“The police are the public and the public are the police”

THE HISTORY AND STRUCTURE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES

“The police are the public and the public are the police”

Roots of American Law EnforcementWhere did the

idea of an organized police force first come from?

HINT: It was the same place where America got most of its initial culture

ENGLAND!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eErzfz6NCs




Roots of American Law Enforcement

Earliest police force By the 1700s, London—one of the largest cities in the

world—didn’t have an organized law enforcement system

Only time gov’t got involved with crime was to stop riots Military was sent in to deal with rioters Weren’t good when it came to not killing people—either

too rough or too reserved The townspeople’s taxes paid soldiers’ salaries

This tended to make people angry & not trust armed organizations that could restrict their freedom

Citizens resisted police—afraid if there was one, authorities would abuse it for their own ends

Swords & Scalpels

“The army is a broadsword, not a scalpel—you do not want the army in an American city” What does this quote mean? Why might people use this argument to claim that

there is a need for a police force?

Roots of American Law Enforcement

Sir Robert “Bobbie” Peel First man to come up with effective “scalpel”-type

policing organization to fight crime in cities Purpose was to:

Reduce tension & conflict between officers and the public Use nonviolent means to keep peace (“bobbies”, or

British police, were not armed); violence was last resort Relieve military of controlling urban violence Be judged on absence of crime, not high-profile police

action His model was adopted in London in 1829, and was so

successful that eventually the rest of England and the U.S. decided to follow it

Early American Policing

Early American Policing Timeline In early U.S. (1801), Boston was the first city to have a

formal night watch—but that was all it did 32 years later, Philadelphia was the first city to have both

day and night watchmen 5 years later, Boston, because of the same pressures London

had been facing, formed the first organized police department based on Robert Peel’s model

After 6 more years passed, New York City created a model for modern police forces when it combined night and day watches under the authority of a single police chief

At the start of the Civil War (17 years later), most major U.S. cities—Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and New Orleans—had similar police departments based on London’s & NYC’s

Problems with Early American Policing

The Spoils System While most police worked hard and wanted to

serve the public good, policing in 1800s was horrible

Why? This was called the “Political Era” of policing

because police were hired and promoted only if they did what wealthy, corrupt politicians wanted

Most cops didn’t make much money, so they were usually willing to take bribes• This was called the “spoils system”—based on

the phrase “to the victor go the spoils”• Unfortunately, this system made police work more

for their political bosses than for the publicPoliticians even told police not to arrest

potential voters

The Reform Era in American Policing

The Wickersham Commission Even though people knew about abuses, they

continued until this commission was created in 1929 by Herbert Hoover This was a response to Prohibition’s huge jump in the

crime rate Recommended reforms to fix:

Police brutality “The corrupting influence of politics”

Led to Reform Era in U.S. policing(1930-1980)


Reforms caused by commission: Raised standards for hiring

More educated cops; degrees became required in some areas

Better training Centralized police administration (less influence from

politicians) Chiefs could now hire assistant chiefs to keep a closer

eye on local cops and try out new strategies to fight crime

Set up special units (vice, traffic) that worked across precincts

More use of technology Automobiles Forensic scientists Radio communications Fingerprinting


Problems with the Reform Era While the Reform Era did bring positive changes up

through the 1950s, there were problems in the 1960s Police often overreacted to antiwar & civil rights

demonstrations Police didn’t cause the problems (usually), but their

responses didn’t help People started trusting and respecting police less

The Community Era in American Policing

Community Policing Started in 1968, with government act

that gave police depts. funds to create programs to bring cops & communities closer Summer recreation activities for inner-

city kids run by police “Officer-friendly” referral programs that

encouraged people to come to police with their personal concerns about crime

The Community Era in American Policing

Community policing takes off in 1980s Why? Crime wave in 1970s

Police response is initially REACTIVE: strategies focus on reducing how long it takes cops to react to crimes

When this doesn’t work, decide to use PROACTIVE strategies: prevent crime before it happens by going after root causes Community policing was seen to help with this because

if police and public have better relations, public will help police more to prevent and fight crime

Do you agree with this view?Which do you think was the most important

era in shaping American policing? Why?

T HE 3 L E V E L S O F L AW E NF O RCE ME NT I N T HE U . S .

Policing, From the Bottom Up

Local Law Enforcement

An estimated 500 people descended on Morristown this afternoon for dueling protests on illegal immigration and immigrants' rights.

Protesters grew more vocal as the afternoon wore on, with both sides waiting for Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello to take the stage. Police outfitted in riot gear with helmets, batons and pepper spray surrounded the stage, while a line of reinforcements arrived to barricade South Street.

