The Fine Line of Law Enforcement

The Freakonomics blog featured interviews with three police officers in How Cops Really Want to Police. Their retelling and explanation of “street justice” can be, upon first read, humorous and cheering. Further reflection presents substantial problems with the expressed propensity to take justice into their own hands:

Everyone drinks and drives — especially those guys who drive home after work. I’d love to give them a tattoo, right on their forehead — like one of those scarlet letters. I’d like to get them all out on a Saturday and have them stand on a corner with a sign: “I’m a drunk driver and I’d like to wash your car for free.” I wouldn’t mind taking them around to do errands for others on their block for free on weekends. Or maybe they have to wear a bright orange suit for a month everywhere they go! You know what I mean? The courts don’t do sh-t.

Sure, I could quickly agree that polices officers should be able to take such independent action against people whom they know are bad. Wait, right, how do they know, absolutely, that they are bad? I would be agreeing not only quickly but quite foolishly.

Also, to comment in the theme of Freakonomics, does any evidence exist, other than the officers’ intution and experience, that such vigilante policing is a greater deterrent to crime than the judicial system is?

In closing, the article is quite interesting and touches upon problems and trends in the United States that I do not normally consider. I would love to hear your comments.