The Police in the United States

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the first police forces in 19th century America were modeled after the Metropolitan Police of London, formed in 1829; however, American police were part of local government, unlike many other nations where the local police are a part of a nationally administered force. The author explains that modern police earned regular salaries from the city government, which was beneficial because they no longer needed to charge fees for their services, making them far more helpful to the public. The paper relates that police departments are measured by their city's crime rate; therefore, police departments use a management and control system, which measures the valued output against the cost of producing it, the financial cost ,and the sacrifice in civil liberty.

From the Paper:

"Toward the end of the nineteenth century, police departments started to hire blacks and women. Blacks frequently patrolled black neighborhoods but their chances of promotion into white neighborhoods were slim. Women were hired as "matrons" to help lost children, monitor women's lodging rooms, and guard women prisoners. It was not until 1968 that women were allowed to work full time on patrol. As a result of pressure from the civil rights movement and the women's movement, police departments across the United States began to change their recruitment patterns, providing more opportunities for women and blacks."

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