The History of Policing

Challenges with public distrust of the police come to light not just in recent years, but from the very beginning of police departments as we know them today.  This history can be utilized in order to understand the source of current tensions and possibly to identify solutions.  At the time that Sir Robert Peel established the first police force in London in 1829, citizens were immediately concerned by the threat of militarization and its similarities to an occupying force.  The “Peelian Principles” notably recognize that public trust and approval is what empowers police to do their jobs.  Police should be able to prevent crimes through voluntary compliance with the laws, rather than relying heavily on use of force and punitive measures alone.

This is not a complete history of the start of policing, especially when it comes to police work in the United States.  A similar history is often given regarding the first police officers in the United States: they were established in Philadelphia in 1833 in response to the growing urban population that marked the Industrial revolution. Details omitted from this popularized history of policing explain the challenges that we see today with community relations.  The very first slave patrols—and ultimately, police departments—began in the colony that became North and South Carolina, in 1704.  Westward migration through the Midwest led to the establishment of formal police forces in order to protect settlers of cities such as St. Louis against Native Americans. These origins are incredibly important because they explain the challenges we are facing with policing in the US.  Distrust of the police has been a theme since the establishment of police, especially for people of color.  It is certainly intuitive that citizens are more horrified by police doing a bad or wrong job than they are pleased when police have done what they are supposed to do, which is protect people and prevent crime.  The shooting of Trayvon Martin in 2012, the shooting of Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman sparked national attention to police brutality and murders of black civilians by police.  Trayvon’s death was mourned nationwide with a hashtag that started a movement: Black Lives Matter.  With the increase in attention at all times to police brutality, some police chiefs have taken it upon themselves to improve community relations where they can by adopting community policing strategies or by training officers better.

Community policing is a strategy of policing that focuses on police building ties and working closely with members of the communities. In response to anti-police sentiment and aggressive use of force against minorities that came to light before the LA Riots, in 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act established the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) within the Department Of Justice to promote community policing and give out grants to local departments. This movement is based around the idea that police can’t solve every public safety issue alone, and they need to use public input to develop solutions to community public safety problems.