Origins and Role of Modern Law Enforcement in America
This paper examines the development of modern law enforcement in the United States, tracing its origins from informal night watches and appointed sheriffs to the organized police forces established in Philadelphia and New York during the 1830s. It addresses the concept of social control as a framework for understanding why policing is necessary in urbanizing societies, and analyzes the two primary functions of police: fighting crime and enforcing the law. The paper also touches on the political corruption that accompanied the early appointment system and the broader role of family, schools, and religious institutions in reinforcing social norms alongside formal law enforcement.
- The Modern Police Forces: Historical origins of organized American policing
- Social Control: Norms, institutions, and police as enforcement apparatus
- The Police Role: Defining what police departments actually do
- Crime Fighting vs. Law Enforcement: Distinguishing the two core police functions
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- Provides a clear historical narrative that contextualizes why organized policing emerged, linking urbanization and industrialization to institutional need.
- Uses a textbook definition of social control to ground the discussion in an established academic framework, demonstrating proper source integration.
- Distinguishes meaningfully between "fighting crime" and "enforcing the law," using supporting statistics (crime comprising 19% of calls) to add credibility.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper effectively uses definitional framing — introducing a formal definition of social control before applying it to the police role. This technique, common in introductory social science writing, helps anchor abstract concepts in citable authority before the student builds their own analysis around that definition.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized into three thematic sections: (1) historical origins of American policing, covering the shift from ad hoc community watches to formal departments; (2) the concept of social control and the layered institutions that enforce norms; and (3) an analysis of the two core police functions. The conclusion is embedded within the final section rather than set apart, which is typical of short introductory essays at the undergraduate level.
The Modern Police Forces
Prior to the formation of the Philadelphia police force in 1833, policing in the United States primarily consisted of "night watches" and sheriffs recruited from the community (Sabeth). The role of law enforcement was ad hoc in nature — focused on fighting crime and conducting night watch patrols — rather than representing an organized or uniform institution. The rural character of the country did not necessitate an established and robust policing force until the urbanization and industrialization of the 1830s and 1840s. In response to a growing need to maintain law and order on city streets, a significant and visible presence was needed to counter riots and deter crime.
Philadelphia, and later New York, first established police forces whose jurisdiction and duties were attended twenty-four hours a day (Sabeth). The significance of the modern police force was that it was developed to prevent crime, enforce the law, and maintain order through a visible public presence (Walker & Katz, 2008).
Becoming an officer in the new departments was by appointment and required answering to local political bosses; as a result, the force was plagued by corruption (Sabeth). An individual's connections were directly related to their chances of becoming an officer, and aligning with the correct political faction determined job retention or loss after elections.
Social Control
To live in a community secure enough to facilitate commerce and free from the fear of unruly mobs, citizens must accept certain explicit and implicit norms. Instilling these norms begins within the family. Beyond the family, schools and religious organizations are tasked with assimilating more uniform rules and ethics into citizens.
The police enforce a general rule of social control, defined as "the organized ways in which society responds to behavior and people it regards as deviant, problematic, worrying, threatening, troublesome, or undesirable in some way or another" (Walker & Katz, 2008, p. 11).
References
Walker, S., & Katz, C. M. (2008). The Police in America: An Introduction (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Sabeth, D. (n.d.). The evolution of American policing. Retrieved September 8, 2012, from American Federation of Police & Concerned Citizens:
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.