The POLICE
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Gatekeepers to the CJ system
HIGH VISIBILITY
HIGH DISCRETION
Tension between wanting “effective”
police and respecting individual freedom
Precursors to Modern Police
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England (prior to Norman Conquest)
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Pledge system
Hundreds “constable”
Shires  “shire reeve”
Changes in the 13th Century
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Night Watchmen
Justice of Peace
Early American Law
Enforcement
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Followed the English Model
County Sheriff most prominent
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Many duties
Paid by a “fee system”
In larger cities
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Night Watchmen
Town Marshal
The Birth of Modern Policing
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England, 1829
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Sir Robert PeelLondon Police force of
1,000 officers
Distinctive uniforms, military structure
Led by a “commissioner”
Early American Police
Departments
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Development of police agencies
prompted by mob violence.
Gentry feared restlessness of the
underclass.
Fear of urban street crime produced
demands for greater police protection.
First Police Department opened in
Boston in 1838
Early American Police
Departments
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Police were incompetent, disliked and
corrupt.
Primary functions were to:
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serve as enforcement powers for reigning
political powers
protect private property
control the rising number of foreign
immigrants
20th Century American
Policing
Major movements in policing:
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Public concern about police corruption
led to reform efforts
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August Vollmer
Technological advancements
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telegraph boxes, motorcycles and police
cars
Current Law Enforcement—
The “FEDS”
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The FBI
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The Mann Actinvestigators to enforce
Eventually, organized as FBI under Hoover
Responsible for investigating all violations
of federal laws that are not covered by
other agencies
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Bank Robberies
Civil Rights Violations
Other Federal Law
Enforcement
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The Drug Enforcement Administration
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Result of Harrison Act
U.S. Marshals
INS
ATF
Secret Service
Between Federal and
Municipal
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County Law Enforcement
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Sheriffs Office
Responsible for policing non-city areas
State Police
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Every state but Hawaii
Power/function depends upon strength of
Sheriff
Metropolitan (city) police
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Large variation in size
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New York City = 36,000 officers
Average city = 50 or fewer officers
Police Departments are typically their
own political entity
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BUT, chief is appointed by mayor
Functions of the Police
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PATROL
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Since beginning, police have “patrolled a beat”
Purpose is to DETER crime
KC Preventative Patrol
Directed Patrols or Saturation Patrols
Investigation
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Proactive vs. Reactive
Effectiveness?
Functions of the Police
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Patrol
Investigation
Administration/Paper work
“Social Work” activities
Investigation
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Clearance Rate
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
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Named Suspect
Unnamed Suspect
Another example of
the “wedding cake?”
Most Critical =
information at crime
scene
Bulk of time is spent
on reports
The “Other” police functions
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Traffic Control
“Social Work Activities”
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Order maintenance, problem solving
James Q Wilson “Handling the Situation”
THE IRONY is that within police
departments, the social work function is
often considered “bullshit work”
The Role of Police
What Should Police be Doing?
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Traditional Legalistic Model
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Patrol and respond to calls
Viewed as “real police work”
The latest reform = “community
oriented policing”
The Theory of Community
Oriented Policing
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Wilson and Kelling
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The “Broken Windows Thesis”
Implication of “broken windows for
policing?”
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The goal of policing should be to help
maintain communities and solve
community problems
Take care of “little stuff” (order
maintenance)
Implementing COP Programs
The Practice of COP
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Team Policing
Foot Patrols
Community “Sub-stations”
COP Officers Assigned to
Neighborhoods
“Order Maintenance” Programs
Problem Oriented Policing
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Herman Goldstein coined this term.
Similar to C.O.P.Police should “solve
problems” in a particular neighborhood.
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Example: NYC Domestic Violence Program
Crime Specific “Crackdowns”
Targeting Crime “Hot spots”
Effectiveness of C.O.P. or
Problem Orientated Policing
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Effectiveness Sketchy at Best
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Some C.O.P. programs have improved
community relations and reduced fear
of crime.
Some Problem Oriented Policing
programs have suppressed/reduced
crime in certain locations.
Order Maintenance crackdowns have
strained community-police relations
in some areas.
Police and the Rule of Law
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Procedural Laws in Policing
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Miranda rights
Search and Seizure
Police Use of Force
Search and Seizure
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In order to search people, cars, or
homes, police generally need a warrant
Exceptions
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Incident to Arrest
“Stop and Frisk”
Automobile Search
Consent Search
“Plain View”
Police Use of Force
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Coercive Force is a Part of Policing
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How much force is necessary in a
situation?
Most “use of force” is non-lethal
The use of Deadly Force
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Tennessee v. Garner (1985) “Fleeing
Felon”
The “Police personality”?
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The Stereotype = cynnical, racist,
conservative, hostile
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Empirical Evidence not Clear
Explaining the “police personality”
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Individual traits (selection effect)
Police Subculture
Police Discretion
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What factors influence decision to
arrest?
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Community Level Factors
Departmental Factors
Situational Factors
Legal Factors
“Extra-Legal” Factors (Race, Class,
Demeanor)
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Van Mannen “The Asshole”