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People outside of law enforcement tend to think of cops as a monolithic group marching in lock step to the beat of the same drummer. But the reality is that there is as much diversity in terms of race, opinions and worldviews among law enforcement professionals as there is among any large group of folks in the same line of work. There are differences of opinion among the rank and file on everything from politics to police work. But to really get a sense of the kind of diversity that exists in American law enforcement, at least from a public policy perspective, you have to consider the philosophical divide between the brass and the rank and file.
Take the death penalty for example. Nothing warms the heart of a seasoned crime fighter more than the thought of a convicted murderer squirming in an electric chair as the switch is about to be flipped. In a system where it seems like bad guys are always getting off on a technicality, the finality of a death sentence brings a tremendous level of peace to a lot of cops and victims alike. But the cost associated with the practice has a majority of top cops siding not with their own officers but death penalty opponents - albeit for entirely different reasons.
According to the results of a recent survey of police chiefs reported in the Columbus Dispatch newspaper, bosses generally say that capital punishment does not deter murderers and has become a low law-enforcement priority. Eighty-three percent of chiefs surveyed still support the death penalty. But the costs associated with the practice have some rethinking the efficacy of carrying out executions. A survey of 500 chiefs of police randomly selected from around the country is the centerpiece of a report by the Death Penalty Information Center - an organization that advocates the abolition of capital punishment.
The problem, according to the police chiefs is the fact that capital punishment is costing states hundreds of millions of dollars for relatively few executions and nothing in the way of crime deterrence. While many say that the death penalty is a deterrent based on the fact that the individual put to death for their crime or crimes will not live to commit more, others say that's a bogus argument due to the fact that individuals eligible for the death penalty would most likely die behind bars anyway.
The death penalty has evolved into "a very expensive form of life without parole," said Richard C. Dieter, executive director of the nonprofit capital punishment clearinghouse in Washington, D.C. "At a time of budget shortfalls, the death penalty cannot be exempt from re-evaluation alongside other wasteful government programs that no longer make sense," Dieter told reporters with the Columbus Dispatch.
Much like marijuana enforcement, the death penalty is getting lots of attention because city and county managers are facing more pressure from reduced budgets and revenues than the political pressure typically associated with challenging popular "tough on crime" measures and practices. The survey by RT Strategies of Washington found that 83 percent of police chiefs questioned still favor the death penalty, but the vast majority ranks it near the bottom of crime-fighting strategies.
Hiring more police officers, fighting drug abuse, longer prison sentences and improved crime databases all are higher priorities for top cops than capitol punishment. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites        
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