History of Policing

PSCI 2481

A BRIEF HISTORY OF POLICING

• Pre-Colonial Policing in England• Colonial Policing in America• Post-Revolutionary Policing

The Rise of the Police Department (1790s-1840s)

• The Political Era

The “Service” Department (1840s-1920s)

• The Reform Era

Crime Fighting as Police Business (1930s-1970s)

• The Modern EraCommunity-Problem Solving (1980s - ????)

Early Policing in England

“Era of voluntary peacekeeping”

1285 Statute of Winchester - Citizens are required to pursue criminals under the direction of the Constable.

1361 Justices of the Peace appointed by the Crown

Watchmen introduced By King Charles II (1649-1685).

1748 - Henry Fielding – author of “Tom Jones” takes over as JP of the Bow Street Court

• Leads efforts to educate the public about the crime problem - Covent Garden Journal

• Also published the Weekly Pursuit - a 1 page flyer (precursor of the modern “.Ten Most Wanted” List)

• organized an ex-constable band called the “Bow Street Runners” - salaried group of “vigilantes” but also the first London force.

American Colonial Period

• Era of Self-policing:– Similar backgrounds, similar religious beliefs,

little to steal, nowhere to hide, towns provided protection against the wilderness. (similar to the society found in Tristan de Cuhna)

• Of course the settlers were hardly the cream of European society. Many were legal and religious castoffs.

American Colonial Period

• Era of British Rule: Two principal “police” institutions

The ConstableChosen by the townspeopleJob - Suppress violations of community religious (moral) edicts, primarily victimless crimes. Keep drunks in line. Watch for gambling and prostitution.

The Night WatchA patrol of “volunteers” supervised by a ConstableReport drunks and single women out after dark.Duty was avoided by paying others to take your shift. (precursor of the paid police force)

American Colonial Period

• During this period, citizens, regardless of their economic status, were responsible for the identification and pursuit of criminal offenders. – Once a criminal was identified, it was the citizens’ responsibility

to raise the “hue and cry” and to join the posse to track down the criminal.

– In those days, the penalties were severe so criminals had the incentive to run.

• Detection of crime was largely a private affair. Initiatives were encouraged through rewards paid to informers.

• The early years were marked by high levels of lawlessness especially in certain sections of urbanized areas were agents of the law were rarely seen.

American Colonial Period

• While night watch groups were established in the northern colonies, groups of white men organized into slave patrols in the southern colonies.

• Slave patrols were responsible for controlling, returning, and punishing runaway slaves.

• These slave patrols are generally considered to be the first "modern" police organizations in this country. (In 1837, Charleston, South Carolina, had a slave patrol with over one hundred officers, which was far larger than any northern city police force at that time).

American Colonial Period

• Policing on the western frontier varied widely. • Settlers originally from northern colonies created

marshals and police forces similar to those in northern colonies.

• Settlers from southern colonies developed systems with sheriffs and posses.

• In many western settlements, however, there was no formal organized law enforcement. In these areas, groups of vigilantes were formed by volunteer citizens to combat any threat to the order of the settlements.

The First Police Departments

London (“The British Model”)• Formed in 1829 under the command of

Robert Peel.• His officers were called “Peelers” and late

“Bobbies”, a derogatory term at first used by British citizens suspicious of this new police presence in their community.

• Police force of over 1000 officers with a new approach to crime fighting.

• The success of the Metropolitan Police of London led to Peel’s eventual rise to Prime Minister of England in 1835.

Peeler’s Principles“The police are the public and the public are the police.”

1. The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder.

2. The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon the public approval of police actions.

3. Police must secure the willing co-operation of the public in voluntary observation of the law.

4. The degree of co-operation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately to the necessity of the use of physical force.

5. Police seek and preserve public favor not by catering to public opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law.

6. Police use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only when persuasion, advice, & warning is found to be insufficient.

Boston – The American Prototype

• When first initiated by the city Council in 1824, the department under the supervision of the city Marshall, was charged with "the care of the streets, the care of the common sewers, and the care of the vaults, and whatever else affects the health, security, and comfort of the city."

• In these early days, an officer on duty carried a six-foot pole, painted blue and white to protect himself, and a "police rattle" to call for assistance.

Boston Police DepartmentA Brief Historical Chronology

1635: First night watch established.1788: The word "police" appeared for the fist time, designating a specific office,

"Inspector of Police".1822: The Town of Boston became the City of Boston. Increases in the

population and in the number of businesses operating created increased demand for police patrol.

1838: Law passed permitting day patrol. City had a Day Police and a Night Watch, which operated completely independently of one another.

1852: The metal badges were issued – a six point star made of brass.1854: Boston Police Department established, structured after the model

developed by Sir Robert Peeler.1858: Telegraph system completed, linking central office and police stations.1861: White cotton gloves worn by the officers for the first time. Thereafter, "full

uniform" included the wearing of such gloves.1872: The Great Boston Fire of November 9 and 10 which destroyed 776

buildings. The fire was discovered by a patrolman who was chasing boys on Lincoln Street.

