Project 2: Law Enforcement

Naomi Cameron
History of Law Enforcement in the U.S.
Night watch protected the 13 colonies in 1635
Goal: stop and catch criminals causing mischief (fires, stealing, etc.) during the night
Unpaid until 1712
Started with few watchmen and grew in hundreds by the 1850s
Untrained, and often corrupt
Patrolled and focused on slaves
Prevent uprisings and stop runaway slaves
Let white southerners solve their own issues
Boston created one of the first full-time police departments in 1837
Department created in response to three riots in hopes to prevent more in the future
Riots targeted abolitionists, mixed-race neighborhoods, churches, etc.
 Societys Views on Law Enforcement
Positives (Functionalist):
68% of whites have favorable
view
It is more common for whites
to have a positive view than
minorities
62% of whites believe police are
courteous
65% of whites believe police treat
everyone equally
89% of Americans support police
body cameras
46% of Americans say military
equipment is necessary
Negatives (Conflict):
73% African Americans, 54%
Hispanics say police are quick to use
lethal force
65% of Americans believe police
officers racially profile
49% of Americans believe most
police think they are above the law
68% of Americans think police need
additional training
Minorities are more likely to
disagree with law enforcement than
whites
Officers views on law enforcement
Positives (Functionalist):
73% of officers believe use-of-force
guidelines are appropriate
72% of white and Hispanic officers
say blacks are killed in isolated
incidents
92% of white officers think changes
have already been made for racial
equality
67% of officers say most people
respect the police
Negatives (Conflict):
Confidence in disciplinary process
is lacking
84% are concerned about their
safety
Interactions between blacks and
police have become more intense
68% of black officers believe their
department and blacks in their
community have a good
relationship
Change in Law Enforcement over time
Now there are more than 12,000 local police departments nationwide
Additional officers are being added to each department and law enforcement is growing rapidly
Laws are changing
As people vote in new laws or repeal laws, police must hold the community accountable
Obtaining a warrant is a lot more difficult now than in the past
Officers must establish credibility in court (must be in their notes), rather than automatically
having credibility
Technology has changed
Body cameras, car cameras, drones, etc.
Riots, terrorist attacks, marches, government elections, etc. cause change
Police must partner up with other government agencies a lot more often than in the past
Societys views cause change
Police have increasing accountability
Police safety is in jeopardy
 Goal: keep the public safe
Prevent future danger
Power of police:
Stable Features Police are able to govern, control,
and protect the law

in Law This gives them power of peoples

actions
There are not many stable
Enforcement features as law enforcement is
constantly changing
 Peace officers - maintaining
the peace between officers and
the community

Improving law Accountability - hold officers

accountable for bad actions

enforcement Safety - additional or new

training of officers
Equality - treat all races,
ethnicities, etc. equally
Rankings in Law Enforcement
Ranks vary in different cities, but have similar structures
Law enforcement commissioner: oversees all departments within the city
Chief of law enforcement
Assistant chief of law enforcement (there are often several):
head of individual divisions
Deputy chief
Captain: in charge of individual precincts or units
Lieutenant: in charge of the next lower rank
Sergeant: watches over their unit or squad
Detective: investigates crimes (part of squad)
Law enforcement officer: there are several ranks with
different pays within this section (this is a police officer
that patrols the community)
 Law enforcement often racially
profiles (or stops people based
on ethnicity, gender, etc.)
This is one reason why society is

Law separated on their views of the

police

enforcement Societys standards:

This impacts how the police patrol
and respond to crimes
helps some more Whites often feel they should
be prioritized

than others
Minorities feel neglected
Police accountability is increased
due to an increase in police
brutality
Especially towards minority
groups
Functionalist vs. Conflict Perspective
Conflict Perspective:
Functionalist Perspective:
Law enforcement has a lot of
Law enforcement is vital to the
problems throughout it and further
communitys safety
causes problems throughout society
Law enforcement is accountable for
Racial profiling is a huge issue,
their actions and what happen within
especially during stop and frisk
the community
instances
They are able to prevent future crimes
Police brutality is increasingly
as well as stop current ones
popular, especially among
Law enforcement is needed to keep
minority groups
society in check and run as a whole,
The use-of-force is to lenient and
otherwise society would be chaos
police need to be re-trained or have a
new training system
References
Chrismas, Bob. "Law Enforcement and Change." Law Enforcement Today. N.p., 29 Aug. 2013. Web. 05 June
2017.

Clement, Scott, and Wesley Lowery. "Survey Reveals Disconnect between Police and Public Attitudes." The
Washington Post. WP Company, 11 Jan. 2017. Web. 05 June 2017.

Ekins, Emily. "Policing in America: Understanding Public Attitudes Toward the Police. Results from a National
Survey." Cato Institute. N.p., 07 Dec. 2016. Web. 05 June 2017.

Everett, Ronald S. and Roger A. Wojtkiewicz. "Difference, Disparity, and Race/Ethnic Bias in Federal

Sentencing." Journal of Quantitative Criminology, vol. 18, no. 2, June 2002, pp. 189-211. EBSCOhost,

login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=11303530&si

te=ehost-live.

Harris-Perry, Melissa. "A History of Policing in America." MSNBC. NBCUniversal News Group, 04 Jan. 2015.
Web. 04 June 2017.
References (cont.)
Hayle, Steven, et al. "Race, Street Life, and Policing: Implications for Racial Profiling." Canadian Journal of
Criminology & Criminal Justice, vol. 58, no. 3, July 2016, pp. 322-353. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3138/cjccj.2014.E32.

"Law Enforcement Article - What Are the Different Ranks in Law Enforcement." Law Enforcement RSS. N.p., 28
Feb. 2012. Web. 05 June 2017.

Stepler, Renee. "Key Findings on How Police View Their Jobs amid Protests and Calls for Reform." Pew
Research Center. N.p., 11 Jan. 2017. Web. 05 June 2017.

"Sworn Police Officer Class Titles and Job Descriptions." Los Angeles Police Department Memorial Badge. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 05 June 2017.

Ruddell, Rick and Matthew O. Thomas. "Minority Threat and Police Strength: An Examination of the Golden

State." Police Practice & Research, vol. 11, no. 3, June 2010, pp. 256-273. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1080/15614260902830096.