Premium Essay

Police History

In: Social Issues

Submitted By lfavorite
Words 1000
Pages 4
Police History
Policing, or variations of it, has become the national mantra of the American police. Throughout the United States, the language, symbolism, and programs of policing have sprung up in urban, suburban, and even rural police departments. For more than 15 years, and through at least one generation of police officers, community and problem-oriented policing have been advanced by their advocates as powerful organizing themes for an emergent style of public safety.
How these themes have influenced American policing is yet uncertain. The range and complexity of programs associated with police practices have often precluded systematic scientific investigation. Moreover, community and problem-oriented policing are themselves “moving targets” changing and modifying them in what is an often turbulent environment for law enforcement. This paper will discuss the impact of Sir Robert Peel on American Policing. Also included in this paper will be a brief discussion of the relationship between the United States government and the police organizations in the United States. I will also discuss how this relationship may affect police practices as well.
To begin, the English statesman Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850) served as prime minister during 1834-1835 and 1841-1846. He played an important role in modernizing the British government's social and economic policies and sponsored the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 (Gale, 2004, pg.181). Sir Robert Peel was in the tradition of 19th-century administrative reformers. Though not a doctrinaire, he drew on the most advanced thinking of his day in his reform of British criminal law, the prisons, the police, fiscal, and economic policies by making government a positive instrument in social reform and by his pragmatic approach to social and political problems. He established a reputation as a firm and compassion person.
In

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

History of Police

...History of police William Mosley University of Phoenix The purpose of this paper is to describe the history of police specifically in America. It also seeks to discuss how Sir Robert Peel changed American policing as well as analyzing the relationship between American government and the policing organizations found in America. The history of police assists us to understand the origin of the policies we have today. The practices of police have over the years continued to change. There are four stages in the study of the history of police in America that are categorized according to the time the changes took place. These stages include the political era, professional era, the police crisis of 1960s and the new development stages. In the 1800’s police officers patrolled on foot to maintain security. They did not have police vehicles and did not carry any weapons. They also had challenges in communication as they did not have the police radios to receive and dispatch information. They were also not trained and did not have a police station. All they had was a police cap and budge. It was not until the 19th century that weapons started been used. The officers lacked job security as they could be hired and fired anytime without notice. The pay was not the same as police officers in the city earned better pay than those in the factories. Many officers were given the jobs by local politicians who were wealthy as a reward for serving them. In the professional...

Words: 924 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

History of Police

...The History of Police The History of Police Name Class Name and Number University Name Date Professor: Dr. The History of Police The Law enforcement officers and many of their policies are centered on the twelve principles constructed by Sir Robert Peel, and his statement of, “the people are the police, and the police are people” (Johnson, & Wolfe, 2003). Robert Peel perceived that officers did not need to encroach into citizens lives when preventing criminal activity in communities. Peel created the principles that attributed to Community policing for crime prevention like neighborhood watch, and social institution programs for youth (Johnson, & Wolfe, 2003). Community –policing also invests and synchronize in the promotion of processions, problem solving, militia-cultural competency, analysis of problems, alleviations, interconnections, resolutions for conflicts, and initiative identification. Disorder and criminal acts were the primary mission that Peel constructed as part of his principles which are; 1.) The first principle suggests officers need to be trained as military soldiers, for the purpose of staying organized and efficient while patrolling communities. Officers need to interact with outside sources for criminal activity as tips, and never...

Words: 934 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The History of Police

...The History of Police No Name CJA/214 00/00/00 Instructor: No Name We can learn a lot from the history of our police; this history tells us about how we first started off as society. As society today, this history should be something that everyone should know about. The start of our police was a great period in history. America learned a lot of its policing tactics from Great Britain and still uses many of those tactics with a few modifications today. It is a misconception that policing stayed the same over the years, they have learned and applied many different ways of handling different scenarios over the years and police departments continue to evolve. The police has gone through different stages in America’s history, political era, reform era, community era, and the new development stages. In the early colonies policing took form of both informal and communal, patrols called “Watch”. The system of the “Watch” was composed of volunteers in the community and their primary duty was to warn of potential danger. Boston was the first to create the night watch in 1663 followed by New York and Philadelphia shortly after. Watchmen would often sleep or would drink on duty making this a very ineffective crime deterrent. Most the watchmen volunteers were either forced into service by the town, as a form of punishment, or were simply attempting to evade military service. Philadelphia organized an independent police force in 1833 followed by Boston and New York with day police...

