Conflicts often arise when power is unevenly distributed among different groups in the society. Power, in this context, is used as a means of suppressing other's needs, and to dominate the environment. Scholars agree to the definition of power that it is the ability to cause someone to do something he or she would not have otherwise done. Conflict, on the other hand, is a tension that arises between social entities as a result of the incompatibility of desired outcomes. This paper aims to explain how individual perceptions of power can create conflict situations between law enforcement and members of a community. This text uses the relational theory of power to describe how p erceptions affect the ability to resolve conflict and then, identifies a conflict resolution strategy and predicts the outcome.
Factors that contribute to conflict
In the field of law enforcement, several factors contribute to conflict between law enforcement and community members. For instance, the use of inappropriate or excessive force can lead to disorder among members of the society. The relationship between law enforcement officers and community members can severely be damaged by incidences of brutality (Skolnick, 2011) . Even minor cases of excessive use of force by law enforcement officers can become a major public concern, especially if they frequently occur in the same place. In addition, the use of aggressive law enforcement tactics to deal with specific situations can affect the public perception about the use of suppressive law enforcement tactics.
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At the same time, some neighborhoods and communities have high levels of crime and poverty, which increases greater risks of violence with the law enforcement. Other factors arise from social inequalities, religious extremism, territorial disputes, racial and linguistic violence. Poor relations between the community and the law enforcement lead to poor public perception. Factors like corruption, authoritarianism, and politics further lead to conflict. The competition in terms of interests among law enforcement and community members creates a society defined through a constant state of conflict.
Perceptions of Power
People perceive power differently based on their individual experiences. Power is perceived by law enforcement as the ability of the federal, the state, or municipal government to enforce laws which are passed through granting agencies of the government at different levels the authority of using force against those who do not comply with the laws (Mann, 2012) . This power is present as part of the social contract between community members and law enforcement officers. Law enforcement administrators are aware that their department is only as good as the officers. Like most organizations, law enforcement agencies confront changing the environment that creates the further need for exercising power.
Citizens view power differently from the law enforcement. From a citizen perspective, the power exercised by the law enforcement should be limited to keeping people who break the law from stepping over the line and challenging those in control. As a result, police brutality is viewed as an extreme example of using raw power to show those threatening the existing unequal order. Particularly, in cases of police brutality, such actions dramatize the poor use of power in a violent manner. The police are given the power over the people to arrest those who do not act according to the requirements of the law. In doing so, however, they have guiding principles that help in ensuring they keep ethics in operation.
Perceptions of both the police and individual citizens
The irony and inherent conflict present in the system of law enforcement—the designation of police entity allowed the use of coercive force in eradicating violence and affecting peace in the society (Wrong, 2017) . This paradoxical scheme normally places law enforcement officers, whose defining characteristic is the right to use force, in a bad relationship with the community members they had sworn to protect and serve. The consensus model asserts that society is based on a consensus of values, norms, and beliefs, which reflect the general, will of members of society.
The state in the form of law enforcement is seen as the guarantor of this consensual social order. In cases of conflict, the result of competing groups interest, the state, in the form of civil law, is supposed to act as a mediator between the conflicting groups with the general will of the society serving as a framework for resolving the conflict. In this sense, most people see the police force as an oppressive group. This is generally determined by the encounters they have with the law enforcement officers. This means that in case a person is mistreated by the police while under the custody or during an arrest, it can be challenging for the person to change their perception in regards to the law enforcement agency.
Conflict resolution strategies
The community-policing model makes it important that conflict resolution strategies should be established. Lack of trust in regards to issues of force between the community and the police is a critical matter. Trust varies across communities and in various jurisdictions, but generally, minority individuals have less trust for the law enforcement agencies. The lack of cooperation between the community and the law enforcement reduces the effectiveness of a law enforcement agency. Agencies expect citizens to report crimes and to provide important information.
Necessary training should be put in place to teach officers to serve as mediators. Neighborhood meetings act as an excellent forum for teaching the different community skills. Training provided for the community about the law enforcement improves their perception of the police as problem solvers. Ramsbotham, Miall & Woodhouse (2011), notes that police use of force and perceptions of its abuse in some circumstances result from citizens lacking the proper perception of force issues. For many, years, law enforcement agencies have used different vehicles in educating the public about the use of force and various policing aspects. For example, several departments in providing education use citizens' academies. This education helps citizens to see the transparency amongst police departments. Moreover, the community should give input as to what type of training they think that their law enforcement officers need.
Outcomes of a conflict resolution strategy
The education activities will help the agency in providing information to the community. Importantly, promising activities are designed to facilitate two-way communication as well as mutual education. The main objective of educating the community is to establish a strong and ongoing relationship with the community and to facilitate reception of timely information to the law enforcement. A properly established trust through knowledge helps with the limitation of excessive use of power incidences (Moore, 2014) . A mutually benefiting solution is hard to come by, but it can be amazing the things, which could be accomplished when both the community and the law enforcement begin to communicate.
In most cases, both parties can mutually agree on innovative solutions. The winners will be people involved and the police. This experiences can be passed and thus reduce the dependence on the public upon the police in serving as mediators. Objective criteria should be used, and every party is expected to be open to reasonable solutions. While not often possible and not usually achievable this can be a guiding principle. Keeping away from circumstances that result in conflict is an important step towards a meaningful resolution.
Conclusion
Law enforcement–community conflicts and perception of power generally stems from experiences from both parties, conflict, however, arise when power is unevenly distributed, or abused by a higher power. Several factors mentioned in this paper contribute to conflict between law enforcement and community members. However, these experiences can reduce the dependence of police as mediators. In providing education law enforcement agencies establish trust and effective communication with the community. This will involve trust, diversity, tolerance, objectiveness, and respect for power for the community and the police force.
References
Mann, M. (2012). The sources of social power: Volume 3, global empires and revolution, 1890-1945 (Vol. 3). Cambridge University Press.
Moore, C. W. (2014). The mediation process: Practical strategies for resolving a conflict . John Wiley & Sons.
Ramsbotham, O., Miall, H., & Woodhouse, T. (2011). Contemporary conflict resolution . Polity.
Skolnick, J. H. (2011). Justice without trial: Law enforcement in democratic society . Quid pro books.
Wrong, D. (2017). Power: Its forms, bases, and uses . Routledge.
