My Response to the First Statement of the Tenth Amendment, Essay Example

My response to the first statement is that the Tenth Amendment describes the difference in authority between the federal and state governments, stating that the powers not delegated to the United States through Constitution or prohibited by the states are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.  Cases in which states have their own laws and limitations different than the federal government can pose problems, for instance in the California marijuana laws, where it is legal to grow and sell per state laws; however, it is still a violation of federal law. In cases like this, federal law should be limited and the state laws should have more enforcement as they are more likely to show greater interest in the citizens of their state than the federal government.

In response to detectives rising from the ranks of educated patrol officers, I feel that detectives shouldn’t have to start at the bottom.  Most detectives have a college degree and have spent at least four years studying criminal justice in school. Any individual can be accepted into a police cadet program without a college degree.  These individuals begin at the bottom and spend their time being educated in the police force.  Detectives, who are academically educated, should be able to start at the level they have prepared for, as a detective. I do believe, however, that there should be a strategic officer field training program for detectives to take before beginning the job.  Those who have not served as street patrol officers will need that type of training on the field for their own safety and protection.

The federal government can affect state autonomy in criminal justice areas because inefficient crime investigation can have more effect on the state than federally.  However, I think the statement on the federal jurisdiction having a positive effect on certain crimes to be true.  The federal agencies do have better resources through science technology.  The federal forensics specialists can assist in particular cases, such as the Lindbergh baby case, and help catch and convict the person or persons responsible.  The federal agencies do not seem to overstep state authority.  The federal agencies only seem to choose cases of interest that will have an impact on a larger scale, rather than locally or within the state.

I feel that detectives should be at a higher level than officers who do not have the education requirements.  It is true that there are abilities that only a detective can achieve through experience as a police officer; however, other police officers that have not gone to college will never have the education experience that the detectives have.  I feel there should be a specific training program for detectives as they emerge into the police force.  The United States military does this with their educated officers, for instance.  Individuals who enlist in the military and who have a bachelor’s degree do not go to the same training as a regular enlistee.  These individuals go to officer-candidate school and receive military training.  They then begin at a higher rank than an enlistee, even an individual who has served in the military for several years.  I feel that the police force should hold this true for educated individuals as well.