Introduction When you think of American Policing the first thing that comes to mind is men in the black and blue uniforms and the people who protect us every day and maintain order among society. But from what you see now, behind it is a long history of troublesome problems and bright spots. When it comes to the history of American policing you have to go farther back then you think. The definition of policing is: having the duty of maintaining law and order in or for an area ("Police definition,”). The reason I like to look so far back is because I strongly believe if you want to understand where you are going you first have to see where you have come from. You must do this in order to see how to move forward, improve, and …show more content…
The initial policing was provided by local officials. It wasn 't until 1789 when the U.S Marshals Service was created followed by other federal services. The first actual police department that was created was in Philadelphia in 1751 followed by Richmond Virginia in 1807 and Boston in 1838. The way the first police departments were set up post-civil war era was a military style set up with ranks and levels to what officer authorities are ("police," 2013). In that sense not much has changed except some styles of rank of officers as well as some of the ways some situations and how they are dealt with. The biggest change that has happened is actual changing of laws and constitutions and how they are enforced by officers. The purpose of policing is to prevent crime and to maintain order while having the trust of the community in order to correctly apply the laws. In the beginning this was not always the case. The issue that presented itself back in that time was racism and the way the police department and officers would conduct the laws and enforce them when an African American would commit them and the severity of the punishment. On the other side is when a white person would committed a crime against a black person, the police had a hard time deciding whether to prosecute the white person or to let him go, which at that time it was socially acceptable and nobody thought anything of it. This was seen throughout American police history and I feel was the biggest issue in
Society in general have showed the distrust, protests and many questions for the like hood of the police profession. The reputation of the police profession is that of the 6 pillars of policing in the modern world as outlined by the President’s Task Force on the 21st Century Policing, which sought to recommend steps forward. Under the banners of ‘Building Trust and Legitimacy’, ‘Policy and Oversight’, ‘Technology and Social Media’, ‘Community Policing and Crime Reduction’, ‘Officer Training and Education’, and ‘Officer Safety and Wellness’ – here are concise definitions for each one and what they mean for American policing ("Final report of the resident’s task force on 21st century policing," 2015).
Gaines, L. K., & Kappeler, V. E. (2014). Policing in america (8th ed.). (S. Decker-Lucke, Ed.) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America: Anderson Publishing. Retrieved January 2017
Many of the issues facing police today can be traced back to the 1960s. We talk about the '60s being a time of peace and love, but that's not really what was going on. Now, at the time, the theory was that the police should be morally impartial. Police were supposed to simply uphold the law without getting personally attached to victims or suspects (Muscato 2003).
There are many factors that contribute to today’s American policing. Once such factor that contribute tremendously to today’s policing came in 1829 when Sir Robert Peel’s concept of policing came into effect. This would change the way policing would be performed in not only England, but the United States (U.S) and around the world. Another huge factor that impacts policing is the relationship the U.S. Government has with policing. These factors affect every policing organization in the U.S.
Policing is a very difficult, complex and dynamic field of endeavor that is always evolves as hard lessons teach us what we need to know about what works and what don’t work. There are three different Era’s in America’s policing: The Political Era, The Reform Era, and The Community Problem Solving Era. A lot has changed in the way that policing works over the years in the United States.
Policing throughout the years. Policing has changed over time to become what it is today. The three eras of policing are, the political era (1840-1930), the reform era (1930-1980), and the community era (1980- present). During the political era, police officers had strong ties to the community because they lived in the communities they served and they focused on foot patrol (Miller et al., 2014). They knew who they served and protected because they were out with the same people each day. Police chiefs
The first era of law enforcement was the political era, which started in 1840 and ended in 1930. Evolution of Policing in the US-Influence of the Political Era reports that, “During this era, police performed much more comprehensive services, such as running soup kitchens, finding shelter for the homeless and helping immigrants find jobs, in addition to dealing with criminal activity. They were closely integrated within their communities and for those within the political sphere of the elected leaders within the community; the friendly image of the Irish beat cop emerges”(2013). Since it was the first era of policing there was a lot of pros and cons, compare to the era we are in now. Scott from Police
Policing today consists of three eras. These three eras have adapted and built off one another through history (Parr, 2014). The first era started around 1840 to 1930, and is known as the Political Era. The second Era is known as the Reform Era and lasted from 1930 to 1970. The last era is called the Community-Problem Solving Era and is still being adapted and used today. The Political Era emphasizes on meeting the needs of politicians. The police were given power through the local government and the community had very little say in what happened. The police and politicians worked together to control the city and neighborhoods (Palmiotto, 2000). This was often referred to as a ward. The ward politician controlled all the police in their neighborhood. The police officers tasks included not only crime prevention and order but a lot of social service activities that involved their neighborhoods. The officers resembled the ethnic backgrounds of the neighborhoods they lived and worked in and performed their patrols gaining trust from their community (Palmiotto, 2000). This allowed positive integration of police officers leading to more public service, and the trust of the officers to stop crime when is starts.
