Police History
Analyze the relationship between the U.S. government and the policing organizations throughout the United States.
The relationship between the U.S. government and policing organizations is loosely coordinated. This means that local agencies will determine what personnel they hire and how different resources are utilized. In some cases, the various departments work for specific entities such as: colleges / universities or transit departments. Evidence of this can be seen with observations from Cordner (2010) who found that there are a total of 830 thousand law enforcement personnel in the U.S. Out of this number, 74% work for local agencies. While 13% are employed with the states / special jurisdictions and 13% by the federal government. These figures are illustrating how Washington has a limited relationship with local officials. (Cordener, 2010)
However, there are many situations where the federal government will work in coordination with police departments throughout the U.S. A good example of this can be seen with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. This is established to bring together federal, state, local and other resources for investigating terrorist activities. The way that this is accomplished is through different agencies working with one another to address potential threats and prevent possible attacks. This approach has worked effectively in going after cells of Al Qaeda and other radical Islamic organizations. ("Protecting America from Terrorist...
This means that criminals have to be involved in some kind of operation that crosses state lines or international boundaries. It is at this point that Washington will closely work with state and local officials to go after these individuals / organizations. This is showing how the amount of cooperation between these entities will depend upon the seriousness and breadth of the crime. ("Protecting America from Terrorist Attack," 2012)
Describe the impact of Sir Robert Peel on American policing
Sir Robert Peel had a direct impact on American law enforcement. He was the British Home Secretary during the 1820s and worried about how London could prevent crime. The solution that he came up with is to have a professional force that will continually patrol designated areas. The basic idea is that these officers are knowledgeable on the law and can deter criminal by actively patrolling specific regions. In the event that something happens, they can respond quickly and deal with the suspect before they have a chance to run. This instills confidence in the community about law enforcement and their ability to maintain order. (Travis, 2011)
These ideas had an influence on how all American police departments were organized. A good example of this can be seen with the New York Police Department…
