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 (the “frankpledge”)
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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.
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Fear of “underclass” by wealthy
Fear of urban street crime produced
demands for greater police protection.
First Police Department opened in
Boston in 1838
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First Full time = New York City (1844)
Early American Police
Departments
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Police were incompetent, disliked and
corrupt.
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Appointed by politicians (who you know…)
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Enforcement for reigning political powers
Bust strikes
Control the rising number of foreign
immigrants
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Brutality common (“Delegated Vigilantism”)
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
Investigation
Administration/Paper work
“Social Work” activities
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?
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
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”
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Only 20% of police time involves “real police
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”
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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Order Maintenance
Problem Solving
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 (Amadou Diallo Case)
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
“Brutality” estimates vary
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RACIAL??
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
Socialization Effect (more support)
Police Discretion
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Police only arrest a small % of all
suspects…which ones?
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Legal Factors
“Extra-Legal” Factors
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Race?? (SR vs. NCVS), Victim may matter
more
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DWB, the “war on drugs”
Van Mannen “The Asshole”
Situational (intimacy, complainant's
preference)
Corruption
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Reiss (1966)
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20% of police engaged in at least one act
of corruption
Knapp Commission (1973)
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Serpico
“Meat eaters” and “Grass eaters”
Police “scandals” still common
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Texas drug scandal