Early policing in Colonial America had its beginnings in England. Police departments in America started to follow the trend. Actually, they were not police departments as we know them today. Policing in colonial America began as a night watch program of volunteers in the early 1600’s in the northern colonies, specifically in Boston. Early policing was not the same throughout the colonies. Southern colonies developed their own system of policing based on the needs of the community using watch groups and organized groups of white men known as slave patrols. The policing systems changed as the colonies grew in population, more small businesses, the development of large industries and more funding became available. “War and then revolution strained the Boston watch system…the French and Indian war 1756-1763…” (Wadman &Allison2004,p.10). The watch system in all of the colonies had similarities and differences, however none were very successful in reducing crime. New York, Boston, Charleston, Virginia, and Tennessee all suffered immense problems with their crime rate using the watch system. This was the first form of policing in colonial
Since the dawn of human kind, there has been some form of policing; whether that policing is based on taking revenge or the maintenance of public order and upholding the laws of the land. Although 200 years have passed, policing policies fundamentally has not changed. In this essay, I will be writing on early policing before the 19th century, policing in the 19th century, how policing evolved in America, policing now, and then compare the similarities and differences between today’s policing policies and those of the 19th century.
The history of policing dates back several thousand years ago when there was no order or peace and inhumane acts upon citizens was the norm with religious, political, or military police acting as the law. Policing was unstable and unorganized. Citizens took the law into their own hands and served as judge, jury, and executioner. There was not such a thing as being “innocent until proven guilty.” If the community believed an individual was guilty of a crime then the community would handle the offense themselves. American policing stems from the English heritage; crime prevention and control, preventive
The Green Police’s German name is Grune Polizei were known for their green uniforms . SS or Schutzstaffel know in english as Protective Echelon is the most known of the police forces. They were originally the personal bodyguards of Adolf Hitler. Both of these are law inforcements. The Gestapo or the Secret Police had the power to do almost anything they liked.
Many things from the past have shaped policing as we know it today. However, I think the most influential part of history that has shaped policing today is the accusations against police officers of police brutality. In the past several years, police officers have been accused on racial profiling and officer brutality. For example, the Rodney King scandal in California spurred a lot of civil unrest between police officers and communities. These actions are sometimes emotionally fueled by things such as race and cultural differences. As a result of these incidents, police are very cautious when making contact with an offender. They are also now required to wear body cameras. Also, their patrol cars are equipped with traffic cameras.
Police, also called police force. An organized civil force for maintaining order, preventing and detecting crime, and enforcing the laws. Police officers risk their lives everyday. When they pull up to a crime scene, active robbery, or even to just give someone a ticket they never know what’s going to happen. “The police officer who puts their life on the line with no superpowers, no x-ray vision, no super-strength, no ability to fly, and above all no invulnerability to bullets , reveals for greater virtue than superman - who is only a mere superhero.” - Eliezer Yodkowsky. Police officers are not made of steel, they have fears, feelings, and families, when they walk up to an active shooter they are afraid! Many people say
The traditional analyses, based on urban evidence, have suggested that such policing evolved from older systems of militias, sheriffs, constables, and night watches, and culminated in the "new police" of Boston in 1838, New York City in 1845, Chicago in 1851, New Orleans and Cincinnati in 1852, Philadelphia in 1854, St. Louis in 1855, Newark and Baltimore in 1857,and Detroit in