Policing in America In America, traditional policing entails officers maintaining law and order by carrying out patrols within their areas of operation. Police officers respond to a variety of calls and situations. Law enforcement officers in America apply three major strategies of policing, namely legalistic, security guard, and service styles (Oliver, 2016). The legalistic style maintains law and order through arrests, writing tickets, and encouraging victims to sign complaints as soon as possible. The security guard style focuses on maintaining order through informal methods, while the service style lays more emphasis on service to the community and fostering good relations through strategies such as community policing. In contemporary America, policing has become more challenging due to issues associated with technological advancements, as well as hostile narratives that profile police officers across mainstream media and social networking sites (Stamper, 2016). For example, police officers find it hard to execute their duties because the media often presents them as racist and inhuman when they apprehend criminals under controversial circumstances. Contemporary policing in America is largely centered on addressing perennial challenges such as drug trafficking, money laundering, immigration issues, gun control, and homicide, among others (Brandl, 2017). Major Characteristics of the Political and Reform Eras of Policing One of the major elements that characterize the political era of policing in the United States is political influence (Oliver, 2016). In the past, political leaders had a great influence with regard to the manner in which appointments in the police force were carried out. During the political era of policing, politicians often reserved top positions in the police force as rewards for their supporters, who played pivotal roles in their ascendancy to power. A number of unscrupulous politicians also used their influence to fill other vacancies within the police force with anyone who was willing to give out some money. This was also the case with promotions, where interested individuals often bought their desired positions. This phenomenon necessitated a lack of job security for police officers, which was also a characteristic feature of this era of policing in the United States. Reports indicate that due to the strong influence from politicians, hiring and firing of police officers was done without any clearly defined procedure (Brandl, 2017). Officers did not have to meet any minimum standards in order to be recruited as long as they had money to buy and maintain their positions within the police force. In addition, those that secured various positions did not undergo any form of training. During the political era of policing in America, corruption had developed into a culture and a characteristic feature of law enforcement in the country. Police officers across all ranks were often involved in various forms of misconduct that were clear acts of disregard to the ethical principles of policing (Oliver, 2016). Notably, police officers on patrol were most vulnerable to accepting bribes from offenders in order to avoid getting tickets, paying fines, or going to jail. The officers were also ver