Principles of Community Policing, Article Critique Example

This article written by Sutherland, D., (2013) address the myriads of predators to take the advantage of the internet in ensnaring the young generation. Dangerous people have manipulated the internet in a direct communication to teenagers and parents do little to detect and protect their children from such dangers. The dangers and harm associated with online predators are well known to the law enforcement agencies and they have been taking proactive measures to address emerging threats facing communities with the application of educational workshops on internet safety. These are the tools that have been identified as vital assets in empowering guardians to fight the emerging online threat. The law enforcement agencies at the local level have been involved in a working collaboration with other federal partners including Department of Homeland Security in the United States, Department of Justice as well as the National Counterterrorism Center, the NCTC (Sutherland, 2013). Nonprofit organizations have their input to the local communities in identification of potential approaches of prevention of potential attraction of young people to deceitful traps of predators. Community leaders have also taken a concerted role in educating members of their community on the need to uphold internet safety in consideration of issues such as recruitment of online terrorists.

The article also advocates for workshops on internet safety which are at the disposal of law agencies to raise the awareness of the general public on issues related to online threats. Parents are educated on the dangers that face their teen children as they visit the websites of social networking, the use of texting, the cell phone innovations, online gaming and the use of computers both laptops as well as desktops. Parents have been given clear guidelines on the best course of action when confronted with such situations (Sutherland, 2013).

A clear understating of the applicable technology used by the children was seen as being imperative for the parents and the need for open discussions concerning these threats.

The article also indicates the need for the parents to educate their children on the best use of technology and have a continuous follow-up of their online activities as well as the use of cell phones. Exposing the parents to presentation reveals the tricky ways applied by predators to reach their children and the likely behavior of the teens in response to these messages. The knowledge acquired is an important eye opener to the parents and a motivating factor for improved monitoring on all activities conducted online or by use of cell phones by their children. The workshops are also beneficial to law officers because they receive improved rates of reporting of online related activities that are likely to pose a threat to children (Sutherland, 2013).

Sutherland, (2013) also advocates for the need of integration of online radicalization awareness in to violence by quoting a local imam who after attending the workshop became empowered and perceived an opportunity. The workshop was very resourceful as it was seen to address majority of the eminent threats to American communities. However, there was a laxity in efforts of tackling terrorists’ threats in their application of online environment in the recruitment of fresh followers.

Sutherland, (2013) has also identified a similarity between the practices of online recruitment applied by terrorists’ organizations and online predators. The organizations peg on websites, social media as well as chat rooms to access the teenagers while avoiding their parents and make them to believe in trusting the twisted information in as far as the world is concerned. Most of the public officers in America were enlighten about the need of the programs. The workshop also taught the Imam that violent ideology was relatively new concept among majority of the members of the public in America. The Imam also acknowledged the gap in knowledge among parents with regard to online activities.

The youth, the members of the family as well as the entire community has an obligation of playing an active role in the prevention of violence radicalization and appropriate interventions. All levels of government, the community as well as law officers must engage in trusted relationship which is based on a long term engagement as well as partnership.

Sutherland, (2013) also suggests the possibility of effectiveness of the workshops. On conducting a survey, training was ranked highest by parents as the subject that they preferred most (Sutherland, 2013).

Similar venues can be used by the law agencies as a means of education the parents on the threats associated with the online recruitment of violent extremists. Sutherland, (2013) notes that, internet safety; gang recruitment or even bullying can be a center of focus for some of the workshops although the beginning point should be the prevention of violence radicalization. Violence radicalization is a topic considered to be sensitive as well as challenging but successful platforms are given by the workshops for important discussions in this regard to achieve community awareness. An important point worth noting is that, the community policing techniques applied by local law agencies were important elements of the national strategy of counter the violent extremism.

Reference

Sutherland, D., (2013). “Using Principles of Community Policing to Address Online Radicalization to Violence,” The Police Chief 80 (February 2013): 28–31.