Police History in the United States of America

Describe the impact of Sir Robert Peel on American policing.

Sir Robert Peel was the main founder of modern policing, and he is also remembered as the founding father of the nine Peelan principle, which is currently being used in policing. After Peel formulated the nine principle, they are still being used as the foundation for other law implementation processes and practices. Due to the effectiveness of these principles, they have stood the taste of time, showing just how determined, and careful Peel was while developing these principles. The principles have therefore earned him respect up to do date in the enforcement community, thus he is highly respected (Baker, 2011).

The following are nine Peelan principles:

The main objective of the police is to avert crime and disorder.

The capability of the police is to undertake their duties is based upon the approval of the public.

The police should safeguard the will assistance of the public under the observation of the law, thus ensuring and maintaining the veneration of the public.

The trust that the public has on the police diminishes when the police use excessive force on the public when it is not necessary (Emsley, 2014).

The police should protect the public interests, through being impartial and operating under the stipulation of the law.

The police should only use force when protecting the public, and if other means have failed, and this means may include advice, warning and persuasion.

The police should always maintain a positive relationship with the public according to the historic traditions of the police, which dictates that the police are the public, and the public is the police. The police should therefore respect the public and thus ensure that they provide the necessary support to the public in time of need (De & Hall, 2009).

The police should only direct their actions towards their services, and they should never go against the dictates of the judiciary.

The efficiency of the police is the lack of criminal activities, thus ensuring that there is peace and unity in an area. Rather than the use of power and force when dealing with crime.  

The main objective of Peel for the existence of the police was to avert crime and to maintain law and order. The nine principles have therefore been incorporated in the American law enforcement, thus making sure that the American police abide to the given principles (Emsley, 2014). Peel’s principles have therefore shaped the face of the American police, hence ensuring that the police in America maintain law and order, and in the same time ensuring a positive relationship with the public. Peel has therefore impacted the American law enforcement positively, since his principles have enabled the police to be able to operate and work in a very good climate, through providing them with principles of guidance (Baker, 2011). The American police, which is one the best law enforcement units in the world, has been able to achieve more due to this principles, which ensure that the police provide safety for the public and in the same time, working hand in hand with the public. Moreover, the police has also been able to maintain a good reputation from the public due to the respect that it has, and the way it exercises its main objective which is to protect the public interests based on the dictates of the law.

Analyze the relationship between the U.S. government and the policing organizations throughout the United States.

The United States has two units of the police, these are: the Federal police and the State Police. The Federal includes the administrations like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Immigration and customs Enforcement (De & Hall, 2009). These units therefore get authority from the US constitution which gives the Congress, the mandate to control taxes and traverse commerce. Each and every unit has its own responsibilities, which distinguishes it from other units. For instance, the FBI is tasked with the objective of pursuing criminals who have crossed the boundaries of the state and the country. On the other hand, the DEA deals with substances which have banned such as drugs, illegal food stuffs and illegal products (Baker, 2011).

When it comes to the state police it has three sub branches of the police which are: County Sheriff, State Trooper, and Local/City police. The state troopers, who are commonly known as the Highway Patrol and the State police, they have the authority over the whole state, but they usually patrol in areas which are sustained by other state level agencies, and this may include Highways and government buildings (Emsley, 2014). County Sheriffs are tasked with the objective of upholding and operating the County jails and patrolling independent areas. City/Local police operate within the cities, and also provide security within cities. Each and every department of the state policing works under the State’s penal Code. The County Sheriffs also do enforce the mandates of the county. The local police works under both the mandates of the county and the ordinances of the city. Each and every state governs itself independently over their jurisdiction, thus each is very dissimilar according to their penal codes. On the other hand, there are also Private, State and Local and Federal penal codes. The Federal Law Enforcement (FLE) has a physical dominion which includes the whole country. Multifaceted, multidimensional, federal agencies emphasis on critical issues which include immigration, human and drug trafficking, the smuggling of guns, telecommunication, transport system’s safety, and issues which go beyond the lines of state’s concern (Baker, 2011).

Explain how this relationship may affect police practices.

The relationship between the U.S government and the policing organizations impacts the police practices positively. This is mainly because, there are two different units of the police, which are the Federal Police and the State Police (De & Hall, 2009). Each and every unit has been given its mandate, the units should therefore work according to the mandate that they are given. Moreover, their duties have been clearly stipulated, in order to make sure that no unit crosses the line of the other unit, thus working appropriately and observing their boundaries. Furthermore, the jurisdiction within which the units are supposed to operate has also been clearly stated, hence making it easier for both units to be able to understand the issues that they are supposed to undertake and the ones they cannot be able to undertake (Emsley, 2014). The federal police, can also work hand in hand with the states police, in case the state police is overwhelmed. This consequently ensures that the country remains stable and the different units of the police can be able to depend on each when there is a crime which requires very serious attention.

Reference

Baker, T. E. (2011). Effective police leadership: Moving beyond management. Flushing, NY: Looseleaf Law Publications, Inc.

Emsley, C. (2014). The English police: A political and social history.

De, L. W., & Hall, A. (2009). Intelligent control: Developments in public order policing in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Skogan, W. G., Frydl, K., & Ebrary, Inc. (2014). Fairness and effectiveness in policing: The evidence. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.