1. Chapter 5 Law Enforcement Today

2. RESPONSIBILITIES of POLICE
The basic responsibilities of police include:
To enforce laws
To provide services
To prevent crime
To preserve the peace

3. Enforce Laws / Provide Services
Crime fighter role (perceived by police officer and society)
Seek out and apprehend those who violate the law
Truth is half of a police officer’s time is spent dealing with crime
Providing Services:
Duty to “serve and protect” the community
Numerous services include non- enforcement duties
First to arrive at disasters – search and rescue

4. Prevent Crime Prevent Crime:
Police’s most controversial responsibility
Response to rising crime rate
Punished convicted criminals stronger laws and more severe penalties
Demand police “ do something” to prevent crime in the first place
Police can prevent crime on a limited basis by the deterrent effect

5. Preserve the Peace Related to Preventing Crime
Can use arrest powers and force in situations where no crime may have occurred, but might occur in the immediate future
“ handling the situation “

6. EARLY POLICING Modern societies depend on law enforcement
Early policing had little to do with law enforcement
Night watch system – volunteers
Philadelphia first day/night
Boston 1838 – first organized Police Department ( 6 full time officers )
New York City 1844 – day and night watches under one single police chief

7. EARLY PROBLEMS
Early police officers were hardworking, honest and devoted to serving and protecting the public They were of poor quality because the recruitment and promotion of police officers were tied into the politics of the day Police officers received their jobs as a result of political connections, not because of their skills and knowledge

8. POLITICAL ERA The Political Era of policing :
– corruption was rampant
Police salaries were low – Police saw it as a opportunity to make extra income through illegal activities
Called the patronage system or the “spoils” system – to the political victor went the spoils
Bribery and political corruption are the hallmark of the era

9. THE REFORM ERA
In 1929, the Wickersham Committee focused on two areas of American policing that were in need of reform:
Police brutality
The corrupting influence of politics
Commission reported that reform was needed – higher personnel standards, centralized police administration, and increased use of technology – initiating the progressive or reform era of policing

10. REFORM ERA Professionalism
Vollmer ( Chief of Police – Berkeley Ca. ) – emphasized technology
O.W. Wilson –
professionalism by removing politics from policing;
stressed the need for efficiency through bureaucracy and technology
Chiefs appointed mid-level managers
Large areas of police under one ward

11. REFORM ERA Administrative Reforms – chiefs took control
Reorganized Police Departments in major cities
Appointed Assistant Chiefs
Developed/Implemented crime fighting strategies
Police officers more closely supervised
Consolidated power – large areas under local control

12. TURMOIL in 60’s and 70’s
Reform area increased efficiency and had a negative effect on Police – Community relations
Police were looked at as intruders in some areas
60’s one of the most turbulent decades
Civil Rights/ Vietnam/ Rising Crime Rate
Helplessness and impoverishment in African/American neighborhoods
Race riots

13. COMMUNITY ERA Government Initiatives in 1968
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act – gov’t gave cities money to create a wide variety of police – community programs
1970’s - police administrators were forced to combine community relations and crime fighting
Community Policing – interaction between Police and citizens and developing a partnership to prevent and fight crime

15. Intelligence Led Policing
Known as predictive policing
Relies on data concerning the past crime patterns to predict future ones.
Administrators will know where to disperse more effective small forces instead of using a blanket system.
Seemingly random events can be predicted by police.

16. POLICING TODAY Better understand crime patterns
Intelligence – led policing known as predictive policing relies on intelligence concerning past crime patterns to predict future crime patterns
Administrators will know where to disperse more effective small forces instead of using a blanket system.
Seemingly random events can be predicted by police.
Challenges of anti-terrorism – 90 % of local and county agencies have anti – terrorist plans
Most police agencies gather intelligence to prevent terror attacks from occurring

17. POLICE RECRUITMENT Background checks and tests – include: Drug tests
Credit checks
Interviews with neighbors, spouse, employers
Background search
Polygraph

18. EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Educational level of recruits is higher than ever
82% require at least a high school diploma
9% require some college
Education requirement debate

20. POLICE TRAINING The Academy
Run by police agencies and is a controlled military environment. This is where recruits are taught all the proper technique
Probationary period can last 6 to 8 months depending on department ( NYPD 18 mos.)
During probation the police candidate can be fired without cause
Academy training is run by the state or by a police agency and provides a controlled , militarized environment for recruits

21. POLICE TRAINING The Field
Candidate is removed from the classroom and placed on the beat
Not as controlled of an environment as before
Lasts from 6 to 8 months
Supervised by a field officer
Where the officer actually learns how to be an officer.

22. WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN POLICING
ANTIDISCRIMINATION LAW and AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
In the last 30 years the situation of low representation of women and minorities has been addressed
Civil rights act and other external forces have driven this movement
Affirmative action has been instituted to increase the diversity of employees ( consent decrees)
Recruiting challenges

23. CHALLENGES FACING WOMEN
Only within the past thirty years has the situation of low representation of women have been addressed (12% women)
Few women leadership positions being held
Women are perceived as soft by their male counter parts
Male officer often deny female officers the chance to protect themselves
Tokenism – belief that women are hired simply to fill the diversity requirements
Sexual Harassment or a pattern of unwelcome sexual advances or obscene remarks in the workplace

24. MINORITIES
Increase in minorities in police work to 25% of police forces since 1980’s
Problem with double marginality
Double Marginality :
White PO’s believe that minority officers favor their own
Minorities Po’s face hostility from their own communities – viewed as traitors to their own race and ethnicity

25. MINORITY MAKE UP OF PD’s

26. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
There are approximately 11,400 law enforcement agencies employing 577,000 people in the United States
They operate on three different levels: local, state and federal
They are said to be “ multilayered “ consisting of a wide network of all three agencies

27. MUNICIPAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
Have the broadest authority to apprehend criminal suspects, maintain order and provide services to the community
Responsible for a large spectrum of duties (noise complaints to homicides)
Criticism of local police : too underpaid or poorly trained to handle various responsibilities
50% of local PD’s have 10 or less officers

28. SHERIFFS and COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT
Sheriff is the primary law enforcement officer in a county, usually elected to the post by a popular vote.
Important law enforcement figure
Almost all counties have one
Elected – some are politicians
Tends to a high degree on instability and personnel turnover ( a weakness )
Duties: ( violent crime, drug crime, county jails, civil processes and taxes, court officers)

29. CORONER Coroner: Elected official on the county level
Also referred to as the medical examiner
Is responsible to investigate “ all sudden, unexplained, unnatural or suspicious deaths “
Determines the cause of death
Performs autopsies and assists in homicide investigations

30. STATE POLICE AND HIGHWAY PATROLS
Created for three reasons:
Assist local police agencies
Investigate criminal activities that crossed jurisdictional boundaries
Provide law enforcement in rural areas without local PD’s
Have statewide jurisdiction and are authorized to perform a wide variety of law enforcement tasks
State highway patrol have limited authority by jurisdiction or by offenses

31. LIMITED PURPOSE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
Alcohol Beverage Control Commissions
Fish and game warden organizations
Motor vehicle compliance agencies

32. FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
Does not make up a large part of the nation’s law enforcement force
Agencies do have substantial influence
Many agencies authorized by Congress to take care of specific crimes or situations

34. HOMELAND SECURITY The Department of Homeland Security (DHS):
Created by Bush in 2002
Functions as a cabinet level department to protect the U.S. against international and domestic terrorism
22 existing agencies moved under (DHS )
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (BCP)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
The U.S. Secret Service

35. HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Customs and Border Protections – polices flow of goods and people across international borders (Mexico and Canada)
To keep illegal immigrants, drugs and drug traffickers from crossing the border
Facilitate the smooth flow of legal trade and travel
Border Patrol
20,000 agents guard sectors along the border
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
CBP covers borders and ICE covers everything else
Aggressive with deporting illegal immigrants

36. HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Secret Service
Created in 1865 to combat currency counterfeiters
1901 – added the responsibility of protecting president, VP, president elect and former presidents
Responsible for protecting political figures
Directs two uniformed groups of police officers:
Secret Service Uniformed Division
Treasury Police Force

37. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Created in 1870 – primary law enforcement agency in the country
Responsible for enforcing federal criminal law and federal prisons
Agencies include FBI, DEA, ATF and Marshalls

38. FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation:
One of the primary investigative agencies in the United States
Has jurisdiction over nearly 200 federal crimes including kidnapping, extortion, numerous white collar crimes, and bank robbery
Has agents across the nation and the world – terrorism and drug trafficking
The FBI crime laboratory is the largest in the world
National Crime Information Center

39. DEA One of the fastest growing law enforcement agencies in the country
Primary mission is to combat illegal drugs and enforce domestic drug laws
Assist other federal agencies in illegal drug trade on an international level ( Mexico)
Attack and assist on a local level
Share some of responsibilities with FBI
Diversion Groups – prescription drugs

40. U.S. MARSHALLS Oldest federal law enforcement agency
Initially charged to protect A.G.
Today :
Provide security at federal courthouses
Control seized property
Witness protection
Transport federal prisoners
Investigate federal fugitives

41. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY
Founded in 1789
Responsible for all financial matters in the Federal Government
Pays government bills, borrows money, collects taxes, mints coins and prints paper currency
IRS is their largest bureau – concerned with tax law violations and regulations

42. PRIVATE SECURITY Over $100 billion spent each year
Over 10,000 U.S. private security firms
1.1 million people employed in security each year
The function of private security is to deter crime rather than stop it
Security officers only report crimes, and in some cases, make citizens’ arrests.