NCJ Number
89230
Date Published
1982
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Since the Second World War, violence has become an increasingly common phenomenon of daily life in West Germany and a problem for the police.
Abstract
Juvenile vandalism, gang assaults, public disturbances at sports and music events are all examples of senseless violence. The police responsibility is to contain such outbursts, but their efforts may well serve to incite still more hostility instead of coming anywhere close to eliminating underlying causes of the aggressivity and discontent. The police can do nothing to offset the effects of a disintegrating value system and the absence of hope and opportunity. There is little cooperation between law enforcement and other social institutions, such as schools, churches, juvenile agencies, or juvenile policymakers. Large numbers of unassimilated, unemployed foreigners among the population compound the problem. Furthermore, lack of international coordination and cooperation makes police work against the drug trade and organized crime difficult. While the police effort must remain within its legal limits, the lawbreakers recognize no constraints. The final police grievance is that the media present criticism of the police without helping the public understand the dilemmas of the law enforcement role. No references are given.