AJ 58 - Community and Human Relations

1
AJ 58 - Community and Human Relations

• Chapter 2
• A History of
• Community Policing

2
Historical Overview of Policing

• Totalitarian Countries
• The few impose will on the many
• Democratic Society
• People make laws through elected representatives
• Challenge in U.S.
• Police independence (from political corruption)
  vs. public accountability (from citizenry)

3
Historical Shift from Informal to Formal Policing

• Influencing factors
• Population growth
• Change from agrarian to industrial society
• Unequal distribution of resources
• Crowding into cities
• Advances in technology

4
Evolution of Policing

• Simple society simple, self-policing
• Volunteer night watchmen
• Pay for watchman duties
• Motorized patrol replaced foot patrol
• With each of these advances, there was an
  increased separation from the community!

5
British Roots of Modern Policing

• Why did the King and his noblemen have a vested
  interest in keeping the peace and reducing crime
  and rebellion?
• Tax money collected during feudal system!
• Self-policing citizens (800-900)
• Justice of the Peace (1300s)
• Paid, professional police force (1800s)

6
The British Industrial Revolution

• Britains population doubled from six to twelve
  million
• Many moved to large cities for work, but
  machinery had replaced many jobs
• Sudden, drastic increase in
• Unemployment
• Food shortages
• Homelessness
• Sewage and pollution
• Riots and rebellion
• Military troops called in to quell riots
  uprisings

7
Sir Robert Peel

• British Home Secretary (1822)
• Created Metropolitan Police Act (1829)
• Established first Police Office at Scotland Yard
  with paid constables
• Bobbies deployed by divisions, beats
• Hiring Process
• 12,000 applicants for 6,000 jobs
• Many from other areas
• High turnover during first year
• Low pay
• Misconduct
• Public resistance

8
Early Problems and Successes

• Citizens called for police force to disband after
  first year
• Police persisted and gained respect despite
  ongoing riots
• Did not use excessive force
• Did not resort to calling in military
• As crime rate began to drop, respect for police
  grew
• Pensions (1890)
• Code of Professional Conduct (1918)

9
US Colonial Law Enforcement

• 1636 Boston, night watch
• Males 18 expected to serve
• 1651 New York, scout and rattle
• Service as punishment
• 1705 Philadelphia, night patrols
• City divided into patrol areas, each with its own
  Constable and volunteers

10
Regional Variations

• South
• Rural, agricultural
• Relied on services of County Sheriff
• West and Midwest
• Elected Constables or Sheriffs
• As cities and populations grew, so did
  crime-related problems
• Similar to Industrial Revolution in Britain

11
Rise of Municipal Police

• Early problems
• Night watch only
• Erratic, inefficient enforcement
• Questionable character/competence of watchmen
• As police groups grew, so did corruption
• Riots in major cities in early 1800s led to
  formation of full-time police organizations by
  1860s

12
The Spoils EraTo the winner go the spoils

• Police officials acted above the law
• Political corruption
• Cronyism for selection/promotion
• Bribery Graft
• Rigged elections
• Racial harassment
• Some efforts to reform, but most fell short
• Philadelphia (1860), standardized police uniform
• New York City Police Department, 1894
• Pay to get hired/promoted

13
Vigilantism

• Goes beyond citizens getting involved in aiding
  police
• Operates in opposition to legal norms
• Injects emotion into process where reason should
  prevail
• South Carolina Regulators, 1767

14
Rationale of Vigilantism

• Self-preservation
• Be prepared to kill-or-be-killed if the system
  fails
• Right of Revolution
• As valid a response as reform when the system
  breaks down
• Economics
• Saving money for the criminal justice system

15
Inherent Problems with Vigilantism

• Punishment without due process
• No external controls over vigilante group
• Overreaction to certain actions/groups
• Racial harassment
• May be ignored or condoned by law enforcement

