American Police Influence on Society

Police Influence on Society

Policing in America, as we know it has come a long way. Sir Robert Peel born in London established the police system back in the 1800s. He created a more uniformed and structured way of policing. The summary below describes the historical development of policing in the United States and the relationship between police and other ethnic groups. Then it provides examples of law enforcement practices and court procedures.

Summary of History

The United States first established their first law enforcement in Boston around the 1600s. They started out with watchmen and other volunteers to patrol the areas day and night. When other colonies heard about it, they too began structuring a force to patrol and find lawbreakers. As the crime increased, volunteers failed to show up for their shift ; therefore Philadelphia established a law to make the patrol more structured. The new process allowed wardens to interview and hire officers to match the demand.

In 1822 while Sir Robert Peel held the position as Home Secretary, he slowly started the transition to a more professional police force. Peel’s way of thinking was that of someone in the 21 century because in 1829 he convinced the British parliament to establish a Metropolitan Police Force also known as the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829, according to (Gaunt, 2010). Soon after, they formed the first modern day police force and authorities referred to the officers as “bobbies” or peelers.” Peel also restructured the law by decreasing the amount crimes punishable by death. Furthermore, he revoked a large number of statues and combined them, which created the Peel’s Act. Finally, he established payroll for the officers, uniforms, and allowed education benefits for prisoners. Sir Robert Peel played an important part in the structure of law enforcement in the United States. Because of that, police today now have uniforms, vehicles, and the technology to solve different crimes in many ways.

Positive Impact

Law enforcement positively affects the community because they control crime in the area and resolve disputes. They all take an oath to protect and serve the community, therefore, the safety of the community is their first priority. Police officers also participate in community activities, which allow the people to interact with them on a more personal level. The author's favorite stories include situations where police officers perform an act out of the ordinary. For example, a woman in Alabama named Helen Johnson receives a disability check each month but it is barely enough to feed her family. In December 2014, Johnson walked into a Dollar General store to purchase eggs for her family who had not eaten in 2 days. She only had $1.25 for the eggs, however;