Media and Police

Media and Police

The media has played a major role in the way police officer and other members of law enforcement are portrayed. The fictional image that has been given to law enforcement by the media has caused the public to falsely view the roles of police officers. It has also kept the public misinformed and uneducated of the requirements of police officers when they serve the public. This paper will explore the different roles of police officers and will also determine if the author views these depictions as real or image. This will be done according to 4 articles. Each article will concentrate on each role.
The most common role police officers take on is the crime fighter role. This is due to the popularity of crime shows and over-exaggerated crime reporting that makes a story more interesting. In reality, an officer is a crime fighter and works to fight crime in all aspects. Whether it be working surveillance or doing research to find out how to stop or prevent a crime from occurring, an officer’s job is tedious and often times involves a long period of investigation.
Last month in New Jersey, an undercover officer recorded 2 men, Mohammed Alessa and Carlos Almonte, talking about attacking and killing Americans. Law enforcement officials were tipped off about the men back in the fall of 2006 and began a lengthy investigation. The men were attempting to join the al-Shabab terrorist group. After almost 2 years of investigation, the men were finally arrested this year (Shipkowki, Apuzzo, 2010). I agree the crime fighter role is one that all police take on, however police officers are not the super hero’s the media and crime shows portray them to be. This is a great example of how police work can be lengthy and tedious and definitely not non-stop excitement. Long hours of investigation may also be boring and yield information that is not relevant to the case. It may have its exciting moments but the bad guys are rarely if ever caught within an hour as some popular...

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