Law Enforcement Today

A History of the American PoliceColonial Times: Mirrors the English System Led by citizens – constables and nightwatchmen The Governor hired a sheriff for each county to oversee

the formal aspects of law enforcement.

The Nineteenth Century: In 1838, Boston becomes the first city with a police

department In 1844, New York sets the foundation for the modern

police department.

The Political Era of policing :

1840-1930 Called the patronage system or the “spoils”

system Bribery and political corruption are the hallmark

of the era

A History of the American Police

A History of the American Police

In 1929, the Wickersham Committee focused on two areas of American policing that were in need of reform: Police brutality The corrupting influence of politics

A History of the American Police

The Reform Era of policing: 1930-1980 Increased police professionalism.

August Vollmer O.W. Wilson and the professional model

Administrative reforms Addressing turmoil in the 1960s

A History of the American Police

The Community Era of policing: 1980 to today Emphasis on good police-community

relationships Proactive police efforts, as opposed to traditional

reactive approaches

Law Enforcement Agencies

There are over 13,900 law enforcementagencies in the UnitedStates, employing over950,000 people.

Roughly 3,088 sheriff’s departments

About 1,332 special police agencies, limited to policing parks, schools, airports, and other locales

49 state police departments (Hawaii being the exception)

70 federal law enforcement agencies

Law Enforcement Agencies

Municipal Law Enforcement: Most police officers work in small and medium-sized

police departments

While New York City has the largest police department (with more than 40,000 employees), roughly 560 small towns have only one police officer

Municipal police agencies have the broadest authority to apprehend criminal suspects, maintain order, and provide services to the community

Law Enforcement Agencies

Sheriffs and County Law Enforcement: Every county in the United States (except those in

Alaska) has a sheriff

The largest is the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department with 8,600 employees; the smallest departments have only 1.

Law Enforcement AgenciesThe Sheriff’s Department is responsible for: Investigating violent crime Investigating drug offenses Maintaining the county jail Serving evictions and court summonses Keeping order in the courthouse Collecting taxes Enforcing orders of the court, such as sequestration of a

jury

Law Enforcement AgenciesState Police and Highway Patrols:

The most visible state law enforcement agency is the state police or highway patrol agency

Historically, state police agencies were created for four reasons: To assist local police agencies To investigate criminal activities that crossed jurisdictional

boundaries To provide law enforcement in rural and other areas that did not

have local or county police agencies To break strikes and control labor movements

Law Enforcement AgenciesState Police:

23 agencies Statewide

jurisdiction Wide variety of law

enforcement tasks

Highway Patrols:

26 agencies Patrol state and federal

highways Jurisdiction limited to

traffic laws and investigation of traffic accidents

Law Enforcement AgenciesFederal law enforcement agencies:

Small percentage of Nation’s law enforcement force in numbers, but have substantial influence

Authorized to enforce specific laws or attend to specific situations

The most far-reaching reorganization of the federal government since World War II took place in 2002 and 2003, with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security

Law Enforcement Agencies

The Department of Homeland Security: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (BCP) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) The U.S. Secret Service

The Department of Treasury: The Internal Revenue Service

Law Enforcement Agencies

The Department of Justice: The Federal Bureau of Investigation The Drug Enforcement Agency The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and

Explosives The U.S. Marshals Service

Private Security Over $100 billion spent

each year Over 10,000 U.S. private

security firms 2 million people employed

in security each year

The function of private security is to deter crime rather than stop it

Security officers only report crimes, and in some cases, make citizens’ arrests.

Private Security

Issues in Private Security: Limited state regulations, and no federal

regulations, regarding standards and training Quality of many private security employees Minimal training Poor pay and lack of benefits

Private Security Factors driving the growth in private security:

Increased fear on the part of the public Crime in the workplace Budget cuts in states and municipalities Rising awareness of private security products Fear of terrorism

The Responsibilities of the Police

The four basic responsibilities of the police

include: Enforcing laws Providing services Preventing crime Preserving the peace

The Role of Discretion in Policing When police officers use their own judgment in

deciding which offenses to punish and which to ignore, they are using discretion.

Patrol Officers have the greatest amount of discretionary power within the police agency.

The courts have determined that patrol officers are in a unique position to be allowed discretion:

The Role of Discretion in Policing

Police officers are considered trustworthy and are therefore assumed to make honest decisions

Police officers may find themselves in danger of physical harm and must be allowed to take reasonable and necessary steps to protect themselves

Officers must determine whether certain activity poses a threat to society, and to take reasonable action to investigate or prevent such activity

Due to the nature of their jobs, police officers are extremely knowledgeable in human and criminal behavior