History Of Police In Americas

According to Merriam Webster, a police officer is a person whose job is to enforce laws, investigate
crime and make arrests. A police officer's duty is to maintain peace within the community.
Police officers also solve and respond to community issues. Most of a police officer's duty involves
patrolling assigned areas while investigating anything suspicious that occurs. We are always
surrounded by the police whether we see them patrol the streets or

whether we interact with them the police will always play an integral and vital role in our life.
They keep us safe from criminals and apprehend criminals. As a result, they are a key component
of our criminal justice system. However what led to the need for the police force and where was the
first police force created? Criminologists argue that the police was created out of necessity.
One theory that Explains this is the classical theory. According to this theory, punishment can
deter people from committing criminal acts. Therefore the police were created as a form of
deterrence to prevent people from engaging in criminal acts. Another theory which explains the
need for police officers is the rational choice theory. According to this theory, people act in their
self-interest and make decisions to commit crime after weighing the potential risks against the
rewards. In this situation, the police would be considered the risks who prevent the criminals from
engaging in criminal acts in the first place. However, the real reasons police were created was due
to
urbanization.During the early era of policing, citizens were responsible for maintaining law and order.
These positions were usually volunteer and didn't pay anything at all. This practice played a
significant role in policing, This system seemed to work for a while especially in rural areas
however during the 1800s there was a huge increase in population in the United States and England.
This led to riots and it was clear that a professional type of law enforcement was needed. This led to
the creation of the first policing organization in London known as the metropolitan police services, it
was created by Sir Robert Peel. In the beginning, this organization was met with resistance as people
feared that it would be from of military rule. In order to overcome this opposition Peel created the
principles of policing which stated how a police officer should conduct themselves. The principles
stated that the purpose of police was to

prevent crime, police had to have the trust of the public to do their jobs effectively, the goal of

policing is to achieve compliance with the law in the community, police officers must adhere to

the law, physical force must only be used as a last resort, officers must serve and protect the

public, and effective policing is measured by an absence of criminal conduct. These principles

were effective in winning over the trust of communities and led to the concept of policing to

spread to the United States however it wasn't implemented in the same manner as in England.

During the era of early policing in colonial america law enforcement was an informal and

Private system based on profit and it employed people part time. Nightwatch officers were

responsible for maintaining law and order however this system wasn't effective in preventing

crime. In cities with urbanization this system proved to be useless and led to the creation of the

first police force in the United States known as the Boston police department who were

responsible in safeguarding the transportation of goods and services. This type of policing

eventually spread to other cities and by the 1880s all major U.S cities had police forces who were
responsible for everyday law enforcement however corruption was a major issue. This widespread
corruption led to President Hoover to establish to Wickersham commission which

investigated ineffective law enforcement across the nation. In order to get rid of corruption

police precincts were changed so that they did not correspond with politics. Further campaigns

for police professionalism continued throughout the 20th century and this led to modern day

policing to be a well respected profession which is highly sought out today.

The minimum requirements to become a police officer varies by state but the general

requirements are as follows. Candidates have to be a U.S citizen and 21 on the day of hiring.
Be a resident of the community a person wishes to serve in, be in possession of a valid driver's

license. The candidate should not be a convicted felon and should be able to pass a drug and

alcohol screening and a background investigation. Be physically fit in order to pass the physical
exam. The educational requirements range from a high school diploma to a college degree. The

minimum requirement is a high school diploma however many departments now require

applicants to complete a couple of semesters of college or have an associate degree. The

minimum requirement for federal police jobs is a bachelor's degree. Speaking a second language
also can help a candidate to stand out.

The first step to become a police officer is the pre screening questionnaire which is used

measure an applicant's interest and eligibility. Based on this questionnaire it is decided if an

applicant should be invited to take the written exam. The written exam is a standardized test used to
measure general aptitude and does not include any questions related to law enforcement.

The exam includes reading comprehension, problem solving, memory and writing skills.
After the written exam the physical fitness test is next. Since law enforcement is a physically
demanding job the applicants have to be in top shape. A fitness test is designed to measure
overall level of fitness through a combination of strength, endurance, and cardiovascular training.
After the fitness test a background investigation is performed. A background investigation is
conducted to ensure that the candidate doesn't have any disqualifying factors such as felonies.
A background investigation can also include a fingerprint check and interviews from previous
employers. Next is the drug test which is administered regularly to check for the presence of illicit
drugs. After the drug test is over psychological testing is next. Being a police officer is not only
physically demanding it is also psychologically challenging. This test is typically carried out through
a written exam and is also followed up by a an interview with a psychologist. This test serves two
purposes: to evaluate a person's character and to ensure the person is stable from a psychological
standpoint. After psychological testing is over a polygraph or commonly known as a lie detector

is used to verify the information given throughout the application standpoint. Once the polygraph

is over an oral board is next. This is where applicants meet face to face with the hiring authority.