16
Policing in the Early 20th Century

• Civil Service reform helped professionalize
  departments, but some still lacked positive,
  effective leadership
• Chiefs and Commissioners were transient
• NYPD had 12 in 19 years
• London had 7 in 91 years
• Hands tied by legislative constraints
• Difficult to implement innovative programs

17
Volstead Act, 1919

• Prohibition of alcohol largely unpopular, often
  ignored
• Police lost respect, trust, cooperation due to
  enforcing unpopular law

18
Police Reform of the 1930s

• Led by Oakland Police Chief August Vollmer
• Principles of police reform
• Eliminate political corruption
• Independent chief
• Educated/trained, professional police
• Judicious use of latest technology
• Benefits of crime-prevention
• Expanded role for women in police work
• Different approaches for different areas
• Role of public service in policing

19
Impact Areas of Vollmers Reforms

• Authorization
• Authority based on professionalism and law
• Function
• Crime control
• Organizational Design
• Centralized organization
• Demand for Services
• Mainly as crime fighters
• Relationship to Environment
• Professional aloofness to avoid corruption
• Tactics Technology
• Motor patrols for more rapid response
• Outcomes
• Success based on crime control

20
More Reforms

• Local police followed FBI lead
• J. Edgar Hoover had made FBI more popular and
  respected
• Some cities adopted civil service exams for
  chiefs
• Some chiefs received lifetime tenure, increasing
  power and authority
• State police departments formed as link between
  federal and local efforts

21
Police and Minorities

• Historical clash between powerful and poor
• Wealthy privileges in English feudal system
• Political/media-created fear of minorities
• European immigrants to U.S.
• Fear of police oppression
• Police mistreatment of minorities has sometimes
  been reflection of society
• Rich vs. poor
• Us vs. Them mentality

22
Community-Outreach Efforts

• Police reforms of 1930s tended to
  professionalize departments but isolated Police
  from Community
• Police-Community Relations efforts (1950s)
• Aimed high but fell short
• Good intentions with limited scope

23
Goals of Police-Community Relations

• Improve communication, reduce hostility
• Crime detection/prevention skills for all
• Equal protections
• Teamwork approach
• Positive officer attitude towards PCR
• Enhance mutual understanding
• Community involvement is necessary

24
Crime Prevention Units

• Some departments created separate unit, some
  combine with PCR
• Proactive approach to helping entire Community
• Provided education for business community as well
  as residents to prevent victimization
• Usually manned by Staff, not line personnel

25
The Challenge of the 1960s

• Decade began with optimistic/idealistic outlook
• Peace Corps, civil rights movement
• JFK, LBJ, MLK
• Mid-1960s saw political upheaval and civil
  unrest
• Viet Nam, civil rights protests
• Bonded racial groups
• Conflict among protestors/philosophies
• SDS vs. The Weathermen, leading to emergence of
  other violent groups like SLA
• Democratic Convention, Chicago (1968)
• Violent police actions against protestors

26
Team Policing Model, 1970s

• Reaction to ineffectiveness of PCR and
  Crime-Prevention strategies
• Placed permanent team of officers within same
  geographical area to increase consistent contact
  with community
• Limitations and obstacles
• Applied as a limited tactic
• Lacked departmental commitment
• Reactive to community needs
• Challenged traditional police organizational
  standards

27
The Birth of Community Policing

• Some transformation had to occur due to changes
  in political, economic, and social structures in
  society
• Many contributing factors
• Advanced agendas of police reformers
• Increased funding for Community Policing programs
• Alienation of Police from Community
• Narrow Police mission of fighting crime
• Over-reliance on efficiency and effectiveness
• Reliance on technology vs. human interaction
• Insulation of management from community
  accountability
• Concerns over human-rights violations
• Failure of previous models and methods

28
Learning from Past Mistakes

• Problems arise when Police
• Become alienated from Community
• Use overt or symbolic violence as means of
  control
• Creates Us vs. Them mentality on both sides
• Community Policing uses best elements from past
  efforts