Daryl B.

Molina

BS CRIMINOLOGY 2nd Year

What is comparative model of policing?

Policing is one of the most important of the functions undertaken by every sovereign
government. For the state machinery, police is an inevitable organ which would ensure maintenance of
law and order, and also the first link in the criminal justice system. On the other hand, for common man,
police force is a symbol of brute force of authority and at the same time, the protector from crime. The
police systems across the world have developed on a socio cultural background, and for this reason
alone huge differences exist between these police systems. The basic goals of policing are; to enforce
laws, preserve peace, prevent Crimes, protect civil rights, liberties, and provide services to the nation
whom they wholeheartedly serve.

The role of a modern police organization according to the quotation in the web page of UK
Home Office is that “The modern police service is a varied, multi-layered, responsive institution working
to ensure the safety of Citizens.” The role of police is to address all sorts of problems where so far
possibly require the use of force at the point of their occurrence. Therefore, “policing is an exercise in
symbolic demarking of what is immoral, wrong and outside the boundaries of acceptable conduct. It
represents the state, morality and standards of civility and decency by which we judge ourselves.”

The styles of policing could be the following; Watchman that emphasizes maintaining order,
usually found in communities with a declining industrial base and a blue-collar, mixed ethnic or racial
population. Legalistic that emphasizes law enforcement and professionalism. Lastly, is service, it
emphasizes service functions of police works.

In order for us to gather information and discover details for the benefits of our criminal justice,
is through a comparative way. It is an act of comparing as a method of study to gather important data.
This technique often utilizes disciplines in one study. It is indeed helpful since it helps us to benefit from
the experiences of others. Therefore it would helps broaden our understanding of different cultures and
approaches to problems and at the same time helps us deal with the many transnational crime problems
that plague our world today.

Over all, the term “comparative model of policing” may at first glance seem very simplistic,
simply a compare-and-contrast exercise in which similarities and differences between the selected cases
or variables are analyzed. As such the police organizations have nothing in common in many countries
except their basic goals. Each police organization has its own adopted policing philosophy and strategic
management approach. The police systems across the world have developed on a socio cultural
background, and for this reason alone huge differences exist between these police systems.
Furthermore there are a plethora of other variables influencing policing in a country, area or precinct. .
This complicates matters and alerts us to the fact that comparative policing are not simple.