The Three Eras Of Policing

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The changing role of policing over the three eras has changed dramatically. The three eras are Political, Professional and Community, within each era there are strengths and weaknesses of the police's role during it. The primary role and function of the police today should be community policing.

Political Era

In the Political Era, which is between 1840 and 1920, the police formed close ties with the political leaders. The police worked for the mayor's political party rather than the citizens. The ranks in the police force were for sale to the highest bidder. In 1845, New York was the first to establish a full-time paid police force. Then other cities like Chicago began to follow. The police sought to prevent crimes and keep order through …show more content…

The organization was decentralized and had no command structures. Lack of officer training and accountability were also one of the weaknesses.

Professional Model Era

During the professional model era which was between 1920 and 1970, American policing was greatly influenced by the Progressive movement. With their slogan, "The police have to get out of politics, and politics has to get out of the police," that was where the key to the Progressives' concept of professional law enforcement.

August Vollmer, the chief of police of Berkeley was a leading advocate of professional policing. There were other police reformers that stood along with him, so he urged that the police should be made into a professional force that is a nonpartisan agency of government committed to public service. The professional policing has six elements which include: (1) the force should stay out of politics;(2) members should be well trained, well disciplined, and tightly organized;(3) law should be enforced equally;(4) the force should use new technology;(5) personnel procedures should be based on merit;(6) the main task of the police should be crime fighting. I see these six elements as strengths of policing in the professional model

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