Words: 859 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Police History

...Police History Stephen Turner 03/24/2013 CJA/214 Shawn R. Kehoe Through the history of policing, law enforcement has adapted and overcome major obstacles to be at the level they are today. The very first officers on the streets carried no radios, didn’t have vehicles to drive around, carried no weapon, and had very little, if any professional training (Grant and Terry, 2012). If the history of policing is known it can help better understand where we’re at today and learn from the mistakes that were made previously. The history of policing will help us better understand why certain negative situations still remain in law enforcement although many have been through multiple reforms to correct the problem (Miller, 2000). One man, Sir Robert Peel is responsible for the direction of modern day policing and started the first modern police force. Sir Robert Peel established the London Metropolitan Police Force based out of Scotland Yard. This force was the first recognized modern day police force in history. Before 1829 policing was simply citizens with no training or equipment trying to attain order in their town. With population growth and urbanization this old style of policing quickly fell apart and Sir Robert Peel introduced the first police force (Grant and Terry, 2012). His focus was on crime prevention, being proactive in law enforcement rather than reactive. Sir Robert Peel developed the Peelian principles which were used to define an ethical police force (Grant and...

Words: 960 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Police History

...Police History CJA 214 April 23, 2014 Police History The criminal justice system has changed throughout the centuries. The police force went from being non –participant in the lives of their communities to being active to make sure that their citizens were safe. They went from being called by their badge numbers to being called by their names. The government always had some participant in the police system, because they are who the department goes to when they have to make major decisions. If it was not for the justice system that we have had throughout the years then we would not be living in a safe community that we live in today. Most of us will agree that the system could use some work, but we are happy with what we have because we know that we are safe and there are people that we can go to if we feel like we are in trouble. The police and government are there to protect and serve the community to the best of their ability and the government is there to protect all of the citizens. Sir Robert Peel was a member of the Ireland forces and after serving many year, Peel was keen to reform the law in England. Peel’s ideas were resisted by Parliament because they feared his idea of introducing military tactics to improve police forces. Parliament eventually gave into Peel’s ideas and a number of officers were established by a strict standard of conduct and discipline. The officers were subjected to a chain of command and rules of conduct they had to follow. The chain...

Words: 1091 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Police History

...Police History CJA/214 Policing has been around for many years. Policing was known to exist prior to 1066, since then there have been many changes to policing styles. Throughout this paper I will be discussing police history by describing the impact Sir Robert Peel had on the way police operate and also by looking at the relationship between the United States government and the policing organizations throughout the United States and how it may affect police practices. Policing has been a part of the world for decades. In the early 1600s citizens were responsible for monitoring each other’s behavior; it was known as “watch and ward”. Later on in the 1700s, policing became more religious based. By the 1800s, policing had developed and established into a more structured organization. While many historical figures had a hand in developing the concept of today’s police guidelines, Sir Robert Peel’s nine principles have had a profound impact in the police community. Sir Robert Peel is known as “the father of modern policing” served as Home Secretary of England when he designed a collection of different elements and ideas that would eventually evolve over the years. Peel believed that policing should accrue within the community and not by military forces. These nine principles were designed to hold the police accountable to a set of rules of conduct. He envisioned police working closely with...

Words: 732 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Police History

...History Epi Garcia III CJA/344 September 10, 2012 Instructor Michael Morlan HISTORY American policing has undergone a series of reform-periods in response to immediate, pervasive social concerns, from its early development in the first half of the 19th century, to its shift toward depoliticizing and professionalism during the end of that century, culminating in the ongoing response to issues that demanded attention during the Civil Rights Era, and, which continue to remain prevalent. The basis for modern policing lies in the principles outlined in the 1820's, during a period of high crime, rioting, and economic instability, by Britain's then-Home Secretary, Robert Peel, who would later serve as Prime Minister (Bloy, 2002). His commonly referred to, "nine principles," became the structure for London's organized police force, refining its function, practices, and ideals in language both adaptable and explicit, appealing to notions of police productivity and effectiveness, also, over time, becoming a model for the rights of the accused and resultant law enforcement regulations and policies. The current conception of community-based policing, with focus directed toward police-community relations, is suggested in Peel's second, third, and seventh principles, detailing the importance of "public approval," "willing cooperation of the public," and maintaining a unifying relationship with the public, in mutual responsibility for law and order (Kooi, 2011). Historically...

