The police in America

¶ … Lessons of Police Force

A History of the United States Police Force

The story of the American experience is one of principled laws that reflect the values of our society. Laws establish the boundaries of permissible conduct that guides particular aspects of interactions between individuals. While the military is generally tasked with countering large scale and organized external threats, the modern police force accomplishes the bulk of maintaining order and security at the local level.

The history of the police force demonstrates three primary themes illustrating that its duties are both reactive and proactive, the size and scope of the organization is an adaptation of the local community, and the unique role in upholding justice entails a greater expectation of virtuous conduct. Recognizing the themes that characterize the history of the police force demonstrate that the future will encompass change, yet the guiding principles of the past enhance us with the wisdom to adapt while avoiding previous errors.

From Ad Hoc to Permanent Force

Just as the story of America is one of a nation emerging from a sparsely populated wilderness frontier to a complex, yet organized, society of laws, so too is the evolution of the police force that upholds our customs. British settlers and colonial rule ensured that many systems of the old world were assimilated into the emerging society of the new world. The local sheriff represented the nation's first form of law enforcement, and was a direct transplant of Great Britain (Sabeth). Additionally, night watches represented an ad hoc response to ensuring the safety of people and property from intermittent threats. Both the night watches and sheriffs were primarily reactive, and charged with fighting crime as it materialized.

As cities grew from clusters of settled farms and rural villages, so did disruptions and threats to peace, and a need was recognized for a more permanent and proactive response. In 1833, the city of Philadelphia formed the nation's first police department to address both the reactive and proactive needs of large and complex cities (Walker & Katz, 2008).

Reactive to Proactive

The establishment of the first police departments represented a fundamental shift in function, in which the reactive task of fighting crime was no longer the primary objective. The fact that the police force was now responsive 24 hours a day enhanced its capabilities to not only respond after crimes were committed, but the mere public presence of officers served a peace keeping role to deter crime and reinforce local customs. The police force retained the duty to fight crime, however the function was enlarged to encompass "law enforcement."

Enforcing the law has grown to be the primary duty of the police, with fighting crime accounting for just 19% of their time (Walker & Katz, 2008, p. 7).

Justice and Equality

From the anecdotal villainy represented by the sheriff of Nottingham to the 1973 film portraying Frank Serpico, officers are expected by the public to demonstrate an exemplary role within the community (Kilgannon, 2010). The ranks of the first police departments reflected few professional standards or training, and the lack of organizational independence from politicians resulted in the perversions of justice that enabled corruption.

As the police force has reformed evolved to represent a more military form of organization and professionalism, incidences of corruption and injustice have declined. However, the aim of justice and equality is not absolute, therefore continued vigilance to root out bad actors and integration with community groups and review boards seek to maintain the integrity and ethics of the force. A just and ethical police force is able to fulfill their community duties with greater ease and effectiveness.