HISTORY OF POLICING IN THE U.S.

BRITISH INFLUENCE

• Hue and cry
• Constable
• Shire-reeve
• Watch and ward

SIR ROBERT PEEL

• 1829 London Metropolitan Police
• 1,000 men hired
• Peel's Nine Principles

THE AMERICAS

THE NORTH: THE WATCH SYSTEM

• County Sheriff most important official
• Collected taxes, supervised election
• Boston created first night watch in 1963

THE SOUTH: SLAVE PATROLS

• South developed a formal system as form of social control
• Maintain institution of slavery by enforcing laws against slaves
• Slave codes developed by south police departments
• Mechanism to support the southern system of slavery

THE BEGINNING OF POLICE DEPARTMENT

AFTER BOSTON, OTHERS FOLLOWED

• New York -1845
• Philadelphia -1854
• By the outbreak of the civil war:
• Chicago, New Orleans, Cinicinati, Newark, and others

TECHNOLOGY AND POLICE

TECHNOLOGY

• By 1913 the police motorcycle was being used
• By the 1920's, the patrol car was used widespread
• Widespread use of the radio in the 30's and 40's
• Allowed for rapid response to calls and emergencies

THE BOSTON POLICE STRIKE

• Occurred in 1919
• Lagging improvements in salary and diminished status
• All striking officers were fired & replaced by new recruits
• Governor Calvin Coolidge mobilized the militia
• Public support went against the police

NATIONAL PROHOBITION

• Volstead Act became law in 1920
• Banned the sale and manufacture of alcohol
• Traditional organized crime families made their reputations

AFTER PROHIBITION

• Money gained from illegal sales funded other crimes
• Vice crimes
• Illegal gambling
• Prostitution, labor racketeering
• Loan sharking...and later drug dealing

1960'S - 1970'S

• Numerous social problems
• Racial equality struggle
• Vietnam War- numerous protests
• Major urban riots erupted

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

• Demonstrations for civil rights and marches around the country
• Police used to enforce the existing laws
• Led efforts to increase the recruitment and hiring of blacks/minorities
• Movement left a wound in police-community relations

VIETNAM WAR

• Again, police used in a manner that tarnished their image
• Violent confrontations between police and protestors

URBAN RIORS

• 1964 Harlem Riots
• 1965 Watts District Riots
• 1968 riots spread following the murder of Dr.King

CORRUPTION

• New York City Police Department major scandals involving corruption
• Seabury Hearing 1930s
• Gross Hearing in 1950s
• Knapp Commission in 1970s

POLICING IN THE 1980'S AND 1990'S

• Unlike the previous decades, they were peaceful times
• Certain events tested their professionalism
• Positive developments

RODNEY KING INCIDENT

• Set police back 30 years in the progress they had made
• Video tape shows 4 L.A. Police officers beating King
• Arrested and charged with assaults, they were acquitted in criminal trial
• Worst riots in the nation erupted following the verdicts
• L.A. Riots, 54 dead, 2,383 injured, 5,200 buildings destroyed by arson

POLICING IN THE 2000'S

• Issues like police misconduct, corruption and brutality continued
• Positives included decline in crime rates
• CompStat was adopted by many police departments
• Police adopted or continued aggressive crime-fighting techniques

9/11

• Terrorists attacked the twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001
• Massive emergency response
• 23 NY police officers, 37 Port Authory, 3 NY City court, 300 NYC Firefighters
• 3,000 innocent lives

AFTERMATH

• Police departments started specializing in antiterrorism units
• Trained their members in disaster and antiterrorism duties
• Department of Homeland security
• USA Patriot Act

DEMANDING AND UNIQUE

TOO SMART FOR THE JOB

• In 1999, Federal Judge dismissed lawsuit
• Man rejected from police force because he tested too HIGH
• Man saw this as discrimination
• Judge ruled that he was not discriminated
• ANYONE who scored TOO HIGH was rejected

SPEEDING

• In Ohio, police can give you a speeding ticket
• "Visual speed estimate" as opposed to using a radar
• The Ohio Supreme Court overturned the decision 5-1
• Sufficient basis for writing a ticket

LIGHT SABER

• Man was harassing other costumers with a light saber
• Police attempted to use a taser twice.
• The man broke the wire on the second attempt
• Police finally took him down and he was taken to the hospital

MURDER SCENE

• In Pittsburgh, police responded to a call
• "The most grisly murder scene he'd ever screen in 35 years.."
• Detectives put 8 hours of work
• Blood and piece of "scalp" on the bed was fake
• Room was part of a scene in a horror film that was left untouched