Words: 1214 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Police History

...Introduction: Policing today has proven to be effective after years of improvements and changes. This paper will discuss the significant features in history in Japan and the United States. There are many types of police operations. Policing in general has a wide range of different kinds of strategies and areas. I will discuss the development of both policing styles as well as how implementation can affect both countries. Japan: Japan is known for it low crime rate and its unique policing styles and homogeneous society. Sam Bacca, Chief of Police in Albuquerque New Mexico stated, “This is police paradise”, while he was visiting Japan. (Rebenfien, 1989) “Every law enforcement officer would love to have a community like this”, he continued. (Rebenfien, 1989) Chief Baca and many others offers came to Japan to observe their police system and bring those ideas back to their community. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Statistics Bureau, Director-General for Policy Planning and Statistical Research and Training Institute reports Japan's total population in 2011 was 127.80 million and total density measured 343 persons per square kilometer in 2010. Japan has endured many trial and tribulations has a country, having to rebuild after wars and conflict. During the fourteen century short lived imperial rulers, followed by a new government established by the Ashikaja family, lasting for two centuries. (Sccnet, 1998) This was a time of great prosperity...

Words: 2884 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Police History

...Police History Jason Turley CJA 214 January 17, 2013 Jess Gutierrez Police History The efforts of policing have been around for centuries. In 2200 BC Babylon used the code of Hammurabi for standardized laws and punishments; in 27 BC Augustus created the Roman system of Vigiles; in 1285 the watch-and-word system was created by the Statute of Winchester in England; in 1748 London formed the Bow Street Runners. Despite London possessing more than 400 police officers in the early 1800s they still had no centrally organized system for law enforcement. One man set out to change this flaw in the system, Sir Robert Peel. He devoted his life to developing a police force, which would provide services and safety for communities and their citizens throughout the world. Through his dedication and hard work of creating the London Metropolitan Police, he was dubbed the “father” of Modern policing. Sir Robert Peel accomplished all this while serving as the Home Secretary of England. Parliament was hesitant at first, but later passed the Metropolitan Police Act in 1829. This ACT provided funds for a 1,000 police officer force to be controlled by strict rules of conduct and discipline. Sir Robert Peel believed that “the police are people and the people are the police,” and in order for crime prevention to be successful it must keep crime from becoming intrusive to the people and their communities. Sir Robert Peel created this list of principles for policing. 1. The...

Words: 1171 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Police History

...POLICE HISTORY SEPTEMBER 12, 2015 CJS 241 POLICE HISTORY The history of policing dates back several thousand years, to when there was no peace and order. Inhumane acts upon citizens was normal 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 no such 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. Early English colonists brought with them to America many familiar concepts of policing based on their own policing systems. These policing systems evolved as time progressed, resulting in major differences in responsibilities and credentials within the legal system. Now, as the U.S. Policing is based on historic English policing, the more modern roles of such officials such as the sheriff, have little in common with their historic ancestors. (CJi) As a member of England’s elite social and political class, and fighting to improve the structure of the law enforcement for more than 30 years, history expresses itself and acknowledges this member as the “father” of modern policing, also known as Sir Robert Peel (Walker & Katz). You may ask who Sir Robert Peel is and how he impacted American Policing. Sir Robert Peel updated England's criminal code. He established the first modern police force in London, whose...

Words: 1058 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Police and History

...POLICE AND HISTORY CYNTHIA PITTMAN CJA/204-INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE ERICA VELJIC 06/16/14 POLICE AND HISTORY 2 A police jurisdiction covers the streets and areas that are inside the limits of where they work. Typically a police officer cannot conduct business outside of his/her jurisdiction. By creating jurisdictions, police were allowed to pursue their own suspects in their assigned areas. Each agency “took care of their own” policing affairs. English policing have been a big influence on the United States police agencies. The watch and ward system came into play in the 1630’s as well as the officers began to wear uniforms in the 1840’s. Due to social issues, change in economy and steadily rising crime rates, Police officers began twenty four hour coverage. There was no government present, the U.S. Marshals enforced federal laws and the private citizens handled basic enforcement. Violence escalated because there were no constraints and no laws. In the 1920’s, professionalism was highly emphasized. Specialized Units such as: COPPS(Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving) were formed. Through this program, the needs of the community were met and crime was reduced. “The creation of the Department of Homeland Security is traced to September 20,2001 when the...

