police

police











History of Policing
Jorge Gonzales
CJA214
Febuary 16th, 2015
Evan Cohen










History of Policing
Policing methods have been present in many past societies but policing did not become shaped into more organized crime prevention until the establishment of the English system in Britain in the 1300’s which involved appointing a Justice of the Peace to control crime in their territory and sheriffs, constables, and night watch to support them in their efforts. It was not until the 1700’s that this model of policing began to change when large cities began to appear and the level of crimes being committed began to get more frequent and more serious.
In America colonists were adopting a similar policing system as the English using constables, sheriffs, and night watch to respond to crimes and to enforce tax laws. The county sheriff, appointed by the governor, became the most important law enforcement agent particularly when the colonies remained small and primarily rural (Uchida, 2004). In larger cities the constable and night watch played larger role in that they were responsible for settling disputes and arresting criminal offenders but they also responded to fires and conducted rounds. The goal of policing practices was to react to crimes that occurred instead of taking any proactive measures to prevent crime.
During the late 1700’s rapid population expansion resulted in the development of larger cities with urban areas where crime was more inclined to develop. One city that experienced a high rise in crime as the population expanded was London, England. The Industrial Revolution created rapid expansion that resulted in the development of urban areas, tenement housing, and a larger market place and product demand. The rapid population growth resulted in breakdown in social control and a rapid increase in crime. This required a more preventative approach to policing and a more organized effort to deter crime...

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