Pluralism. If there is a single word in the English language that describes in overall terms what law enforcement is all about, it is pluralism. Being aware that personalities are invariably multifaceted, and recognizing that possessing a wide array of knowledge and experience is fundamental for those who enforce the law, are the cornerstones of a career in law enforcement in the twenty-first century. No other field requires as much understanding of diversity, and as a result, law enforcement officials need to become true generalists of modern times.

Relevance of Pluralism

How is this relevant to those who are about to embark upon careers in law enforcement? To begin with, candidates who are inclined toward the field need to understand that the job is one of tedious repetition, of grueling aggravation, and of painstaking documentation with precise attention to detail. Offenders and victims with whom law enforcers will have contact will embody the full spectrum of humanity. Knowing as much as possible about people, places, and things is the most effective tool available to law enforcement officers. This has relevance especially to young would-be enforcers because it points to the critical need for some level of experience in life before aspiring to a career in law enforcement. The more experience you have, and the more diverse your background, the more likely you are to be successful in this career field.

Pluralism and Twenty-First Century Crime

Enforcing the law today requires a lot more brains and much less brawn than was true even twenty years ago. Crimes committed with computers alone represent the largest financial loss to Americans each year. It may take brawn to steal a computer, but it requires brains to perpetrate a theft with a computer. Catching the bad guy in a computer crime requires intelligence, understanding, experience, and technical skill.

Solving twenty-first century crime requires twenty-first century thinking. Like every other industry in our pluralistic society, law enforcement has had to retool and reorganize in order to keep up with the competition. Certainly there will always be a certain portion of the job that requires physical strength, stamina, and speed. But well-developed gray matter is much more useful these days in apprehending culprits who use technology in their criminal enterprises.

Having established that a candidate for law enforcement needs smarts in order to do the job, you may want to know what specific tools and armaments they need in order to take on and defeat these brilliant modern criminals. The list of experiences, qualities, and abilities needed is virtually endless. Everything imaginable in the way of experience and training can be applicable in some area of law enforcement.