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Explain The Three Primary Police Functions

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According to Schmalleger, the mission of policing is enforced and support the laws of the society of which the police are a part, investigate crimes and apprehend offenders, prevent crime, help ensure domestic peace and tranquility and provide the community with needed enforcement -related service.
According to Cole and Smith (2004) there are three primary police functions:
• Order maintenance.
This is the broad mandate to keep the peace or otherwise prevent behaviors which might disturb others. This can deal with things ranging from a barking dog to a fist-fight. By way of description, Cole and Smith note that police are usually called-on to "handle" these situations with discretion, rather than deal with them as strict violations of law, though of course their authority to deal with these situations are based in violations of law. (Cole, Smith 2004)
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Those powers are typically used only in cases where the law has been violated and a suspect must be identified and apprehended. Most obvious instances include robbery, murder, or burglary. This is the popular notion of the main police function, but the frequency of such activity is dependent on geography and season. (Cole, Smith 2004)
• Service.
Services may include rendering first aid, providing tourist information, guiding the disoriented, or acting as educators (on topics such as preventing drug use). Cole and Smith cited one study which showed 80% of all calls for police assistance did not involve crimes, but this may not be the case in all parts of the country. Because police agencies are traditionally available year-round, 24 hours a day, citizens call upon police departments not only in times of trouble, but also when just inconvenienced. Police services may include roadside auto assistance, providing referrals to other agencies, finding lost pets or property, or checking locks on vacationers' homes. (Cole, Smith

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