1. History of American Law Enforcement
What is your opinion about law enforcement???
Why is law enforcement necessary in our society???

2. British Roots Tithing system
families would pool together to follow and
enforce the laws.
Sheriffs would enforce laws in a shire (county) and use posses to catch law breakers

3. Constable-Watch System
A constable was hired in a city to keep peace
Could draft watchmen to stand guard at night
All males from had to have weapons and help the constable when peace was threatened

4. Bow Street Runners
1st professional law enforcement
Paid to arrest criminals and
recover stolen
property in London

5. London Metropolitan Police
Because of Industrial Revolution, pop. in cities was exploding, along with crime
British Parliament created the Metropolitan Police
1,000 officers
Professional standards
Became known as bobbies

6. Organized by military rank and discipline
Goal was to prevent crime through patrols in community

7. British Influences on American Law Enforcement
1. Community based 2. Citizen involvement 3. Paid professionals 4. Military rank and discipline 5. Limits on police power

8. History of American Law Enforcement
1. Early Law Enforcement
In most urban areas, Americans used the watch system to stand guard at night
In rural areas, the sheriff and posse system was used to maintain order.
2. Law Enforcement in Cities
Just like Britain, as people moved to cities, crime became more of an issue

9. NYC was 1st American city to create a paid police force
Municipal Police Department
Metropolitan Police
Created to replace the MPD
Very corrupt, city tried to get rid of it
Fights broke out b/w two police forces;
eventually MPD was disbanded
Other American cities copied New York and created their own professional police forces

10. Problems with Early American Policing
1. Corruption
Most early police departments were used by corrupt politicians to control local politics in cities
Police routinely accepted bribes
Police would pay bribes to accept jobs
2. Discrimination
Early police forces were mostly made up of white men
Treatment by all white police departments against African Americans routinely violated human and legal rights.

11. Early Law Enforcement in Rural Areas
South
Law enforcement centered around slave patrols; men who tracked down, captured and controlled slaves.
Patrols helped to keep slaves in a position of subordination to whites in the South
(illegal to read, meet together, leave the plantation w/o permission, etc.)
The legacy of slave patrols survived the Civil War with the Ku Klux Klan

12. The West
Law and order was tough in the frontier; vigilantism was often the only means of justice
Private citizen who takes
law into their own hands
States started to create "state police" departments
to deal with horrible local police dept.

13. Texas Rangers
state police department created to protect settlers in Texas from Native Americans and Mexican bandits
The state of Pennsylvania was the first to create an official state police force

14. Professionalism and Reform of Police
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, movements for reform began to change American police forces
Areas of Police Reform
1. Departments made more professional
2. Police required to get training/education and pass examinations
3. Personalities screenings put in place
4. Military discipline and order established
5. Politics removed from police
6. Review boards created to investigate police misconduct
7. Prioritize crime fighting roles of police