Oral interviews are designed to discuss the applicant's qualifications and to see whether or not

the person is fit for the agency. During an oral interview a person is typically evaluated on their

general behavior and demeanor, communication skills, their interest in policing and their

response to questions and scenarios. The last part of testing is a medical exam. This medical

exam is designed to see if you are medically fit to meet the physical requirements of being a

police officer and if can perform the essential job functions as listed by the agency. After a person is
done with all of the required testing they are then sent to the police academy. This is

the final challenge to becoming a police officer. The requirements are different state by state but

the ideology is usually the same and is geared towards preparing a person to become a police

officer, the training typically last between three months to a year depending on the department.

Academies cover topics related to law enforcement such as police ethics, civil rights, state and

local laws, constitutional laws, crime investigation, incident reporting, and criminal psychology.

Police academies also cover situations which will occur on duty such as police tactics,

emergency response, crime scene processing, first aid, firearm use, self defense and traffic

control.

A police officer's shift begins with a roll call session which lasts for about 30 minutes Here patrol
sectors and radio call are assigned by a supervisor and also advise police officers of

any specific details or assignments that have to be covered during the shift and brief everyone on
any ongoing crime patterns so officers will know what specific vehicles or people to look out

for. The briefing could also include case laws, gang activity, symptoms of drug abuse and or

other topics. The briefing then ends with an inspection of everyone's uniform and equipment.

The officer then goes to his patrol car and inspects if all of the equipment is fully functional and

to replace any missing supplies such as first aid kits or road flares. The officer then uses his radio
to report to his dispatcher that he is in service and begins his patrol. Policing mostly involves patrolling
assigned areas but when officers are not assigned to call for a service they are generally free to roam
within their patrol sector and initiate any activity they see as worthy.

This  includes pulling vehicles over for traffic violations, interviewing suspicious looking people,

investigating suspicious conditions for evidence of criminal activity and chatting with businessmen
and neighborhood people. Police officers may also run license plates of cars in

there database to determine if the vehicle is stolen or if the registered owner is wanted.
Good patrol officers have a high level of on sense activity and rarely patrol idle or drive aimlessly for

very long. At some point during an officer's patrol the dispatcher will notify the officer of a call

of service either by radio or by a text to the officer's patrol car computer. Calls for service can

range from domestic quarrels, theft from a business or home, burglary, car accident or just a

citizen with a question or concern. Police officers usually spend more time on law enforcement

then public service matters. Policing requires a lot of paperwork, if a call for service requires a

report the officer may complete the report in the field or return to the station, officers can also

file paperless reports with their patrol car computers. During an officer's patrol if they find any

evidence such as narcotics or physical evidence the officer may have to go to a station to book
evidence related to a case. when an officer finds evidence they have to protect the chain of

custody and have to submit the location and status of the evidence from the time it is recovered

until it is introduced as evidence in court. If the evidence is left in the patrol car unattended the

chain of custody is broken and the value of the evidence is lost. During an officer's shift they are

required to make arrests when necessary such as when someone has an outstanding warrant or when
someone commit a crime in an officer's presence that requires booking, or when they have probable
cause for an arrest. When an officer makes an arrest they have to search the suspect thoroughly to
ensure that they have no weapons on them which could be used to harm the officer. The arresting
officer may also search for narcotics or contraband that the suspect might try to dump or swallow
before he reaches the jail. If the suspect is injured the officer will have to take him to a local hospital
for examination and treatment before the jail will accept them. Local practice determines where the
officer books the suspect. If the officer works for the city police department, the city may have its own
jail. More commonly the officer may go to the county jail run by the sheriff's department. On arrival
there the suspect is turned over to the booking officer or deputy. The booking officer will search the
suspect again for any weapons and returns the handcuffs to the officer. Arrests also require a report
therefore the officer may file his report from the field or at the station. At the end of the officer's shift
he refuels the patrol car, returns to the station and turns in any outstanding paperwork.

Police officers undoubtedly face many dangers on the job and usually face them more

frequently than other professions. Any call that an officer receives could be a life or death

situation. Even though law enforcement is not significantly more dangerous than other hazardous
professions such as sanitation worker or roofer, officers often have to endure a huge amount of
psychological stress. Officers must deal with extreme situations and many of them cause severe
psychological effects on a daily basis. Crime scenes that involve destruction and death can have a
negative impact on a officers psyche and lead to long term mental and physical health problems.
Pursuing a law enforcement career means dealing with chronic stress. According to realpolice.com
officers have one of the highest suicide rates and second highest suicide rates. officers are also twice
as likely then the general population to become habitual drinkers. An officer's conduct is governed by
strict military like procedure, Officers also have to face complex and difficult situations on a regular
basis. Being a police officer also has an effect on a person's family. Long and irregular hours,
rotating shifts and canceled leaves are common in police work. Balancing a law enforcement
career with parental responsibilities can cause officers to miss significant milestones of their family
such as birthdays and school activities. Because of the nature of their work officers often feel isolated
from the general public because of their authority role. Officers have a hard time in non law
enforcement settings and therefore usually are friends with other officers. As a result officers
are seen by outsiders by the general public which can lead to isolation from the outside community
and can lead to a decrease in community policing because officers won't be able to effectively interact
with the public.

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