1873: First mounted patrol established.1903; First motor patrol wagon placed in service – a Stanley Streamer touring

car operated by a chauffeur; the police officer sat on higher seat so that he could look over area’s back fences.

The New York Police Department

• In 1844, the NYPD was formed by combining day and night forces into a single integrated PD, the first such arrangement in this country.

• NYPD adopts a uniform (Blue becomes the color of the force in 1853), and a paramilitary structure like the British.

• No training, meager salaries, limited public respect. Politics influences too much of their activities.

• Boston and Philadelphia give its officers guns for the first time in 1854 and NY follows suit in 1857.

WHERE DID THE TERM "COPS" COME FROM?

When the first NY police force began patrolling in the summer of 1845, they only badges on their civilian clothing. The badges were 8 pointed stars with the seal of the City at the center and were made of stamped copper. The newspapers of the time referred to the new force as the "Star Police" but people seeing the shiny copper shields began to call the new force "Coppers" which was later shortened to "Cops."

Early Police Forces in America

20th Century Policing

• Technology changes police operations• The telegraph• The telephone• Walkie-talkies• Cars• Radio-cars (“Angels of Death”)• Radar• Computers• Computers in cars• Crime analysts• Training techniques and Police academies• New weaponry

Reform

• Wickersham Commission of 1931

• President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice 1967

• National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals 1973

• Criminology as a college major.

The Job Today

• Numbers

• Federal Structure

• Salaries

Number of Fulltime Law Enforcement Personnel (2003)

Type ofNumber

of

agency agencies Total Sworn Civilian

Total 15,766

993,442

683,599 309,843

Local police 12,656

580,749

451,737 129,013

Sheriff 3,061 330,27

4 174,25

1 156,022

State police 49 82,419 57,611 24,808

American Police Agencies by Population Served (2003)

Population served Number Percent

All sizes 12,656 100

1,000,000 or more 17 0.1

500,000 to 999,999 39 0.3

250,000 to 499,999 42 0.3

100,000 to 249,999 177 1.4

50,000 to 99,999 422 3.3

25,000 to 49,999 776 6.1

10,000 to 24,999 1,887 14.9

2,500 to 9,999 4,048 32.0

Less than 2,500 5,248 41.5

Average Salaries for Police Officers, by City Size (2005)

Population group Starting

SalaryMaximum

Salary

Over 1,000,000 3 38,206 57,401

500,000 to 1,000,000 11 40,374 58,624

250,000 to 499,999 12 40,474 55,319

100,000 to 249,999 95 41,315 57,393

50,000 to 99,999 159 40,568 56,711

25,000 to 49,999 305 37,759 51,904

10,000 to 24,999 743 35,484 49,584

Average Salaries for Police Chiefs (2005)

RegionAverage Chief

Salary

Northeast 217 $92,536

North Central 564 $65,395

South 662 $63,901

West 173 $103,328

The Chiefs of Big City America

Our image of police officers and police departments today

How much confidence do you have in the ability

of the police to protect you from violent crime?

A Quite Not Nonegreat a lot very at alldeal much

2000 (Aug) 20% 42 31 61999 (Mar) 29% 41 25 41998 (0ct) 19% 36 37 81995 (Sep) 20% 30 39 91993 (0ct) 14% 31 45 91989 14% 34 42 81985 15% 37 39 61981 15% 34 42 8

How much respect do you have for the police in your area?

A Hardly

great deal Some any

2000 (Aug) 60% 30 91999 (Mar) 64% 29 71991 (Mar) 60% 32 71967 77% 17 41965 70% 22 4

How high would you rate the honesty and ethical standards of people in these different fields?

Very High Ave. Low Very High Low

Clergy 15% 39% 33% 7% 2%Doctors 10% 42% 38% 6% 3%Policemen 8% 34% 42% 10% 4%Journalists 4% 23% 54% 13% 2%Bankers 4% 23% 53% 14% 3%Lawyers 3% 15% 43% 25% 11%Congressmen I % 10% 43% 32% 11 %Car Salesmen I % 4% 32% 41 % 18%

How would you rate the ____ that serve your community in accomplishing

their criminal justice mission?

Excellent Only Fair Not Sure

or Good or Poor

Police 64% 34% 2%

Prosecutors48% 44% 9%

Judges 45% 48% 7%

Prisons 32% 54% 14%

Parole Boards 22% 57% 21 %

Police operations

Impact of Timeliness in Reporting Crime

Probability of an Arrest

Crime Reported

While In Progress 33% 1 Minute Afterwards 9% 10 Minutes Afterwards 5%

Reasons for Not Calling the Police

Private Matter Police Would Fear of Didn’t Want Not Be Effective ReprisalCRIME To Bother Them(% NotReported)

Robbery 27% 45% 0% (35%)

Burglary 30% 63% 2% (42%)

Sex Offenses* 40% 50% 5% (49%)

Family 65% 17% 7%Crimes (50%)

Auto 20% 60% 20%Theft (11%)

* Other than Rape