Police History Essay

Starting In 1829, Sir Robert Peel began developing his theory of policing. These nine principles are as relevant today as they were in the 1800’s. Peel established the Metropolitan Police when he served as Home Secretary of England. Since Sir Robert Peel introduced his principles of policing in the early 1800’s, our country has continued to follow his ideas of effective policing. Community policing is based on Peel’s concept of prevention. According to one of Peel’s principals, the real key for policing is â€Å"The police are the people and the people are the police†. Peel believed that prevention of crime could be accomplished without intruding into the lives of citizens. Sir Robert Peel’s first principle was that, â€Å"The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder† (Westminster Police Department, 2012) In our diverse society, it is necessary for police to understand the different cultures that make up the communities that they patrol. If police can relate to and understand the different cultures of the community, they will be able to successfully gain public approval. I believe this is important for his second two principals. â€Å"The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions. † Also, â€Å"Police must secure the willing co-operation of the public in voluntary observance of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public†. (Westminster Police Department, 2012) Peel also felt strongly about the idea of the use of force as well. In two other principals Peel stated â€Å"The degree of co-operation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately to the necessity of the use of physical force† and that â€Å"Police use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only when the exercise of persuasion, advice, and warning is found to be insufficient. † (Westminster Police Department, 2012) Excessive force has been a public concern and the first sign of community mistrust in the police. It can take years to gain the trust of a community and one incident to lose that trust. By providing adequate training on the use of force and having the public’s trust and respect can ensure that force is only used to the extent necessary. When individuals have little or no respect towards the police, they are most likely to ignore the requests or demands of officers. This can lead to the officer having to use force in order to gain control of a situation. Peel felt that â€Å"The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it. (Westminster Police Department, 2012) When police are faced with dispersing large crowds, it is necessary for the public to have the respect to follow police orders. When individuals lack trust and respect for the police, riots may occur, which can also lead to arrests, serious injuries, and even death. Sir Robert Peel’s principles and Community Policing go hand in hand and share the same concepts and goals in policing. One of the distinct similarities between Peel’s approach and Community Policing is that prevention of crimes is the number one priority. I believe that Peel felt morals played an important role in effective policing. It is important that police officers think things through and have the best interests in mind before making decisions. Peel’s principals â€Å"Police seek and preserve public favour not by catering to public opinion but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law†, and â€Å"Police should always direct their action strictly towards their functions and never appear to usurp the powers of the judiciary† (Westminster Police Department, 2012) Are important and should be demonstrated to earn the trust of the people in the long run and to uphold the law. The relationship between the U. S. overnment and police organizations across the United States can be analyzed in several ways. I believe that because the police organizations and the government have a close relationship in several ways. Not only are police organizations expected to follow rules from their own departments, they also must follow standard federal guidelines as well. There are federal, state and, local levels of police organizations. The federal government roles are similar to that of local and state; however there are a few differences. The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and the Department of Homeland Security are examples. Employees of these organizations are by law, allowed to make an arrest in any county or state. Unlike local or state police organizations, these officers do not provide basic protection services or simple criminal investigations unless the local or state agency cannot control the situation (say for example a serial killer). There are some problems with the way our government controls certain things with the other agencies. For example our government ran U. S. military is being used for domestic law enforcement. Also, the federal government is taking over the training, financing and delegation of local police. This could cause many issues, removing the police from local control may not be the smartest move. The concern is arising that the federalized police have increasingly turned to violent tactics and assaults on people who have not committed any crimes. When issues like this arise, it can cause problems within local or state organizations when it comes to police procedures and the way policing is being done. If the organizations don’t feel as though they are in control, or that their problems or concerns are not being addressed properly, this may affect the quality of law enforcement. It could also cause communication issues and lapses. There is the other possibility, that some people may have the opinion that things are better with more outside control. Policing may have to change in many ways to adapt to the change in control. Conclusion In conclusion I think there can be both pros and cons to the relationship between the U. S. government and the police organizations. I also believe that Sir Robert Peel had a major effect on the policing of his time, our current police procedures, and community policing.