The Origins Of Law Enforcement And Policing

Origins of Law Enforcement and Policing

The origins of law enforcement can be traced back to English roots. The first incorporated stages of policing involved kin policing which “involved families, clans, and tribes enforcing informal rules and customs,” in the community in order to keep the peace. Law enforcement refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by “preventing, detecting, and investigating.”(Worrall & Schmalleger, 2013, p. 2) People who violated the rules and normal behaviors of the governing system, would be prosecuted in a court of law. The evolution of policing developed into watches, constables, and sheriffs, who took care of their communities. This method of policing eventually changed, when the Greek and Roman Empire took over.

Later on magistrates were appointed by the Greece and the Romans. Magistrates walked the streets day and night, their duties were, enforcing the law. The Roman Empire eventually came to an end, and the

The following year the Metropolitan Police Act was passed, and by September the 'Bobbies ' or 'Peelers ' were on the streets. They were not always successful, certainly they were not popular, but the force proved to be the foundation of the modern police force in Britain.” The Metropolitan Police Act secured the standards that formed present day English policing. To begin with, the essential method for policing was a visible presence of uniformed police. Also, order and control were to be kept up through a centralized, pseudo-military authoritative structure. Today, the nine principles that Sir Robert Peel formed can be seen throughout the world, within the law enforcement