History of American Police by Laelia

Point #1: Slave Patrols

lillimariej07 — 2024-10-28 01:56:48 UTC

Most early organized policing in America took place in the South, in the form of Slave Patrols. These were groups of white people who worked to monitor African American Slaves, first beginning in the early 1700s. They tracked down runaway slaves, and deterred slave revolts. After the Civil War, vigilante groups and small local law enforcement groups took this role themselves. These law enforcement groups were informal, and without much structure. The majority of early policing was meant to oppress people in America, such as intimidating free Black Americans, battling Indigenous Americans, and suppressing workers rights. These origins are often brushed off, and our modern policing usually stems from these groups.

Point #2: Lexow Committee*

lillimariej07 — 2024-10-28 01:57:05 UTC

From 1894 to 1895, the city of New York held the first major investigation into police conduct and brutality. The state Senate investigated the NYPD, who had multitudes of complaints of physical violence against criminals and citizens alike. The New York State Senate ended up charging 45 counts of assault due to this. Throughout the investigation, they issued around 300 subpoenas, twice as many witnesses, and produced over 10,000 pages of testimony.

Note: With how corrupt American police have always been painted, and for good reasons, I didn't expect a committee like this to occur so early on, let alone in New York. It gives the impression that there was a loud enough majority in America that was aware of police corruption, and aware it was wrong, regardless of the culture of prejudice.

Point #3: Machine Politics and Cronyism*

lillimariej07 — 2024-10-28 01:57:11 UTC

Until New York Governor Roosevelt cracked down on it in the 1920s, policing during the turn of the century was marked by cronyism, where politicians would give their allies law enforcement and political jobs if they won their position. This is obviously susceptible to corruption, which usually took place in the form of Machine Politics. This is when power-broking politicians form alliances and benefit city governments. Patronage, where a city official would appoint the Chief of Police his officers, was also common. The officer's own personal corruption could go without punishment, because they were protected by the people meant to hold them accountable. By doing this, the powerbrokers would also form their own police forces they would use for their own interest.

Note: I am beginning to realize that formal policing took a long time to get off of the ground. Compared to the age of this country, the police have only been regulated efficiently for a small amount of time.

Point #4: Professionalization*

lillimariej07 — 2024-10-28 01:57:18 UTC

The progressive movement demanded that those in power must be qualified to do so, and the title of Police Officer became a profession. Professionals have a code of conduct they adhere to, which was what the police desperately needed in order to be regulated. The National Commission on Law Observance and Enforcement (also known as the Wickersham Commission) met in 1929, with President Hoover. The addressed problems that arose from the prohibition, and how to improve policing as a whole. They decided that police institutions should be independent from the government and city officials that were previously in collusions with them.

Note: This seems to be the first time the president became involved with the police force in America.

Point #5: Forensics*

lillimariej07 — 2024-10-28 01:57:26 UTC

During the professionalization shift of the police force, new areas of detective work came into play. Science had been developing rapidly, and forensics were now a huge part of crime. Due to advancements, police now had the technology to be closer to labs that could hold biometric information about those arrested. By 1929, blood typing, fingerprints, physical attributes, and photographs became more common place. We now commonly associate these with detective work in modern policing, and the title of Forensic Scientist is a profession all on it's own.

Note: Science has been used for centuries throughout the world to solve crimes, but it hadn't been efficiently centralized in America until after the police force became more formal.

Point #6: Federal Police*

lillimariej07 — 2024-10-28 01:57:59 UTC

With the invention of the automobile, and the widespread construction of roads in America, it became easier than ever for someone to evade police if they wished to. By the 1930s, they were the best form of transportation. Media was now a nationwide thing, with newspapers everywhere. The FBI was first created by President Roosevelt in 1908, and the only crimes it investigated were usually financial. However, the organization branched out, and began investigating nationwide problems, such as the rise of alcohol smuggling during the prohibition. While local police could usually only operate in their locale or state, the FBI was a law enforcement entity that could oversee the entire country.

Note: NASCAR’s origins date back to prohibition, when smugglers were designing cars fast enough to outrun law enforcement. This makes me realize that police are always looking to keep up with new technology. Who decides what to focus on, and what platform they should use?

Point #7: The Vietnam War

lillimariej07 — 2024-10-28 02:07:49 UTC

While the USA was lightly involved in the Vietnam Conflict starting in the 1950s, it didn’t become actively involved until 1965. Involvement increased as American troops were shipped to Vietnam, and the American public was divided on how to feel about it. The Civil Rights Movement also kicked off during this time, and distrust towards the US government was high. Protests began all over the country, both for integration and calling for American troops to be removed from the horrific conflict in Vietnam. Police and protestors often had violent clashes, with many deaths on each side. It was one of the first times we saw the violence exchanged on both sides that would continue well into the 2020s.

Point #8: The War on Drugs

lillimariej07 — 2024-10-28 02:08:30 UTC

In 1971, President Nixon decided to crack down on drug use in America, in a bid to win votes for the next year’s elections. The DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) was formed in 1973. Laws were passed that allowed police departments across the country to become more aggressive in investigations regarding drugs, and sentences became harsher. Black communities were unfairly focussed on during the “crack epidemic” throughout the 80s. This added to the rift between the police and African Americans, and made policing more aggressive. Many bigger police departments now have entire units of detectives to deal with drug-related crimes.

Point #10: The Homeland Security Era

lillimariej07 — 2024-10-28 02:11:39 UTC

The Department of Homeland Security is created in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, on November 25th, 2002. USA PATRIOT was passed, which loosened surveillance laws and gave the government and police more leeway to search any suspected terrorist activity. The DHS has also funded police to become more militarized and armed, with the DoD’s collaboration. This has been relevant ever since, as police departments have been shown to now overreact to events, likely due to their new capabilities.

Point #9: Community Policing

lillimariej07 — 2024-10-28 03:03:53 UTC

The relationship between the American public and their police force had been deteriorating for around two decades. One way to solve this was Community Policing, where officers and law enforcement officials could collaborate. with their local neighborhoods to solve community issues and break down barriers that had been forming. Trust had been absent on both sides for a very long time, and it was difficult to open up to the idea. Foot patrols, citizen-police commissions, and public meetings became more common place so police could get to know the people they were serving a little bit better, and to develop a rapport. This concept had been implemented in Japan far earlier, in the form of kōban. These are small police boxes that host only a few officers, but are much more conveniently located for local residents. In Japan, citizens may not always visit these boxes for law enforcement concerns. They are considered friendly enough that the public can stop in for parking meter change, ask for directions, or ask general information. They are a staple in urban Japanese life, and are now also more prevalent in metropolitan areas in America.