Public knowledge of crime and justice is largely derived from the media. The media and the police, to some extent, are responsible for perpetuating the crime-fighting image of the police. The presentations of the police as crime-fighters are often over-dramatized and exaggerated by fictional television crime dramas while the news media tend to portray the police as heroic professional crime fighters. Reporting of proactive police activity tends to create an image of the police as efficient and effective crime investigators. A positive portrayal of the police reinforces traditional approaches to law and order which encompasses police presence, increased police power and harsh penalties (Policing, 2015).
Police officers in the entertainment media are often portrayed as crime fighters. Television broadcasts frequently feature cases that officers are working and solving crime cases successfully. The policing department tends to provide information to media houses that reflect a positive reputation. The media and the media houses regulate the information which flows to the public displaying the police as repairers and solvers of crime cases possibly because they want to protect their bad image from being projected to the public. Much of the media news carry positive images of the police officers than the negative images which are even more common. Additionally, most of the police-related stories only give information about a crime but are never focused on the action of the police as positive or negative. This means that the actions of the police as portrayed in most of the television dramas, films, reality shows, etc are not the actual representations of policing (Social media 'misinformation,2018).
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The potential impacts of crime-fighting myths on public expectations, satisfaction, and police performances are many. Most of the police officers take big pride in their profession and deliberately become racists and studies have shown that racism is not a problem in policing. The misinformation from media houses gives the police the power to become more violent in crime scenes and so harsh against the public Social media 'misinformation, 2018). This has been evidenced by viral disturbing videos and brutality has become more common. The other impact is the justification of police brutality which has become legal. Police officers work in a deadly environment with increasing violent which has increased their brutality against the public.
References
8 Things We Still Get Wrong About Policing. (2015, May 15). Retrieved from https://time.com/3859400/policing-misconceptions/
Social media 'misinformation? and the impact on police response. (2018, April 5). Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/4078958/social-media-misinformation-police-investigations/
