Week 5: Police in Society History and Organization

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Week 5 Police in Society History and
Organization

• Identify what the idea of police involves
• Distinguish between police and law
  enforcement (as useful terms)
• Trace the evolution of the modern police
  organization (in the U.S.)

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1) What does police refer to?

• Police derives from from the Latin politia which
  means roughly civil administration or
  maintenance of civil order
• It refers to internal actions directed to the
  maintenance of civil order and law within a
  community
• Distinguish police from the military which deals
  with external actions toward outside communities.

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What does police refer to? (cont.)

• Generally police refers to the legitimate use of
  force or authority to maintain order on behalf of
  the entire community
• Use of military forces to carry out policing
  implies an outside power forcefully controlling
  an occupied population martial law
• Use of privately funded and controlled force to
  maintain order mercenary policing
• Use of unauthorized force by citizens to maintain
  order vigilante policing

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2) What is the difference between police and
law enforcement?

• Policing maintenance of order in the
  community or society very general function
• Includes both proactive (preventive) and reactive
  (corrective) efforts
• Includes both facilitation and coercion
• Law enforcement refers to coercive efforts to
  respond to apprehend and punish offenders
• It is essentially reactive and corrective
• It is one part (coercive and reactive) of
  policing
• Compare with medicine?

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3) The History of Policing (in U.S.)

• Police in the U.S. is mostly adapted from English
  police systems and practices
• Occasional borrowing from European practices
  e.g., French Spanish systems
• It follows certain universal patterns in the
  evolution of modern policing (found in lots of
  other countries)
• But also shows distinctly English American
  patterns reflecting the unique political history
  of Great Britain and the American colonies

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The History of Policing (cont.)

• The universal pattern 3 stages or forms of
  policing
• Self-policing informal policing by citizens
• Transitional policing semi-organized by
  semi-specialists or mercenaries
• Modern policing centralized control of
  specialized, professionalized police officers
  acting under authority of community or the
  state

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Self-Policing

• informal policing by members of the community
  behaving as citizens
• Operation of policing in groups Informal,
  voluntary, occasional, reactive, general
• May be organized by families or clans -gt
  German/Saxon wergild system
• May be organized by communities -gt English Mutual
  pledge system
• tithings (tithingman) ? hundreds (constable)
• Group must respond to hue and cry
• Operates through group action by community
• Early versions of community watch system

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Transitional Policing

• Semi-organized arrangements of citizens and
  private groups ? move beyond simple voluntary
  enforcement
• Somewhat more formalized, organized, and
  specialized
• Frankpledge system royal appropriation of
  control over the pledge system
• Hundreds further organized into Shires (counties)
• Hundreds financially accountable for
  apprehending offenders
• Shire led by appointed Shire-reeve (Sheriff
  selected by King)
• Watch-and-Ward systems in middle English cities
• Mercenary systems police paid for special
  purposes
• Praetorian guard retained to protect the
  Emperor
• Gendarmes paid by fees to catch wrong-doers
• Thief Takers paid by reward for recovering
  stolen goods
• Bow Street Runners private security/detective
  agency
• The regulators and early Texas Rangers in U.S.
  old West
• Paid replacements for pledge and watch members

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Modern Policing

• Formally organized, paid policing by full-time
  specialists in officially authorized agencies
• Require stronger centralized governments
• Authority to make and enforcement laws
• Legitimate monopoly on exercise of force
• Specialized agencies carry out specific functions
• Formed in the large cities in response to
  disorder, riots, and lawlessness
• Also formed in support of inequality to maintain
  and defend such systems

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First Modern Police Force the London
Metropolitan Police

• Organized by Sir Robert Peel authorized by
  Metropolitan Police Act of 1829
• Adoption was controversial and contested, but
  became model for later police forces
• Organized on a new model
• Paramilitary organization disciplined,
  professional
• Proactive focus on policing i.e., prevention
  of crime through order maintenance service
• Deemphasis on force and coercion i.e., unarmed
  achieve compliance through respect
• Quality and discipline within police were enforced

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What was distinctive about English Policing?

