Zero Tolerance Policing and New York Quality Essay Example for Free

Zero Tolerance Policing and New York Quality Essay Another understanding of zero tolerance policing posits that the law enforcement officers, will ignore minor offenders and cases of social disorder and concentrate on quality of life or the sub criminal activities such as public urinating, public drinking, begging, vagrancy and vandalism. Often behind this understanding is the theory of crime: broken windows theory, published by George Kelling and James Wilson (1982). In such a theory a broken window is representative of disorderly behavior and minor cases of criminal acts among the community. Usually if such a window is not repaired the message is that there is lack of control in the community and another window is likely to be broken. Under such a theory there is bound to be an increase in activity against minor offenders without any prior offenders (Marshall 1999). A classic example is the New York scenario where the zero tolerance policing possessed salient and easily distinguishable characteristics. Key among these characteristics is the unique crime control strategies that ensured that policing efforts were concentrated on drugs, guns, auto theft, traffic offenses, domestic violence, youth crime, and quality of life crimes. Over a period of two years, decentralized policing ensured that detectives and beat officers were assigned predetermined categories in the crime control strategies. Additionally, timely, accurate and reliable intelligence data identified cases where the potential of risk was more predominant. Emphasis on the quality of life crimes ensured that incidences of graffiti, public littering and cases of public drinking were reduced (Marshall 1999). Persons suspected of being involved in relatively minor crimes were also targeted through misdemeanor arrests. The result was an emulative success story where crime significantly reduced. However, despite these successes, there are concerns that security agents are using aggression and ruthlessness when dealing with comparatively low level criminal activity. Moreover, over emphasis and reliance on quantitative statistical data as a presentation of success can lead to manipulation of such data to suit the objectives of the policy makers. Even if such figures of crime reduction were genuine, zero tolerance policing emphasizes on short term law enforcement strategies such as arrests, conviction and imprisonment while neglecting long term strategies which involve cooperation with the communities, improving education, health care and planning. Because it is basically a quick fix strategy it fails to address the clearly understood causes of crime (Marshall 1999). Problem Oriented Policing Problem oriented policing focuses on clear identification and analysis of problems with respect to the conditions that exist in the local circumstances. It is a novel policing strategy that aims at ensuring that the police effectively deal with criminal problems that have been brought to the fore by the public (Leigh et al 2004).

Hannibal :: essays research papers

- North American moviegoers were hungry for Hannibal the Cannibal at the weekend. "Hannibal," a thriller starring Sir Anthony Hopkins in a long-awaited follow-up to the 1991 hit "The Silence of the Lambs," grossed a record-breaking $58 million in its first three days of release in the United States and Canada, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday. If the numbers hold when final data are issued on Monday, "Hannibal" will replace 2000's "Mission: Impossible II" ($57.9 million) as the third-highest bow in movie history, after 1997's "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" ($72 million) and 1999's "Star Wars: Episode One -- The Phantom Menace" ($64.8 million). It also set new records for a non-summer opening, an R-rated release and for a release by domestic distributor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. "I must confess I expected it to be big, but not this big," "Hannibal" producer Dino De Laurentiis told Reuters from Berlin. Indeed most industry expectations were in the $35 million- $40 million range. MGM distribution president Larry Gleason said he had hoped to surpass the $42 million bow of the 2000 horror spoof "Scary Movie," which held the record for an R-rated release. AUDIENCE LOVES THE VILLAIN The film stars Hopkins as elegant cannibal Hannibal Lecter. When he's not disemboweling or dining on his hapless victims, he engages in a transatlantic cat-and-mouse game with FBI agent Clarice Starling, played by Julianne Moore. Jodie Foster played Starling in "Lambs," but opted not to return, reportedly because of the new film's violence. Ridley Scott ("Gladiator") directed. The original was directed by Jonathan Demme. De Laurentiis, in Berlin for the film's screening on Sunday night at the German capital's annual film festival, said audiences have conferred hero status on Hannibal Lecter. "When he's forced to kill, he kills somebody the audience wants to kill too," he said. "'Hannibal' is a picture in its own. It's a picture that will be remembered forever." He said Hopkins, who received a $10 million-plus salary for "Hannibal," had asked to be in a sequel. This was confirmed by MGM's Gleason. Whereas "Silence" and "Hannibal" were based on novels by Thomas Harris, the new project would probably bypass the book stage and go straight to script, Gleason said. As for the violent scenes, both De Laurentiis and Gleason noted that they were staged in an understated way with irony and humor. "It's playing much more fun than violent, in a weird way," Gleason said. "There's a lot of nervous laughter (among the audience).

