The Factors that Contribute to Conflict Situations Between Law Enforcement and Citizens

Notably, power is an instrument that law enforcement must utilize wisely and responsibly. Without an ethical life, this power can be misused, resulting in a power dynamic that is detrimental to law enforcement and society and causing potential conflict (Jones & Mendieta, 2021). Essentially, authority, resources, and discursive legitimacy are the three sources of power (Maron & Benish, 2021). Consequently, the right to decide or act in a socially recognized manner is referred to as authority. Formal legal power, including the capacity to overturn the acts of subordinate state entities, is a significant source of public networks whose members hold official functions and positions in government. Maron and Benish (2021) suggest that another form of power is the capacity of members to deploy resources, including tangibles like financial resources, people, technology, and supplies, as well as intangibles like expertise, culture, and capacities. Finally, discursive legitimacy refers to a member’s ability to represent a discourse or speak on behalf of a significant societal problem.

Usually, conflicts arise because of power misusing by law enforcement or ignorance, misperception, and disobedience on the part of citizens. According to Jones and Mendieta (2021), law enforcement officers wield considerable authority, which they may use to deprive civilians of their liberty, search them and their homes, take their property, and apply force against them. Consequently, these powers are permissible under certain conditions, and law enforcement officers are educated to recognize when they can be used legitimately. Because law enforcement officers are among the most powerful jobs in society, their capacity to utilize their power is exacerbated by their frequent interaction with relatively powerless and disenfranchised individuals who may be unable to oppose an officer’s illegal use of that power.