The death penalty has been a controversial form of sentencing since historical records were written. The death penalty was imposed on criminals convicted of one of the most serious crimes, murder. The United States has established divergent opinions on the death penalty that have created views for and against the death penalty. Statistics were also provided to demonstrate that the use of the death penalty has deterred murder-related capital crimes. The death penalty has also had an impact on law enforcement by focusing investigations on gathering the evidence and testimonies necessary to correctly gather all the necessary information. The death penalty has always been controversial in history, but the arguments for and against its abolition are crucial to establishing a correct punishment for the crime committed. The death penalty was supported by statistical analyzes that provided arguments for and against sentencing based on deterrence methods. People opposed to the death penalty have documented states that do not have the death penalty and have shown a decrease in murder rates. David Cooper's statistical article provides information on states without the death penalty showing lower murder rates by stating, "When making comparisons between states with the death penalty and states without, the majority of states with the death penalty show higher homicide rates than states without the death penalty. The average homicide rate per 100,000 population in 1999 among states with the death penalty was 5.5, while the average homicide rate among states without the death penalty. of death was only 3.6” (Cooper, p.1). Statistics have shown that the death penalty has… middle of paper… the criminal act of murder he murder occurred is becoming more and more crucial for law enforcement and has impacted them due to the correct identification of the root cause of the crime must always be the last type of sentence requested by a court , but if the crime has sufficient evidence and information then the death penalty must be invoked. Works Cited Carter, J. Show Death Penalty the Door. http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000983. Procon.org. Accessed March 24, 2014Cooper, D. Deterrence: States without the death penalty have seen consistently lower murder rates. 2014. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/deterrence-states-without-death-penalty-have-had-consistently-lower-murder-rates#stateswithvwithout. Death Penalty Information Center. Accessed March 24, 2014.