Police History Analyze the Relationship Between the

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 Attack," 2012) As a result, the relationship between the federal government and the different law enforcement agencies is based on the extent of the perpitraitor's activities. 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 (NYPD).

They were established in 1844, to deal with rising crime rates the city was experiencing. This was from the vast economic disparities between different classes and immigrants. As the situation became more dangerous, some kind of approach was needed to address these challenges. The NYPD became the first force that used the approaches of Sir Robert Peel. This meant that there were frequent foot and horse mounted patrols in different areas. The basic strategy was to have a significant presence to effectively deal with any kind of challenges.

(Travis, 2011) At the same time, the officers were trained enough to address potential threats and restore confidence in the community. This model became the basic foundation that was used by police departments throughout the country. As a result, this is mirrored on the local, state and federal levels to create a force that is capable of mitigating a number of challenges. (Travis, 2011) Explain how this relationship may affect police practices. The relationship that the police have with the community will reflect the practices they are using.

Under Peel's ideas of preventive policing, officials are taking a more aggressive approach to deal with crime. For some people, this is troubling as these practices could be trampling on the general public's civil rights. When this happens, they believe that the police will continue to abuse everyone with no effective checks and balances in place. (Roberts, 2003) While many supporters will argue, that these practices will help to make the community safe. This prevents anyone from being able to commit and succeed in perpetrating illegal activities in the area.