Law enforcement
| It's not just a good idea |
| Random enforcement |
Law enforcement is the job of the police, in most civilized countries. They are expected to investigate crimes, find the perpetrators, and then present their case in a court of law, usually before a jury of the perpetrator's peers. Well, not exactly the perp's peers, but a general selection of normal people.
While this is a noble quest, it all too often breaks down.
Authoritarian regimes often employ various levels of "secret police" in order to patrol and regulate their populations. Such schemes often involve extra-legal violence or threats of violence, encouragement of people willing to turn in their acquaintances or enemies on flimsy grounds of wrongdoing, and less-than-transparent judicial processes.
Even modern democracies struggle with the tendency of law enforcement to overstep their remit.