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The idea of police work has been around for a long time but has taken many different forms. In colonial times, police work looked like night watches, which was a system that allowed for volunteers to keep an eye out for and punish criminals. This was not very successful, as these volunteers often drank on duty and fell pressure to the illegal activity happening around them.

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1636 night watch in boston drinking on the job

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In the South, the main focus of police work was keeping slaves on plantations. If a slave were to try to run away or the slaves tried to revolt, the slave patrol took care of it. The first formal slave patrol was formed in the Carolina colonies.

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Policing in America began as informal and did not have a permanent presence in communities. Vigilante committees and groups of civilians took it upon themselves to handle lawbreakers. They gathered together when necessary and at the time, this fit Americas needs. But this was a rapidly growing country that began to need something different.

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sheriff in the early 1800s invoking posse comitatus

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As cities grew larger, they needed police forces to help manage civilians. The first police force in the United States started in Boston, then followed by New York (1844) and Philidelphia (1854). The police force was focused on public patrol and the prevention of crime. This is also when police officers started wearing uniforms and other items to represent their status.

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Under the influence of Theodore Roosevelt, the progressive movement began to shape American politics. One of the things that was focused on was the appointment of qualified candidates into government positions, which would stop the basis from just being who has political connections. Because of this change, politicians in America began looking at the US law enforcement and what type of people should serve as officers. Many reforms were put into place, but one of the major aspects was the professionalization of police work. Thus, requiring police officers to obtain an education and go through training in order to obtain this job.

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early 1900s police officer during the era of professionalization

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During the civil rights movement, we saw a major criticism of policing come to ahead. Protests began in the name of racial injustice and racism within the criminal justice system. This caused a giant shift in the demographics that were hired to be police officers. Minorities were hired to settle the tension between citizens and police officers. There was also a widespread push for the professionalization of police officers in order to lessen civil unrest.

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In June of 1971, Nixon declared that the War on Drugs had begun. This meant that drug use and drug distribution was "public enemy number one." This changed a widespread of areas in policing like forming agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). It also changed how police officers were interacting with neighborhoods and certain communities. Neighborhoods that were low-income or high minority were surveilled, and these community members were being arrested at an alarming rate.

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Something shifted in the 1990s as crime rates were rapidly dropping. One of the possible factors could be the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. This act allowed for the hiring of many more police officers, additional funding for prisons, and additional funding for prevention programs. Another possible factor is the changes in drug habits across America. The crack epidemic was slowing down, and between 1991 and 1995, the release rate for drug offenders was down to 38%. Another possible factor for this shift could be the new types of technology that was being introduced to police officers. With DNA analysis, committing crimes and getting away with them was becoming increasingly more difficult.

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September 11, 2001, was the deadliest day in law enforcement history in the United States. After the attack, safety protocols were put into place almost everywhere, as well as the implementation of a federal defense logistics program. The Department of Homeland Security is a federal agency that was created in direct response to 9/11. This department became in charge of protecting the United States from terrorist threats or attacks.

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Police officers have been criticized throughout history, but the 2020s are calling for justice and "policing the police." In a time of the Black Lives Matter movement, social justice and criminal justice are at the forefront of American's thoughts. With the killing of George Floyd in 2020, Breonna Taylor in 2020, and many others. In 2020 alone, 1,126 individuals were killed by police officers, many of which were unarmed people of color. Citizens had enough and called for reform.