Billy Beane: Changing the Game Essay

1. Based on the â€Å"Billy Beane: Changing the Game† case, explain how and why the Oakland A’s economic situation after 1995 shaped its: a) Compensation Strategies In the world of major league baseball, Oaklands A’s defied the laws of baseball economics. The team spent only $34 million (the 2nd lowest payroll) had won 102 games and lost only 60 in 2001. On top of this, they finished first in their division and made the playoffs. Major baseball teams would hire high school players than college players. This made high school players costly. Oaklands A’s strategy is to hire College players to save on resources. They argued that college players have already gained substantial exposure and competition. Beane would recruit new drafts and sign them for less than the going rate. Because of budget constraints, Oaklands A’s had to trade its top pitchers in exchange with the younger, much less expensive pitchers to try to remain within budget. Another interesting case for Oaklands A’s is the recruitment of Scott Hatteberg. Hatteberg played six years with the Boston Red Sox. He got injured and lacked the prowess in throwing the ball effectively. He was, according to Boston Red Sox, a lame player and did not sign him up again. With this, Hattenberg’s monetary value diminished and that is why Oaklands A’s recruited him at a much lower salary (because there are no other takers). Unknown to the other baseball teams, Hattenberg is the missing puzzle in A’s team. Oaklands A’s noted that Hattenberg has an uncanny knack for getting on-base. b) Staffing (recruiting, selection, and retention strategies) strategies Oaklands A’s staffing strategies was based on sabermetrics. Sabermetrics is a systematic, statistical approach in evaluating teams and players. Based on this science it was found out that the basis for judging the performance of the player should on-base percentage. A’s recruitment would prioritize college players than high school players. This is due to the fact that college players have already played more games against better competition. Bean is convince with the fact that â€Å"a young player is not what he looks like, or what he might become, but what he has done. The bottomline is what the player has produced in college. Bean and DePodesta believed that they could forecast future performance of college players more effectively than high school ones.  Another staffing strategy is the case of Scott Hatteberg. Hatteberg plays with the Boston Rex Sox. He was injured and was never signed up by Sox. Oaklands A’s did not waste time and hired Hatteberged. A’s has done this because Hatterberg’s has an on-base scoring record. According to A’s, Hatteberg filled up what is missing in the team. c) Training and development strategies Batting average was the norm adopted by other baseball teams. But training for Oakland was focused on the player’s ability to obtain on-base scoring. The team relied more on selecting players by their on-base percentages. According to Sabermetrics model, teams always win with players having attained high on-base percentages. Oakland’s Training and development strategies embraced on-base percentage as a philosophy for the entire Oakland organization. This system was the star. Each minor league team in the Oakland system began to lead it league in walks, and resulted to higher on-base percentage. 2. Explain how the compensation, staffing, and training strategies were aligned or integrated with each other to create an overall HR strategy for the Oakland A’s organization. Compensation was based on the value of the player. Since most baseball teams would recruit high school players, Oakland A’s would seek out college players. The higher demand for high school players lead to lower compensation rates for college players. Oakland would then hire college players to minimize cost. Training was based on the on-base performance. These requisites are fully integrated by Oakland A’s to match meager budget with the objectives of the team. 3. Are there potential problems with the HR strategies adopted by the Oakland A’s? One potential problem is that team players get older as baseball seasons come and go. This is due to the fact that Oakland A’s strategy is to hire college player. They are much older than the high school players hire by other baseball teams. This will affect their performance in future baseball games. On-base sabermetrics technology was developed by Oakland A’s to counter the cost of hiring players and to correct the market value of players. Replicating this strategy by other teams would create another imbalance in the demand for players. Everybody would be replicating what A’s had done and the repercussion is that college players would be costly to hire. Players with low batting average but possess substantial on-base average would be in  demand and therefore hike their hiring costs. Oakland A’s could have prevented this had the idea been patented for their exclusive use.

