Policing

Chapter 7

Who founded the first organized police department?

Sir Robert Peel in 1829.

What were Peel’s officers called?

“Bobbies.”

What was the main purpose of Peel’s New Police?

Preventive policing designed to discourage crime before it happens.

How were Peel’s police organized?

Uniformed and structured with a military-style administration.

What do Peel’s Nine Principles emphasize?

Public approval, crime prevention over punishment, and ethical policing.

How did early American policing mirror Britain?

Colonial sheriffs kept the peace, city marshals worked in towns, and rural slave patrols enforced control.

What were slave patrols created to do?

Protect white interests, catch runaway slaves, and prevent slave insurrections.

Who served on slave patrols?

Mostly lower-class white men.

Why are slave patrols seen as precursors to modern policing?

They were organized, government-controlled, and had specialized authority similar to modern police.

What defines the Political Era of policing (1840s–1920s)?

Political influence, minimal training, no formal legal education, little supervision, and broad discretion.

What was the Wickersham Commission?

A 1929 national study ordered by President Hoover to examine the criminal justice system.

Who was August Vollmer?

The Berkeley Police Chief (1905–1932) known as the father of modern policing.

What innovations did August Vollmer support?

Fingerprinting, firearm identification, and lie detector testing.

What was the Community Problem-Solving Era (1960s–1990s)?

A response to civil unrest emphasizing closer community relationships and problem-solving

What are the three levels of policing in the U.S.?

Federal, State, and Local.

Which federal agencies are under the Department of Justice (DOJ)?

FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, ATF.

Which agencies are under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)?

CBP, ICE, Secret Service, FEMA.

What are the main responsibilities of metropolitan police?

Enforce laws within city boundaries and focus on crime prevention.

What do state police agencies handle?

Statewide policing, highway patrol, and sometimes campus law enforcement.

What are random patrols?

Police cruising randomly to maintain a visible presence, deter crime, and reduce citizen fear.

What did the Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment (1972) find?

Random patrols had little to no effect on actual crime rates.

What are directed patrols?

Targeted policing focusing on specific problem areas or “hot spots.”

What tools are used in directed policing?

GIS mapping and COMPSTAT (statistical crime tracking).

What is Order Maintenance Policing (Broken Windows Theory)?

Addressing minor issues like vandalism to prevent serious crime.

What is community policing?

Building partnerships between police and communities, emphasizing proactive, decentralized problem-solving.

What is the goal of community policing?

to increase public trust and cooperation while creating safer neighborhoods.