• It evolved reluctantly in response to disorder,
  riots, violent conflict, and lawlessness
• Opposition to strong centralized police authority
• Reflecting the long history of conflict and power
  struggle between local communities and the crown
• Resistance to investing strong coercive power in
  the central government
• Note the basic and ongoing tension between
• Desire to control disorder and protect public
  safety (which needs central organization
  authority)
• Desire to protect and maintain local freedoms
  (which opposes central organization coercive
  authority)

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Policing in the American colonies

• Generally adopted the English Pledge system but
  with some modifications
• Even greater emphasis on local autonomy
• Reduce accountability to central authority
• Make police officials locally accountable e.g.,
  Sheriff appointed by colony governor, not King
• Rural areas use Sheriff citizens (common law
  principal of posse comitatus)
• Cities use very basic night-watch systems
• Unique American development Slave Patrols in
  the southern colonies (late 1700s)
• Full-time, organized, professional police forces

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Policing in the American colonies

• Overall the American colonies were not policed
  very effectively because
• Resistance to strong central control ? highly
  localized and dependent on local politics
• Resistance to professional policing ? reliance on
  volunteers
• Highly fragmented and weak
• One Unique American development Slave Patrols
  in southern colonies (1700s)
• Organized, semi-professional police forces
• Enforce slave laws and quell slave riots

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Policing in the U.S. (post-colonial)

• Extremely decentralized and localized
• U.S. confederation of states
• Police force authorized at county and city levels
• No state police or federal police
• County Sheriff weak pledge system
• Sheriff with very broad duties
• Sheriff locally elected
• Very reactive and reliant posse comitatus
• Cities Constable with day night watches
• Slave Patrols continue in southern states

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Policing in the U.S. Historical Eras

• Colonial Era (pre-1780)
• Post-Colonial (Infancy) Era (1780-1840)
• Expansion (Spoils) Era (1840-1900)
• Progressive Era (1900-1930)
• Modern Era (1930-1960)
• Reform Era (1960-1980)
• Contemporary Era (1980-present)

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Policing in U.S. Colonial Era (pre-1780)

• Localized, fragmented, variable, and minimal
  forms of police systems
• Great emphasis on local autonomy and
  accountability
• Opposition to strong central governments
• Forms of Policing
• Weak Sheriff-Pledge system (rural areas)
• Weak Constable-Watch system (cities)
• Slave Patrol (southern states)

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Police in U.S. Post-Colonial Era (1780-1840)

• Infancy of new nation (establishing basic
  structures) some growing pains
• Maintain localized control over police
• No state or national police (ex. U.S. Marshals)
• Resist adopting stronger police organization
• Continue (with modifications) early
  English-American policing forms
• Weak Sheriff-Pledge system (rural areas)
• Weak Constable-Watch system (cities)
• Slave Patrol (southern states)

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Policing in the U.S. Expansion Era (1840-1900)

• Growth of U.S. as national power ? large
  economic, geographic, and social changes
• Emergence of powerful political machines to
  control local and state politics
• Creation of modern city police departments
• Policing seen s locally controlled, corrupt,
  brutal, unprofessional, and ineffective
• Expansion of federal government police
• Large private police agencies Pinkerton, Brinks,
  Wells-Fargo, Railroad, etc.

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Police in the U.S. Progressive Era (1900-1930)

• Development of ideology of Progressivism
• Police professionalism movement
• Removal of politics patronage
• Use of science and technology to improve
  efficiency cars, fingerprints, labs, statistics
• Emphasis on education, training, selection
• Unionism
• IACP ? national crime statistics (UCR)
• August Vollmer (Berkeley Wickersham Comm)
• Stronger federal government police
• Creation of first State Police agencies

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Policing in the U.S. Modern Era (1930-1960)

• After the Depression ended, relative social
  stability and economic growth
• Police Professionalism extended and
  institutionalized (maintaining the status quo)
• View of Police as professional, apolitical,
  crime-fighting protectors of public order and
  safety
• O.W. Wilson textbook on police administration
• Expansion of federal police (FBI) due to threat
  of communism and organized crime

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Policing in the U.S. Reform Era (1960-1980)

• Period of dramatic social conflicts, crises, and
  changes (civil rights Viet Nam, rise in crime)
• National changes in legal landscape
• View of police as nonpartisan, professional
  defenders of law and freedom challenged
• Initiation of critical research to test the
  received wisdom about policing
• National Commission on Law Enforcement
• Commissions on corruption and misconduct
• Experimentation and variation in policing

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Policing in the U.S. Current Era (1980-present)

