In your opinion, what is the most significant event in the development of policing systems?
Policing systems have been around for hundreds of years. Policing is a system by which criminals are sought out and brought to justice for committing a crime against another person. One of the earliest systems of justice was called the Kin system. This system was the way justice was served when a person was wronged by someone and the family members of the victim would serve justice to the offender of the crime. This system of policing often caused feuding between families.
The Mosaic Law was another system of policing and many of the rules under the Mosaic laws required a person be put to death for committing crimes. This could be seen as barbaric however it was a very effective system
This group was often put to work as marketplace guards, Praetorian guards, or in other mercenary-like positions. As a police force, their different color, stature, and manner of dress made them quite visible among the Mesopotamians. The idea of visibility could then be regarded as the first principle of crime control.
The Hebrews developed the Mosaic Law and a rudimentary adversverdana system. The Greeks experimented with highway patrol and jury trials (Athens) as well as secret police and mercenary systems (Sparta). Across Africa, trials were being conducted while sitting down (three-legged stools of justice). Violators were brought before thrones of justice in the name of the crown, and to keep the peace meant, for the most part, keeping the king's peace of mind. Greek philosophy (Aristotle, Plato) was largely responsible for popularizing the majesty of justice by associating good law and order with virtue.
It's widely recognized that the first organized police force were the Roman vigils, the first group of nonmilitary and non mercenary police. They were created by Gaius Octavius, the grand nephew of Julius Caesar, around 27 B.C. After his uncle was assassinated, little...