Words: 753 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Police History

...Police history plays an important role in today’s policing styles in the nation. Some individuals thinking policing styles and the history is based off of television shows and movies that are released which in reality is not true to a certain extent. “Up until the last two hundred years, most societies relied on individual citizens and communities to ensure that laws were upheld and criminals were apprehended (Grant and Terry, 2012).” After many years, societies and communities upheld this responsibility and implemented effective ways to enforce the law and maintain order. This is where law enforcement was originated after the Code of Hammurabi took place and soon England formed law enforcements based on individuals and tribal justice. After the collapse of the England law enforcement, in the early nineteenth century Sir Robert Peel became an important person on having an impact on American policing which has been used until this day. Sir Robert Peel served as Home Secretary in 1828 in which he wanted to set law enforcement in the city which later would be London Metropolitan Police. He served in “Ireland for many years and successfully organized the Royal Irish Constabulary, Peel was keen to reform the way in which law was enforce in England and create a new police force for the city of London (Grant and Terry, 2012).” By 1829, parliament passed the London Metropolitan Act in which it provided funds for establishing 1,000 police officer force and strict standards of discipline...

Words: 1069 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Police History

...Police History In the infancy of policing the early colonists followed the English style of policing; monitoring the community on behaviors, moral, and civil obligations rather than criminal issues. Citizens performed these policing duties and were referred to as a civic duty, no training or pay was offered for these services. The wealthy citizens that did not want to serve their watch began to pay others to do their duty for them. Philadelphia began to offer monetary compensation for the citizens in 1658 for their service and jail wardens began to employ watchmen and increased their responsibilities and offered a salary. As villages and towns began to form crime increased and the need for motoring the citizens became a priority, colonies began to develop a system of sheriffs similar to the traditional policing in the English countryside. These sheriffs and constables patrolled the community for approved religious attendance and proper animal’s restraints on farms. They also collected taxes and served court papers for a fee. They were not too worried about crimes being committed In the 1840’s policing focused more on crime prevention rather than crime detection and punishment for the crime. Guidelines improved relations between the community and the newly established police officers. The community thought that the police officers should wear a uniform to distinguish them from the citizens. As society and the economy began to change crime increased and the need to establish...

Words: 864 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The History of Police

...The History of Police Andrea Cole CJA/214 June 30.2104 Kimberly Rieson The History of Police Industrialization and the large population in urban areas in the 17th and 18th century made it hard to maintain law and order in England and some major cities in America. Policing during that time consisted of volunteers from the community, also the night watchman and constables were employed but only on a part-time basis. These men had little to no training, used excessive physical force and intimidation to gain control. Sir Robert Peel (known as the “Father of Modern Policing”) was Prime Minister twice and as Home Secretary created the Metropolitan Police Act 1829. The Metropolitan Police Act was passed by British Parliament in 1829, and the police were born. ) ” As a form of ethical and operational guidance, Peel laid down nine principals intended to guide police in terms of their mandate, interaction with citizens, use of force and their overall criminal justice system” (Zacharias, 2009,para. 4). The terms "bobbies and "peelers" come from his name. Sir Robert Peel brought professionalism and accountability to the police by using the following methods also known as the Peelian Principles. The principles traditionally ascribed to Peel state that: every police officer should be issued identification number, to assure accountability for his actions. Whether the police are capable is not measured on the number of arrests, but on the lack of crime. Above all else, a competent...

Words: 815 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

History of Police

...Police History Throughout the years, the United States has maintained a strong federal and state policy system, and because of this America has strong police history. When policing first began, colonists pursued the English style of policing. English style of policing consisted of monitoring the community on behaviors, morals, and civil obligations instead of criminal issues. Citizens carried out these policing responsibilities and were referred to as civic duties. There was no training or pay offered for these services. Wealthier people who didn't want to serve began to pay others to do their duties for them. Policing has continued to change in a positive way for America. (NY Region, 2014) In 1658 Philadelphia offered compensation for citizens for their service, and wardens employed watchmen. Watchmen's responsibilities were increased, and they were offered a salary as well. Motoring became a priority when towns and villages were formed and crime increased. Colonies began a system of sheriff's similar to the traditional policing in the English countryside. The sheriff's patrolled the community, and they also collected taxes and served court papers for a small fee. These sheriff's weren't too worried about crime being committed. (Davis, 2009) As time went on, policing focused more on crime prevention rather than crime detection and punishment for the crime that was committed. In the 1840's, guidelines improved relations between the community and the...

Words: 1310 - Pages: 6