CJ 790 8-2 Final Project Submission: Capstone Components 1 and 2 Submit your final problem analysis (Capstone Component 1) and presentation to internal stakeholders (Capstone Component 2). Your proble

Criminal Justice in Oakland, CA

James Spann

SNHU

Statement of the problem

Crime has been known to affect society and individuals negatively. The implications that are due to criminal activities tend to derail progress. Culture changes have created a behavioral pattern that is full of criminal activities. The Woke field Police Department in Oakland, CA, has always been committed to being the best in the city. The police department has been heavily involved to ensure that crime reduces imminently. The recent problem facing the department is employee morale, which is likely caused by reduced forfeitures. The employees have been limited to the personal benefits that they have always enjoyed over the years. The morale has dropped, leading to a decline in productivity. For years, the Woke field Police Department has been committed to a high level of police services and the protection of the citizens. The commitment levels have led to early detection of criminal activities, which has led to crime reduction and prevention. The department has an organization of concerned professionals who aim to provide realistic services to the community in a manner full of care, empathy, and sensitiveness. For years, the Woke field Police Department encourages positivity while offering protection of life and property within the city of Woke field (Eck, & Weisburd, 2015). It has been able to achieve the set goals while in operation.

Reduced employee morale has led to increased issues within the department. Besides, the number of criminal activities in the city seems to have been affected. The behavioral theory opines that crime tends to happen due to the behaviors of individuals. This impacts the people within negatively or positively. In this scenario, the Woke field police officers have been affected by the changes in fund remittance. They are discouraged, and thus, their service delivery becomes a challenge. The changes in fund remittance have denied them the personal benefits that they were enjoying (Eck, & Weisburd, 2015). Therefore, the chances of crime increase can be expected due to employee behaviors.

Analysis of the problem

According to statistical findings on the level of crime in Oakland, CA, the crime rate is high. Some of the reasons given in aid of the crime incidences are due to the level of poverty that is witnessed in the area. It is the second largest city in the United States in ranking based on the crime rate. Besides, evidence posits that the reduced revenue has affected low-income families as the number of services in the area is detrimentally low. This shows that the poverty index is high in the area. The other reason for the increased crime rate in the area is the location of Oakland (Friedman, & Percival, 2017). The central location makes it be exposed to both legal and illegal trade activities.

Recurring Trends

The trends show that the crime rate in the city in high as per the data of the last 25 years. An evaluation of the population portrays it as the largest municipality in Alameda. According to the 2017 population data, the city has an estimated population of 425,195 in a geographical area of 55.8 square miles. The population growth about the 1990 data is estimated to be 10 percent. The increased population, coupled with a high poverty index, exposes the individuals to criminal activities. The city is racially and ethnically diverse. Ideally, the number of blacks is estimated to be 26 percent. Other ethnic tribes account for 27% for whites and the Latinos (McCarthy, & Lawrence, 2014). This ethnic composition shows that the city is racially and ethnically diverse.

Findings reveal the housing and economic measures in Oakland to contribute to changes in crime. First, the high school graduation rate averages that of the state, which is higher than the average housing values. The values in Owner-occupied housing is perceived to be higher than the state as well. For years, the cost of living is economically high. The high cost of living concerns the persons who tend to live below the poverty level. Determination of the high cost of living was also based on the median income as well as the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate in the city is too high, and it is an indication of exposure to criminal activities. Evidence posit the homeownership rate to be quite low in comparison to the state average (McCarthy, & Lawrence, 2014). This is a clear indicator of the housing and homeownership problems that are witnessed by the people in the City.

Of notable concern is the number of sworn police in the area. Ideally, the number of police officers are detrimentally low, and this can be a contributor to crime incidences. The relationship between the sworn police officers with the number of crime rates can be termed as sophisticated. Police officers have been known to reduce the levels of crime in any area. However, the current situation in the city is complicated, as the number of police officers in the area are low. In the case scenario, having less motivated police officers tend to perform less for the area. The police officers in Woke field Department are no exception (Lum, & Isaac, 2016). Therefore, the housing, economic, demographic as well as police patterns all are directed to the increased crime rate that is experienced in the area.

External contributors

Findings reveal that the Oakland Police Department finances police activities. The spending power in the Human Services Department is not equivalent to that of the Oakland Police Department as the police department spends more. According to the social, cultural theory, crime activities tend to emerge during the interaction between different communities. Massive investment has been made in the black community, and this has yielded criminalization and incarceration of the members. The ability to care for the black communities through massive investment was realized after the emergence of discriminatory policing issues. Besides, underinvestment in the community led to financial re-evaluation in the city. Unemployment in the area also contributes to criminal activities. The population of the area is relatively high, and this does not reflect the job opportunities present (Lum, & Isaac, 2016). Inadequate jobs lead to criminal activities as people do not have an involvement.

Internal factors

Police scrutiny was the underlying cause of low morale among the police. The demands for accountability due to an egregious abuse of both power and abuse has affected the Woke field police department. More often, when liberal approaches are taken, empathetic officers like that of Woke field become less effective. The reaction to the work environment is a common phenomenon. The belief by the police that the public does not understand the challenges that they face tends to affect them with a perfect example being that of Woke field police department. Any criticism, as well as financial implications, tend to affect job performance. Crime activities are due to poverty as well as the family structure. The reduction in the forfeiture revenue affected their involvement and created a negative attitude that hampered growth. They were left with no funding for the benefits that they highly enjoyed, such as department maintenance fees and new vehicles. They could not have the training opportunities which was beneficial to road patrol officers as there were allowances during the training program (Rhonda, 2018). This limited their privileges.

Root cause

Based on the scenario, the root cause was the reduced funding that they were given. Police behaviors have an impact on the way criminal activities are addressed. The officers were used to government funding, which was a great privilege as they were able to acquire new vehicles for use. Besides, they could get training allowances. Moreover, the allowances that they were being offered, scrutiny was the major issue behind the problem. The scrutiny was from the public who felt that the Work field Police Department was misappropriating the funds. The liberal employees felt that they were being undermined. The feeling by the police officers that the public did not understand the job led to the low morale among them. The expectations that they had was shattered by a lack of public appreciation and increased criticism. The scrutiny affected their industrious ability as they felt that they were not appreciated. This affected their productivity and eventual reduction in grants and forfeitures that was helpful to the department and employees. Police officers believe that they have power and authority. Any criticism tends to impact them negatively (Rhonda, 2018). Thus, the low morale had a bearing in performance.

References

Eck, J., & Weisburd, D. L. (2015). Crime places in crime theory. Crime and place: Crime prevention studies, 4.

Friedman, L. M., & Percival, R. V. (2017). The Roots of Justice: Crime and Punishment in Alameda County, California, 1870-1910. UNC Press Books.

Lum, K., & Isaac, W. (2016). To predict and serve? Significance, 13(5), 14-19.

McCarthy, B., & Lawrence, S. (2014). Crime Trends in the City of Oakland A 25-Year Look (1987–2012). The Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Law and Social Policy.

Rhonda Fanning, (2018). How Are Police Officers Affected by Public Scrutiny? Retrieved on May 22, 2019, from https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/how-are-police-officers-affected-by-public-scrutiny/