Law Enforcement Paradox

Law enforcement is expensive. It involves the salaries of the officers, the equipment, the station and the support staff. To law abiding citizens, it is supposed to be the bulwark between crime and unbridled unrest. To the criminal, there is supposed to be a legitimate fear of arrest, and the possibility of incarceration or worse: death. Large communities have a greater need for law enforcement, while rural areas, due to the time it takes for law enforcement to respond, have the option to solve criminal problems with extreme prejudice, since the citizen's survival might depend on their actions. 

With the "catch and release" policies now prevalent in many cities, there is a paradox with law enforcement. The officers either quit, become apathetic, or become frustrated by their daily tasks. Their efforts yield no results. The safety of the public is compromised, and the criminals basically become in charge. Otherwise, there is no real law enforcement. Responding in certain ways to exposure to crimes can lead to arrest of the victim, officials are isolated by personal security, and society decays. Victims are supposed to allow the laws to prevent crime, but after getting a smile from the person that robbed them, while shopping for groceries, they realize they have no protection.

In the end, either the crime is prevented, criminals are prosecuted, and people can live in peace, or anarchy becomes prevalent. Law enforcement, in today's context, only offers a false security. It doesn't provide the service that necessitates its existence, and the money that is allocated for its use is wasted. It's not the fault of the good officers. It's the fault of those that subvert for power.