents will be presented. This essay will discuss two propositions, an agreement and a disagreement. I agree with the proposition waging war is the wrong way to fight crime (Walker, 2001, pp. xiii). I accept this proposition as valid, and will explain how it should be incorporated into criminal justice policy. I disagree with the proposition simply adding more police officers will not reduce crime (Walker, 2001, pp. xiii). I will explain this disagreement and provide reference to my own experiences to support this position.

Is waging war the wrong way to fight crime? My stand on this is YES. I believe that war is initially motivated by hatred of the enemy or revenge or some of the other motives above it. This makes it easy to regard the enemy as less than human making it much more likely atrocities and war crimes will be committed. In reality a good intention could be bound up with a bad one. If the only way to keep peace or the only way to pay for a crime is to capture some of the enemy’s territory does a country’s intention to fight crime make the war an unjust one? There is also another condition of war that is mainly religious in origin.

If a person, or the people making up a state, wage war from the wrong motives they endanger their soul because god will know that they have done wrong and punish them appropriately. I think we must be careful when incorporating war into criminal justice policy, because the doctrine of a Just War can deceive a person into thinking that because a war is just; it is actually a good thing (Walker, 2001). A just war is allowed because it is considered a lesser evil. I would prefer the word fight over war in a written policy to reduce the chances of misinterpretation and war crimes.

Next, will simply adding more police officers not reduce crime (Walker, 2001)? My stand on this is NO. From my experiences there are advantages to increasing the number of officers in certain situations. Examples of such successful programs introduced to the community include those to reduce tensions, particularly with the homeless, gays, and African Americans. Police officers and citizens working together have helped police meet their ultimate goal of reducing crime. Implementing policy may, at first, hinder police from performing their duties, as they have grown used to certain pressure tactics (Walker, 2001). However, as education and communication skills increase, the ability of the police department to interact with local resources instead of taking so much of the burden internally will help alleviate some of the pressure felt by citizens. Citizens, then, will have more involvement, and hence, more satisfaction with the job of the police department (Walker, 2001).

In conclusion, if war really has been proposed to benefit the world and properly fight crime, I will say no. Despite the fact that my religion promotes the idea of bringing peace, in my own view I would rather provide my support through the ambulance and cookery services. Not because I am a coward but because as much as I dislike the idea of war I am still contributing to my faith and my responsibilities as a Unites States citizen. Intervention is necessary by increasing the number of officers. But, we also realize that there are limits as to what a police officer can do. To make society a safe place for both citizens and officers, it is imperative that they work together for a comprehensive checks and balances system. The United States Constitution guarantees certain rights for everyone, and is the very backbone of this country. If that is to be ignored, either through permissive policies enacted for law enforcement against private citizens, or through a lack of maintenance of existing protective policies; private citizens indeed, the entire country can become paralyzed. Because of this, the opportunity and freedom which this country is built on must be enforced.

References:

Walker, S. (2001). Sense and nonsense about crime and drugs. (pp. xiii). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson.