NCJ Number
122834
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 59 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1990) Pages: 2-5
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Rapid changes in American society are placing new pressures on people in their jobs, homes, and communities that will consequently affect law enforcement and the criminal justice system.
Abstract
The blue collar industrial society of the 1950's has been replaced by an accelerated technological revolution characterized by computers, satellites, fiber optics, robots, bar coding, and electronic data interchange. This revolution has combined with globalization of the economy, rising competition, and significant social and cultural changes. More jobs now require specialized skills, training, and education. As "muscle work" disappears, fewer openings remain for those at lower socioeconomic and educational levels. Societal changes affect the incidence of crime, particularly in poor urban neighborhoods, and also family structures. People are less bonded to each other such that social disapproval of crime, drug abuse, and sociopathic behavior sometimes lose power over them. When social disapproval fails, law enforcement must take over. Law enforcement agencies must use emerging technologies in a manner that furthers appropriate social and political goals in crime prevention.