North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency: Structure, Roles, and Community Impact
North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency: Structure, Roles, and Community Impact
Instructions
Police prevent BBC journalist Adam Brookes from gaining access to the courthouse where Chinese dissident Wang Dan was being tried in Beijing Wednesday, October 30, 1996. (AP Photo/Greg Baker)
Research and analyze one law enforcement system/police agency in a city (or district or region) in one of the model nations. Newspapers on the Internet from the city or area may be used for research as well as other sources. Be mindful that some nations censor their news media.
A person who has lived in a city or area for a reasonable time may be used as a reference. Include the approximate dates and reason that the source lived in the city or area.
You should focus on the structure and organization of an agency as well as provide analysis to include interactions with citizens, offenders, and victims, attitudes by and toward the police, and other aspects of the law enforcement organization that may be of interest.
The length of this paper should be approximately 1,000 words.
ANSWER
Comparative Criminal Justice Systems
Introduction
Law enforcement agencies detect, respond and prevent crime within a region or city. Within the perspectives of law enforcement agencies, it is recognized that police officers have held a significant role in responding and adapting the unknown and unexpected situations such as domestic dispute and theft. Therefore, law enforcement describes the employee and agencies responsible for enforcing laws, managing public safety and managing public order. Considerably, the basic duties of the law enforcement officer are investigating, apprehending and detaining individuals that are suspected of certain criminal offences. This paper will analyze the Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency in North Carolina with specific emphasis on the structure and organization of the agency as well as the analysis on the interactions of the agency with the offenders, citizens and victims among other aspects of law enforcement organization.
North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency
After the 21st amendment of the United States Constitution, the law enforces were given authority to regulate the availability of alcohol in every state. As a result, most states have ended up creating Alcohol beverage control agencies that have the authority to implement the state laws that control and regulate how alcohol is consumed, manufactured, sold and distributed with the states. Ideally, the enforcement of alcohol beverage control laws is a significant component for a comprehensive program that is structured to protect the safety and health of the public (Dammern and Albanese, 2013). For instance, the use of sobriety checkpoints, have shown to the effective as a strategy for lowering impaired driving. Through the sobriety checkpoints, the law enforcement agencies have focused on preventing drinking and driving as well as changing the retail behavior that has changed the environment in which dangerous drinking happens.
In North Carolina, Alcohol law enforcement agencies focus on increasing compliance with the laws through increasing the perceived level of deterrence and legal restrictions. Deterrence entails three major components; the perceived likelihood that the violation will result to apprehension, imposing of penalty and the penalty extent. The mission of North Carolina Law Alcohol Enforcement Division is to lower crime and improve public safety within North Carolina. This mission has been accomplished through collaborating with the police chiefs and sheriffs. The alcohol law enforcement division has focused on a consistent and fair enforcement of the state laws linked to alcoholic beverage production and consumption as well as other regulatory and criminal matters in the interest of public safety and health. North Carolina Law Enforcement agencies work with local law enforcement to address community-based problems.
Structure and Organization
The Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is a state law enforcement agency within the Department of Public Safety. The Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency (ALE) is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for investigating and enforcing North Carolina’s alcohol laws. The agency is a division of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. ALE was created in 1977 in response to the growing problems of alcohol-related crime and violence in North Carolina. Since then, the agency has worked to reduce the availability of illegal alcohol and to prevent underage drinking. The agency is responsible for the enforcement of all laws pertaining to alcohol and tobacco (Casswell et al., 2018) ALEA is divided into three divisions: the Administrative Division, the Investigative Division, and the Regulatory Affairs Division. The Administrative Division is responsible for the overall management and operation of the agency. This includes budgeting, human resources, training, and administrative support. The administrative division enables the agency to function smoothly and efficiently.
The Investigative Division is responsible for investigating crimes related to alcohol, tobacco, and gaming. This includes illegal manufacturing, sale, transport, and possession of alcohol, tobacco, or gaming products. The investigative division also investigates illegal gambling operations. The Regulatory Affairs Division is responsible for enforcing laws and regulations pertaining to alcohol, tobacco, and gaming. The regulatory affairs division also works with businesses and individuals to ensure compliance with state laws and regulations.
The Major Aspects of ALE’s Work
Arrest and Address Violence
Law enforcers play a major role in managing violence and controlling crime. Ideally, the duty of law enforcement entails apprehension, investigation and detention of persons that are suspected of criminal offences. ALE has trained more than 108 special agents that focus on investigating action and arrest in North Carolina while enforcing the alcoholic beverage control and tobacco. For instance, in 2022 during the Summer, the special agents conducted four search warrants, seized 78 fake IDs, six firearms and illegal controlled substances. More than 188 offenders were arrested and charged with 449 different charges with 20 of these charges being felonies. During the operation, there were about 20 ABC permitted businesses that violated the alcohol stated regulations and laws.
Investigation
Law enforcement investigations allow for closing cases and preventing new crimes from happening. The law enforcers training in research-based investigations and access resources and tools that can help them in conducting successful investigations. ALE investigates businesses that sell alcohol, including bars, restaurants, and stores. The agency also investigates illegal drinking establishments, such as unlicensed bars and private clubs. ALE works to prevent alcohol-related crime by investigating illegal drug activity and by working with local law enforcement agencies to reduce drunk driving.
Educating and Training
The agency also provides education and training on alcohol-related issues to law enforcement officers, businesses that sell alcohol, and the public. ALE’s work helps to make North Carolina a safer and healthier place for everyone. The agency’s investigations help to keep businesses that sell alcohol in compliance with the law. This helps to prevent crime and keep communities safe. For instance, they ensure the enforcement of policies and actions that are designed to lower the over-service of alcohol to patrons which are significant for public health. Ideally, when the enforcement efforts are linked to public support and policy change, the results can be significant for community interventions.
Interaction of the Law Enforcement with Victims and Offenders
Considerably, people involved in criminal behavior are more likely to be victimized due to the overlap between offenders and victims. In the case of North Carolina, the interaction between law enforcer and victim is at first defined by the moment through which the officers choose what to say or do which influences the victim’s choices. During investigations, interactions are evident between the victim and offenders and the associated responses between the victims and law enforcers. For instance, the alcohol law enforcement officers are available to provide information and answer questions to the victims and offenders.
Conclusion
ALE’s enforcement efforts are focused on three areas: alcohol sales, alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related crime. The agency ensures that businesses that sell alcohol, including bars, restaurants, and stores comply to the alcohol laws. ALE also inspects illegal drinking establishments and works to prevent alcohol-related crime by investigating illegal drug activity and by working with local law enforcement agencies to reduce drunk driving. ALE is a vital part of the state’s efforts to reduce alcohol-related problems. The agency’s work helps to make North Carolina safer and healthier for everyone.
References
Casswell, S., Morojele, N., Williams, P. P., Chaiyasong, S., Gordon, R., Gray‐Phillip, G., … & Parry, C. D. (2018). The Alcohol Environment Protocol: A new tool for alcohol policy. Drug and alcohol review, 37, S18-S26.
Dammer, H. R., & Albanese, J. S. (2013). Comparative criminal justice systems. Cengage Learning.
Grant, H. B., & Terry, K. J. (2012). Law enforcement in the 21st century. Pearson.
