Drawing on criminological theory and research, critically explore TWO key challenges facing ONE criminal justice agency.

Assignment Brief

Drawing on criminological theory and research, critically explore TWO key challenges facing ONE criminal justice agency.

• Reference your essay using the system outlined in the University’s Harvard referencing guide (available via Blackboard and from the Library website).

• Include a correctly set out reference list which begins on a new page.

Two Key Challenges Facing the Police: A Criminological Perspective

Introduction

The police are one of the most important parts of the criminal justice system. Their job is to keep the public safe, reduce crime, and build trust with communities. However, modern policing faces many serious challenges. In this essay, I will explore two key problems faced by the police: institutional racism and public trust. I will use criminological theory and research to explain why these issues are important and what could be done to improve the situation.

Challenge 1: Institutional Racism

One of the biggest challenges for the police is institutional racism. This term was made well-known by the Macpherson Report (1999) after the murder of Stephen Lawrence, a Black teenager. The report said that the police had shown racism, not just in individual officers, but in the way the whole organisation worked.

What is Institutional Racism?

Institutional racism means when policies, rules, or behaviours in an organisation lead to unequal treatment of people from different ethnic groups, even if this is not done on purpose.

Criminological View

From a criminological view, critical race theory helps us understand how racism can be part of systems like the police. This theory says that racism is built into society and affects people’s everyday experiences. It explains why Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities are often over-policed and under-protected.

Evidence from Research

Many studies have shown that Black people in the UK are more likely to be:

• Stopped and searched by the police (Home Office, 2021)

• Arrested and charged for similar crimes compared to White people

• Victims of unfair treatment when reporting crime

This treatment damages the relationship between the police and ethnic minority communities.

Challenge 2: Lack of Public Trust

The second major challenge is the loss of public trust in the police. People need to believe that the police are fair, honest, and work for everyone. When trust is low, people are less likely to report crime, cooperate, or follow the law.

Criminological Theory

Procedural justice theory explains how public trust works. This theory says that people are more likely to obey the law if they feel:

• They are treated with respect

• Decisions are fair

• Their voices are heard

• Authorities are neutral

If the police do not follow these values, trust goes down.

Recent Events and Impact

Recent events in the UK have made trust worse. For example:

• The murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer shocked the public.

• The way police handled Black Lives Matter protests upset many people.

• Reports of misconduct and sexism within police forces (such as the Met Police) made people question the values of the service.

These events show that some people, especially women and ethnic minorities, feel unsafe or ignored by the police.

How These Two Challenges Are Linked

Institutional racism and lack of trust are closely connected. When ethnic minority communities face racism, they naturally begin to lose trust in the police. The police then find it harder to do their job in these communities, which can make problems worse. This is sometimes called a cycle of distrust.

Possible Solutions

To deal with these challenges, the police need to:

1. Improve Training: Officers should be trained in anti-racism, equality, and cultural understanding.

2. Increase Accountability: Officers who show racism or bad behaviour must face real consequences.

3. Hire Diverse Staff: Police forces should reflect the communities they serve by employing people from different backgrounds.

4. Community Policing: Officers should spend more time building relationships with local people, not just responding to crime.

5. Be Transparent: Share data on stops, arrests, and complaints to build public confidence.

Sample Answer

Two Main Challenges Facing the Police: A Criminological Approach

Introduction

The police are an important part of the criminal justice system. Their main role is to keep people safe, prevent crime, and make sure the law is followed. However, today’s police face many challenges. This essay will focus on two big problems:

1. Institutional racism

2. Loss of public trust.

Both problems will be explored using criminological theory and research, especially ideas like critical race theory and procedural justice theory. These theories help us understand why these issues matter and how they affect the police and society.

Challenge 1: Institutional Racism

Institutional racism means that racism is not just about individuals being unfair, but about rules, habits, and systems that lead to unfair treatment of some groups, especially people from ethnic minorities. In the UK, this issue became well known after the Macpherson Report (1999), which followed the murder of Stephen Lawrence. The report said the police were institutionally racist.

Criminological Theory

Critical Race Theory is a way of studying racism in society. It explains how power and race are connected. It shows that racism can be built into the way organisations, like the police, work, even if no one intends to be racist.

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