The Rise of Mass Shootings in America

While because the country has been facing a significant increase in the number of mass shootings in 2016 and the pressure for the police to take up a much more active role in homeland security, the adoption of a guardian mentality would be much more effective. McLean, Wolfe, Rojek, Alpert, & Smith (2019) define a guardian mentality in policing as an approach in which the police are much more connected to the people, which is a much more effective approach through which to ensure police can prevent possible attacks to the public. The approach means that the public will be much more willing to share information with the police. That goes to show that the idea of having to adopt a warrior mentality may result in a situation where the cops disconnect with the needs and wants of the people in terms of providing security. When evaluating the real difference between a guardian and warrior mentality to policing, one notes that their structure in terms of the role of the police is different. Regarding the warrior mentality, police are seen as a force that can go to any extent in trying to ensure that it achieves its goal, which is to enhance security within the community or society. On the other hand, the guardian mentality reflects on the idealistic approach through which police find themselves connected to the information chain from the public. From this point of view, it is clear that the adoption of the guardian mentality would be of more benefits to the police force in its bid towards dealing with the issues of insecurity. Additionally, this mentality would also ensure that the police uphold the highest moral standards in their attempt to delivering on their roles and responsibilities. When evaluating each of the nine principles of policing, one takes note of the fact that the principles can be spread out through the three eras of policing, which are the political, the professional/reform, and the community policing eras. Nagle (2014) provides readers with an insight into each of the nine principles, which are essential towards defining what is expected of the police force as part of defining their roles and responsibilities. In the political era, the main principles that apply are principles 1, 8, and 9. The principles that apply to the political era seek to define the position of the police force within the context of the society while reflecting on how the police officers are expected to behave. An example can be seen in principle 1, which states that "The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder” (Nagle, 2014). In the professional/reform era, the main principles that apply are principles 2, 5, and 6. In this era, the central area of focus for the police force was to establish a transparent approach through which to ensure that the effect would be viewed as being professional. That means that the era seeks to determine how the police force would be considered to be operating a manner that is impartial to the law. An example can be seen from principle 5, which states that "Police seek and preserve public favour not by catering to the public opinion but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law” (Nagle, 2014). In the last era, community policing, the main principles that apply are principles 3, 4, and 7. From a fundamental point of view, the three principles seek to highlight the need for the police force to establish a connection with the public or community as part of defining the levels of successes achieved.

References

McLean, K., Wolfe, S. E., Rojek, J., Alpert, G. P., & Smith, M. R. (2019). Police Officers as Warriors or Guardians: Empirical Reality or Intriguing Rhetoric?.  Justice Quarterly , 1-23.

Nagle, M. (2014). Sir Robert Peel’s Nine Principles of Policing . Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/16/nyregion/sir-robert-peels-nine-principles-of-policing.html