Police in America

1
Police in America

• Chapter Two
• The History of American Police

2
The English Heritage

• English Common Law
• High value placed on individual rights
• Court system
• Various forms of punishment
• Different law enforcement agencies

3
Law Enforcement in Colonial America

• Sheriff
• Appointed by colonial governor
• Chief local government official
• Law enforcement
• Collect taxes
• Conduct elections
• Maintain bridges and roads
• Constable
• Some responsibility for enforcing law and
  maintaining order
• Originally elected, later appointed

4
American Policing in the 19th Century

• Personnel Standards
• None
• Selection based on political connections
• Patrol
• Foot patrol
• No communications system
• In time, call boxes emerged
• Weak supervision
• Citizen violence caused the carrying of firearms
• Major social welfare institution
• Corrupt

5
American Policing in the 20th Century

• Professionalism
• Define policing as a profession
• Eliminate influence of politics
• Hire qualified chief executives
• Raise personnel standards
• Modern management principles
• Specialized units
• Police subculture created
• Unions

6
American Policing in the 20th Century

• Communications technology
• Patrol car
• Two way radio
• Telephone
• New agencies
• FBI created
• Crisis of the 1960s
• Supreme Court
• Civil Rights Movement
• Research

7
New Developments

• Changing police officer
• Race and gender
• Control of police discretion
• Policies and SOP
• Lawsuits
• Unions
• Significant improvement in salaries and benefits
• Civilian oversight
• Community policing and problem-oriented policing
• Race and ethnic conflicts

8
Law Enforcement in Colonial America

• Watch
• Watchmen patrolled to guard against
• Fire
• Crime
• Disorder
• Originally, only night watch
• All males were expected to serve
• Slave Patrol
• Distinctly American
• Guard against slave revolts and capture runaway
  slaves