Julia Campbell • University of Nebraska at Kearney

1. Why would a test like this be used today? Do you think it was a fair measure? Explain.

2. What does it show us about the nature of police work?

Julia Campbell • University of Nebraska at Kearney

Chapter 5

Law Enforcement Today

Sir Robert Peel’s London Police

Goals Reduce tension/conflict between police & public

nonviolent means- keep peace

relieve military

judged on absence of crime, not high-visibility police action

Early American Law Enforcement

1700s Mirrored early English system

Governors hired sheriffs for each county

1800s 1838 – Boston - first city with a police department

1844 - New York foundation for modern police

FYI - Salaries

New Jersey’s median police officer pay: over $90,000 annually

Police Salaries

1840-1930

patronage system or the “spoils” system

Bribery and political corruption are the hallmark of the era

Political Era of Policing

The Wickersham Committee

1929- Wickersham Committee 2 areas of American policing needed reform:

Police brutality

corruption

Reform Era of Policing

1930-1980

Increased police professionalism/pay August Vollmer

O.W. Wilson and the professional model

Administrative reforms

Technology

Community Era of Policing 1980 to today

Emphasis on good police-community relationships

Proactive police efforts, as opposed to traditional reactive approaches

Corrupt Cops

Policing Scenarios

How would you respond if you were in this situation? Why? What factors influenced you to act the way you did?

Discuss

1. What do these scenarios have in common? What is different about them?

2. What might these scenarios show about the nature of working in a police department or any other organization? What might cause problems to arise?

Professional, community-

oriented services

Besides the payment of decent wages, brainstorm some ideas of how law enforcement agencies could reduce (or eliminate) corruption among their ranks and cultivate the respect and support of the communities which they serve. Tell how you believe each of your ideas will either reduce corruption or improve the image of the police.

Preventing corruption

Decent pay

Internal affairs

Technology

Police culture

4 Basic Responsibilities of Police

To enforce laws

To provide services

To prevent crime

To preserve the peace

Agencies - 159

1. What is meant by “multilayering” of law

enforcement?

2. How does the number of local police

departments compare to the number of

federal law enforcement agencies?

3. Describe the responsibilities of a county

sheriff’s office.

4. Describe the responsibilities of state police

and state highway patrol agencies.

Overlap of Responsibilities

Main responsibilities of police do not exist in isolation

Overlap of key responsibilities

Most of day not devoted to making arrests

Municipal Law Enforcement

Municipal - Town/City level

Municipal agencies - broadest authority to catch suspects, maintain order, and provide services to the community

FYI: While New York City has the largest police department (with more than 34,000 employees), roughly 560 small towns have only one police officer

Sheriffs Departments County Level law enforcement

Investigate violent crimes, drug crimes

Maintain county jail

Evictions and summonses

Keep order in courthouse

Collect taxes

State Police & Highway Patrols Purposes

assist local police agencies investigate criminal activities that crossed

jurisdictional boundaries provide law enforcement in rural areasOperate state crime labs

CJ and Technology - 1581. What responsibilities of law enforcement are evident in the passage? Explain.

2. What does this particular issue say about the criminals involved? What does it say about the police?

3. What type of agencies do you think are most likely to be involved with this issue? Explain.

4. Think of and describe two or three other scenarios where police might use social media in a similar fashion.