Some observers say that police officers should be recruited from the communities where they work, so that they have local knowledge. Other people say that this is unnecessary, or even undesirable. Where do you stand on this debate? Is local knowledge essential in modern policing?

The need for effective, trustworthy

police

officers is paramount in society today, especially as criminals become more devious and creative. Regarding whether

police

should be locally hired, there is a case to be made on both sides of the debate. Those who support local recruitment of officers point to the need for the

police

to understand the minutiae of the local

community

.

For example

, a

community

may have certain frictions or a history of a specific grievance, whether religious, political or

otherwise

. In

such

situations, the argument goes, the

police

need to show sensitivity, and

also

be able to anticipate the kinds of crimes that may be committed.

Furthermore

, local officers may find it easier to gain informants in the

community

, leading to stronger evidence at trials, higher conviction rates and a deterrent to crime through sentencing, imprisonment, fines or

community

service leading to rehabilitation of the offender.

On the other hand

, it seems likely that officers from the

community

may in fact share some of the tendencies of the people they grew up with.

For example

, in countries

such

as Mexico, we see a high incidence of corruption among the local business and government

community

which is equalled by bribery among the

police

. A

second

objection is that local sensitivity may lead to the

police

failing to enforce laws fully, and effectively making exceptions for some offenders, which is

unequitable

not equitable or fair

inequitable

unsuitable

towards law-abiding citizens.

Finally

, we must remember that

police

officers should have transferable skills,

such

as lateral thinking and investigative ability, which should transcend their background or the environment they are working in. Overall, it seems to me that local knowledge is not absolutely essential for the

police

, whose

skills

Suggestion

Skills

should be effective in any context. Indeed, I agree with those who say that the risks of local recruitment outweigh the benefits, because of the danger of corruption and over-familiarity with potential offenders.