• New technologies
• Change tasks of daily police work
• Expose errors and misbehavior
• New organizational theories
• Community-Oriented Policing
• Impact of globalization and terrorism
• Homeland Security
• Increased federal influence through funding and
  training ? standardization control
• Privatization greater use of rent-a-cops

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Policing in the U.S. Current Era (1980-present)

• Local Municipal and township police departments
• County Sheriffs offices and sheriffs police
  department( county constable offices in Texas)
• States 49 primary State law enforcement
  agencies
• Special jurisdiction agencies schools,
  airports, etc.
• Federal 65 agencies with police powers
• Private about 2 million persons serving as
  private police security officers

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Local Police

• 12,433 local police agencies in the U.S.
• 10,788 municipal (city) departments
• 1,612 township or town departments
• 33 regional (combined) departments
• Most are very small
• Over half have fewer than 10 full-time officers
• One-third have less than 5 full-time officers
• One-eight (1,720) have 1 or less full-time
  officer
• Few are very large
• Under 5 (83 depts) have 100 or more full-time
  officers (the size you see on TV programs)

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County Police Agencies

• 3,111 County Police Agencies (in 2000)
• 3010 County Sheriffs Offices
• 52 County Sheriffs Police departments
• 49 Consolidated (unigov) City-County Agencies
• Note the continued importance of the Sheriff in
  the 21st century
• Major county-level police agency in most states
• Elective office in all but two states
• Constitutional office in most states
• Has broad, diverse responsibilities and powers

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State Police Agencies

• Found in all but one state (Hawaii has a State
  Sheriffs office)
• Found in two formats
• State Police Full and broad police powers to
  investigate crimes to enforce law anywhere (in
  23 states)
• Highway Patrol focus only on highway traffic
  safety, traffic law enforcement, accident
  investigation
• Usually special focus state agencies to handle
  other enforcement or investigation activities

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Special Jurisdiction Agencies

• 1,376 police agencies with special limited
  jurisdictions
• About 65 of these involve educational
  institutions (e.g., college campuses, public high
  schools)
• Also transportation facilities (e.g., airports,
  transit systems, railroad, shipping ports)
• Also public parks, natural resources,
  conservation departments, fish game

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Federal Police Agencies

• Federal law enforcement ? mostly a 20th century
  development (exc. U.S. Marshals)
• Located in various agencies where special
  enforcement or investigation need occurs
• Some consolidation of agencies in
• Treasury Dept.
• FBI under J. Edgar Hoover
• Homeland Security (in 2001)
• Dept. of Homeland Security biggest change

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Federal Police (cont.)

• Dept. of Homeland Security (42,870)
• Dept. of Justice (37,460)
• U.S. Courts (Judicial Branch) (4,126)
• Office of Inspector General (2,867)
• U.S. Postal Service(2,978)
• Internal Revenue Service (2,777)
• VHA (2,423) Dept. of Interior (Park Service BIA
  Forest Service) (2278)
• Capitol Police (1,535)
• Dept. of Treasury (722)

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Federal Police (cont.)

• Dept. of Justice
• FBI (15,214)
• DEA (4,400)
• US Marshals Service (3,233)
• ATFE (formerly in Treasury) (2373)
• Dept. of Homeland Security
• US Customs and Border Protection (27,705)
• US Immigration and Customs (10,399)
• Secret Service (4,769)

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Private Police Security

• Est. 2 million private security officers in US
• 3-4 times as many as in public police agencies
• A growing sector of policing
• What do these involve?
• What are their Powers and Authority?
• The Advantages and Disadvantages?
• Standards, qualifications, and Licensing

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Private Police Security

• What do these involve?
• Proprietary security employed by company itself
• Contract Security employed by security firm
  which contract with employer company
• Brinks Burns Wackenhut Pinkerton Wells-Fargo
• Private Police (with limited authority petitioned
  from government)
• Private colleges schools
• Private companies with national security interest
• Closed communities

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Private Police/Security (cont)

• What are their Powers and Authority?
• Generically same as any citizen
• Some may be derived from employer
• May be enhanced in some states (with licensing)
• Enhanced when public police officers are hired as
  2nd job (bring police powers with them)

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Private Police/Security (cont)

• Advantages of private police?
• Declining revenues for public policing
• Private nature of crimes in workplace
• Better control and attention to specific problems
• Few constitutional limitations
• Concerns about private policing?
• Qualifications, standards, and training
• Legal ambiguities
• Questions about public cops in private uses
• Diminished public responsibility and oversight