Police officers removed a female protester from the grounds of town hall . The protester opposes deputizing local police officers as immigration agents, and tried to damage amplifiers on the opposing side’s stage.


2 types Municipal Law Enforcement Sheriffs & County Law Enforcement

Both have wide range of responsibilities Responsibilities overlap in certain areas But there are important distinctions (see next slide)

Municipal (Town, City) County

In charge: Chiefs Appointed to job (problems?)

Can do the most of all law enforcement agencies Duties range from taking

care of noise complaints to investigating homicide

Responsible for traffic lawsMany feel local (municipal

& county) police are too underpaid because of all these responsibilities

In charge: Sheriffs Elected to job (problems?)

Main tasks Maintaining county jail Collecting taxes Keep order in court Search & Rescue Enforcing Law in non-

municipal areasCoroners are also county

level


State Law Enforcement

An Aberdeen man was hospitalized in critical condition this afternoon after he was struck by a car as he tried to walk across the Garden State Parkway in Sayreville, authorities said.


Initially created for 4 reasons: Assist local agencies that had a lack of

resources/training Investigate criminal activities that cross over different

parts of the state Provide law enforcement for areas without local or

county police Break strikes and control labor movements

Which of these tasks are still performed today?

First state police? TEXAS RANGERS! (1835)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW1tIpE95kc


Only 23 states officially have state police Others have different divisions that perform similar

duties Highway patrol State Bureau of Investigation State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs

Many states now believe that some areas of law enforcement need more attention These states have created Limited-Purpose Law

Enforcement Agencies


Limited-Purpose Law Enforcement Agencies Most states have an Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC)

Monitors sale, distribution, & taxation of alcohol Responsible for revoking liquor licenses

Fish and game warden organizations Regulate hunting & fishing

Motor Vehicle Compliance (MVC) agencies Monitor trucks, weigh stations

Others regulate white-collar & computer crimes, nursing homes, train local police

Federal Law Enforcement

The FBI today arrested a Pentagon official and two Chinese-born residents on espionage charges for passing defense secrets to China, the Justice Department announced.

Gregg William Bergersen, 51, of Alexandria, was arrested at his home on espionage charges. Tai Shen Kuo, a Taiwan-born U.S. citizen, 58, and Yu Xin Kang, a Chinese national, 33, both of New Orleans, were arrested in New Orleans on charges of conspiracy to provide defense secrets to China.

Mr. Bergersen worked as a weapons system analyst for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, in Arlington, which is in charge of U.S. arms sales to foreign nations. He held a top-secret clearance.


There are 3 main branches: Department of Justice Department of Homeland Security Department of Treasury

Federal Law Enforcement Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Created in 1908 to stop political and business

corruption Priorities were recently reworked after terrorist

attacks• Terrorism• Organized Crime• Foreign Intelligence Operations in the U.S.• Cybercrime• Federal Drug Offenses• White-Collar Crime

28,000 employees $5 billion budget Has network of agencies in

U.S. and outside U.S.


Department of Justice (cont.) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

Mission: enforce domestic drug laws and help other federal and foreign agencies stop manufacture and tradeof illegal drugs on international level

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives (ATF) Mission: fight illegal sale, possession, and use of firearms &

explosives and untaxed alcohol & tobacco; also enforces federal gambling laws

U.S. Marshals Service Oldest federal L.E. agency—started by George Washington in

1789• Provide security at federal courts• Control property seized by federal government• Protect government witnesses (relocation)• Track down federal fugitives


After 9/11, there was criticism of Justice Department Wasn’t good enough for new threats of terrorism

Government’s solution to this problem?


Department of Homeland Security Directorate of Customs & Border Security (2 parts):

Customs & Border Protection (CBP)• Monitors people and goods moving between U.S.,

Canadian, & Mexican borders; includes Border PatrolIn 2004, seized $2.6 billion in illegal drugs & caught 50,000

illegal immigrants smuggled across borders Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE)

• Enforces laws for customs and immigration inside U.S. Customs Service

Main purpose is to prevent smuggling of contraband (anything that’s unlawful to produce or possess) while also keeping country secure


Secret Service Created in 1865 to primarily stop counterfeiting Later came to be responsible for protecting President &

family, VP, President-elect, people running for President, & former Presidents


Department of Treasury Formed in 1789 Responsible for government’s finances Largest Bureau: Internal Revenue Service

(IRS) IRS has 3 divisions; only one does

criminal investigations Investigates cases of tax fraud & tax

evasion Can make arrests Plays an important role in policing

selling drugs and gambling—Why?• People who do this can’t report their

income!• This is how Al Capone got caught

Documents

“The police are the public and the public are the police”