Assignment: The Multilayered and Decentralized System of US Law Enforcement
Many critics believe that federal law enforcement has encroached into the realm of local and state police responsibilities, particularly with regard to street crimes involving drugs, guns, and gangs. At the same time, some critics have argued for a more robust role for local law enforcement in combating terrorism and fighting illegal immigration-two areas historically thought to be the exclusive responsibility of the federal government.
On the basis of the assigned readings for this module, including the majority and minority opinions in U.S. v. Lopez (1995), and in light of your own views on government police power, write a 3 to 5 page essay addressing the following:
- Differentiate the duties of federal, state, county and city law enforcement agencies.
- Examine whether there are any particular law enforcement duties that should exclusively belong to federal law enforcement or the local police. Justify the reason for your choice.
- Explain whether we should continue with the multiple layers of police agencies, some as small as a single officer, or whether there should be fewer agencies, like a regional police agency and a national police agency, to handle all aspects of law enforcement in the United States. Justify your answer with examples, showing why one approach is better than the other.
Be sure to support your positions with in-text citations and include a reference page in APA style.
Conduct an internet search of government and career sites (e.g. bls.gov, jobs.com, monster.com, etc) to locate recent information on the career prospects for Federal Law Enforcement Officers in your geographic location. Present your findings, including related job titles, potential employers, a summary of this job function, the education and experience required to qualify for this position, and the average salary one could expect to earn.