Pakistani Martyr Iqbal Masih

The historical figure of importance, Iqbal Masih was a young Pakistani boy who was forced into bonded labor at age four. After being freed at age ten, Iqbal became an activist against bonded child labor. He became a martyr for his cause when he was murdered at age 12. Overview of Iqbal Masih Iqbal Masih was born in Muridke, a small, rural village outside of Lahore in Pakistan. Shortly after Iqbals birth, his father, Saif Masih, abandoned the family. Iqbals mother, Inayat, worked as a housecleaner but found it difficult to make enough money to feed all her children from her small income. Iqbal, too young to understand his familys problems, spent his time playing in the fields near his two-room house. While his mom was away at work, his older sisters took care of him. His life changed drastically when he was just four years old. In 1986, Iqbals older brother was to be married and the family needed money to pay for a celebration. For a very poor family in Pakistan, the only way to borrow money is to ask a local employer. These employers specialize in this kind of barter, where the employer loans a family money in exchange for the bonded labor of a small child. To pay for the wedding, Iqbals family borrowed 600 rupees (about $12) from a man who owned a carpet-weaving business. In return, Iqbal was required to work as a carpet weaver until the debt was paid off. Without being asked or consulted, Iqbal was sold into bondage by his family. Workers Fighting for Survival This system of peshgi (loans) is inherently inequitable; the employer has all the power. Iqbal was required to work an entire year without wages in order to learn the skills of a carpet weaver. During and after his apprenticeship, the cost of the food he ate and the tools he used were all added to the original loan. When and if he made mistakes, he was often fined, which also added to the loan. In addition to these costs, the loan grew ever larger because the employer added interest. Over the years, Iqbals family borrowed even more money from the employer, which was added to the amount of money Iqbal had to work off. The employer kept track of the loan total. It was not unusual for employers to pad the total, keeping the children in bondage for life. By the time Iqbal was ten years old, the loan had grown to 13,000 rupees (about $260). The conditions in which Iqbal worked were horrendous. Iqbal and the other bonded children were required to squat on a wooden bench and bend forward to tie millions of knots into carpets. The children were required to follow a specific pattern, choosing each thread and tying each knot carefully. The children were not allowed to speak to each other. If the children started to daydream, a guard might hit them or they might cut their own hands with the sharp tools they used to cut the thread. Iqbal worked six days a week, at least 14 hours a day. The room in which he worked was stifling hot because the windows could not be opened in order to protect the quality of the wool. Only two light bulbs dangled above the young children. If the children talked back, ran away, were homesick, or were physically sick, they were punished. Punishment included severe beatings, being chained to their loom, extended periods of isolation in a dark closet, and being hung upside down. Iqbal often did these things and received numerous punishments. For all this, Iqbal was paid 60 rupees (about 20 cents) a day after his apprenticeship had ended. The Bonded Labor Liberation Front   After working six years as a carpet weaver, Iqbal one day heard about a meeting of the Bonded Labor Liberation Front (BLLF) which was working to help children like Iqbal. After work, Iqbal snuck away to attend the meeting. At the meeting, Iqbal learned that the Pakistani government had outlawed peshgi in 1992. In addition, the government cancelled all outstanding loans to these employers. Shocked, Iqbal knew he wanted to be free. He talked to Eshan Ullah Khan, president of the BLLF, who helped him get the paperwork he needed to show his employer that he should be free. Not content to just be free himself, Iqbal worked to also get his fellow workers free. Once free, Iqbal was sent to a BLLF school in Lahore. Iqbal studied very hard, finishing four years of work in just two. At the school, Iqbals natural leadership skills became increasingly apparent and he became involved in demonstrations and meetings that fought against bonded child labor. He once pretended to be one of a factorys workers so that he could question the children about their work conditions. This was a very dangerous expedition, but the information he gathered helped close down the factory and free hundreds of children. Iqbal began speaking at BLLF meetings and then to international activists and journalists. He spoke about his own experiences as a  bonded child  laborer. He was not intimidated by crowds and spoke with such conviction that many took notice of him. Iqbals six years as a bonded child had affected him physically as well as mentally. The most noticeable thing about Iqbal was that he was an extremely small child, about half the size he should have been at his age. At age ten, he was less than four feet tall and weighed a mere 60 pounds. His body had stopped growing, which one doctor described as psychological dwarfism. Iqbal also suffered from kidney problems, a curved spine, bronchial infections, and arthritis. Many say that he shuffled his feet when he walked because of pain. In many ways, Iqbal was made into an adult when he was sent to work as a carpet weaver. But he was not really an adult. He lost his childhood, but not his youth. When he went to the U.S. to receive the Reebok Human Rights Award, Iqbal loved watching cartoons, especially Bugs Bunny. Once in a while, he also had a chance to play some computer games while in the U.S. A Life Cut Short Iqbals growing popularity and influence caused him to receive numerous death threats. Focused on helping other children become free, Iqbal ignored the letters. On Sunday, April 16, 1995, Iqbal spent the day visiting his family for Easter. After spending some time with his mother and siblings, he headed over to visit his uncle. Meeting up with two of his cousins, the three boys rode a bike to his uncles field to bring his uncle some dinner. On the way, the boys stumbled upon someone who shot at them with a shotgun. Iqbal died immediately. One of his cousins was shot in the arm; the other wasnt hit. How and why Iqbal was killed remains a mystery. The original story was that the boys stumbled upon a local farmer who was in a compromising position with a neighbors donkey. Frightened and perhaps high on drugs, the man shot at the boys, not intending to specifically kill Iqbal. Most people do not believe this story. Rather, they believe that leaders of the carpet industry disliked the influence Iqbal was having and ordered him murdered. As of yet, there is no proof that this was the case. On April 17, 1995, Iqbal was buried. There were approximately 800 mourners in attendance. *The problem of bonded child labor continues today. Millions of children, especially in Pakistan and India, work in factories to make carpets, mud bricks, beedis (cigarettes), jewelry, and clothing—all with similar horrific conditions as Iqbal experienced.