History of US CJ System

English Roots of American Policing

Before the 12th Century

Justice was a private matter based on revenge and retribution

Victims pursued perpetrators without government assistance

Blood feuds: families waged war on each other to settle disputes

No organized system of community protection

The Tithing System (12th Century)

Also called the frankpledge system

Ten families formed a tithing and agreed to:

Follow the law

Keep peace in their areas

Bring law violators to justice

Ten tithings = one hundred

One or several hundreds = one shire (similar to a modern county)

The Shire Reeve

Leader of the shire (later called sheriff)

Received help from elected constables at town and village levels

Constables organized citizens into posses to chase and apprehend offenders

This practice still exists in some U.S. counties today

The Statute of Winchester (1285)

Formalized the constable-watch system:

One man from each parish selected as constable (chief peacekeeper)

Constables could draft citizens as watchmen to guard the city at night

All males aged 15 to 60 required to:

Maintain weapons

Come to the aid of constable or watchman when called (hue and cry)

This system lasted into the 1970s in some communities

The London Metropolitan Police

Why London Needed Centralized Police

Industrial Revolution caused urban population growth

People moved from countryside to cities seeking factory work

Results: increasing poverty, public disorder, and crime

Opposition existed because people feared:

A return to absolute power of kings

A system like Paris's police (notorious for spies and intrusion)

The London Metropolitan Police Act (1829)

Created a 1,000-officer police force with professional standards

Replaced the patchwork of community law enforcement systems

Officers called Bobbies or peelers after Robert Peel, the British home secretary

Organization and Function

Organized according to military rank and structure

Commanded by two magistrates (later called commissioners)

Main function: prevent crime through preventive patrol, not by force

Londoners initially resisted but eventually accepted the positive effects

Robert Peel's Principles of Policing

Key principles to remember:

Police must be stable, efficient, and organized along military lines

Police must be under governmental control

The absence of crime will best prove police efficiency

Distribution of crime news is essential

Deployment of police strength by time and area is essential

A quiet, determined manner has more effect than violent action

Good appearance commands respect

Securing and training proper persons is at the root of efficiency

Every police officer must be given a number

Police headquarters should be centrally located and accessible

Policemen should be hired on a probationary basis

Police records are necessary to correct distribution of police strength

Early American Law Enforcement

The Constable-Watch System in America

American colonists brought the constable-watch system from England

Boston established a night watch as early as 1634

Citizens could pay for watch replacements

Often the worst people ended up protecting the community (elderly, minor offenders)

Two forms of protection evolved:

The watch in villages, towns, and cities

The sheriff in rural areas, unincorporated areas, and counties

Challenges in Growing Cities

Industrial Revolution lured people from farms to cities

Immigrants settled near factories

Overcrowding and unhealthy living conditions

Major urban violence in the first half of the 19th century

Sources of trouble:

Racial and ethnic tensions

Drinking establishments in working-class districts

Heavy drinking led to fights, brawls, and riots

Weaknesses of Early Systems

Neither night watch nor constables tried to prevent or discover crime

No uniforms worn

Unable to contain increasing lawlessness

Constables had daytime duties: investigating health hazards, court orders, clearing debris, apprehending criminals with complaints filed

Municipal Police Forces

New York City (1844)

Combined day and night watches to form the first paid, unified police force in the U.S.

Close ties developed between police and local political leaders

Citizens were suspicious of constant police presence

Corruption problem: Municipal Police so corrupt that state legislature abolished it