Verified Document

Changes Within Criminal Justice Organization Essay

Yet Arab-Americans are not necessarily hostile to the idea of greater community intervention, provided it is done to enhance community life, and not done to profile all Arab-American residents as terrorists. In fact, in the city of Chicago, there have been calls for greater police intervention in Arab-American communities by parents and local leaders, to reduce the threat of violent crime. Nizar Hasan, president of the Arab-American Police Association, believes Arab-American youth are increasingly falling into negative criminal behaviors. "It's getting worse…Some of these kids first try [drugs], get hooked, want more and look for ways to make money to support their habit, which means criminal activity" (Bohn & Schott 2009). However because Chicago, like many cities, does not track crime rates amongst Arab-Americans they are not labeled as 'minorities' -- "according to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, persons from the Middle East and North Africa, like those of European descent, are classified as white" (Bohn & Schott 2009). Until recently, the city did not have a program in place, like it did for blacks and Latinos, to encourage adolescents to avoid drugs and lead a crime-free lifestyle.

Arab-Americans thus may be in a double bind -- they lack supportive programs to enhance community-relations, unlike officially classified minorities, but are still profiled by law enforcement as potential terrorists. Hasan, in his role as an officer in the city of Chicago, has attempted to address this deficit by planning police-driven outreach efforts in the community, specifically targeted at young people. "He stresses there is a continuing need for positive Arab-American role models. 'We need more mentors…Many of the parents aren't involved in their children's lives. These kids, like many others, need to stay busy whether it's with sports or community involvement'" (Bohn & Schott 2009).

Hasan, despite the lack of power Arab-Americans frequently have within local law...

This illustrates the importance of having a diverse police force, and also the importance of organizational power in accomplishing goals that are desired by both Arab-Americans and law enforcement. The Arab-American Police Association outreach was community specific, yet did not involve profiling, and was positive and preventative in intent, rather than punitive and punishing. Of course, protective strategies are often necessary in the context of law enforcement. But promoting positive programs like Hasan's Chicago seminar "Staying Gang and Drug-Free" for Arab youth, ages 10 to 15, is perhaps the most powerful way to reduce divisiveness and community-police acrimony in the long-term. These programs are also strongly supported by Arab-American parents, given their concern for their children's future.
Although the Chicago outreach program for Arab youths is not specifically an anti-terrorist, post-9/11 program, it addresses many issues critical to improving homeland security. It increases the sense of integration Arab-Americans feel within the American fabric of society, thus circumventing radicalism. It shows that Arab-Americans are proudly serving in the police forces of the nation. It satisfies both the needs and the motivation of the Arab-American community, the Chicago Police's crime prevention efforts, and the larger goals of the nation.

References

Bohn, Lauren E. & Paul Schott. (2009, November 17). Blight of street crime creeping into Arab-

American community. Merrill reports. Northwestern University. Retrieved October 19,

2010 at http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=147319

Elliott, Andrea. (2006, June 13). After 9/11 Arab-Americans fear police, study finds. New York

Times. Retrieved October 19, 2010 at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/12/us/12arabs.html

Sources used in this document:
References

Bohn, Lauren E. & Paul Schott. (2009, November 17). Blight of street crime creeping into Arab-

American community. Merrill reports. Northwestern University. Retrieved October 19,

2010 at http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=147319

Elliott, Andrea. (2006, June 13). After 9/11 Arab-Americans fear police, study finds. New York
Times. Retrieved October 19, 2010 at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/12/us/12arabs.html
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Organizational Change in Criminal Justice
Words: 954 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Organizational change in any sector implies moving away from the present state and "toward some desired future state" in order to increase the effectiveness of the organization (Lunenburg, 2010, p. 1). Change is typically driven by internal and/or external factors. The impetus for change could be a crisis or, in the case of criminal justice agencies, policy change. Changes to technology or financial resources are other examples of external forces

Criminal Justice Organization and Management
Words: 1908 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Criminal Justice Organization and Management: The Paramilitary Model Adopted by Police Organizations Introduction The paramilitary model provides a degree of discipline and training to police officers that they might not otherwise obtain. The paramilitary model not only gives law enforcement officers the knowledge and skills regarding how to use force in an effective manner, it also gives police a type of professionalism that helps them to be more organized and opposed to

Criminal Justice Communication Flow of
Words: 932 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Horizontal communication is the proverbial 'grapevine' of information, such as gossip between partners. The exchange of information through horizontal channels can impact morale, but not always department policy, at least not as swiftly as in downward or even upward modes of communication. Also, although the power relationships between officers of the same rank may theoretically be clear-cut, this is not always the case -- popularity and reputation can influence

Riverside County Probation Department Criminal Justice Organizations...
Words: 672 Length: 2 Document Type:

Criminal Justice Organizations The entire criminal justice system is made up of numerous organizations which are inherently independent. Some of the criminal justice organizations in various counties include, but they are not limited to, Juvenile Justice Department, Reentry and Integration Department, Probation Department, etc. Although independent, these criminal justice organizations cannot operate in isolation. This is more so the case given the complex and multifaceted nature of the criminal justice system. County-wide

Criminal Justice Leadership Strategies and Practices
Words: 1547 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Criminal Justice Leadership Strategies and Practices Leadership Strategies and Practice Examples and Analysis of Roles Organizational culture Behavioral Theory Planning The criminal justice leadership strategies are also partly similar to business practices followed in commercial organizations. However, the difference in chain of command, organizational culture and theories applicable for criminology are unique. The criminal justice organizations also develop strategies that are relevant for their organizational culture as well as with respect to the community relations. These

Criminal Justice Field Define What
Words: 4874 Length: 15 Document Type: Research Paper

In the experimental community, the researchers instituted a media campaign to increase seat-belt usage, followed by increased police enforcement of the seat-belt law. It was found that the percentage of drivers using seat belts increased in the experimental community but remained stable or declined slightly in the comparison community (Piquero and Piquero, 2002). An example of the before-and-after design would be the analysis of the impact of the Massachusetts Bartley-Fox

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now