It was not long before the value of such police forces was noted by America’s largest cities and the idea was selectively imported. The main element of the British model that Americans rejected was the nationalization of police services. Americans at the time were still fearful of strong central authority and elected to establish police forces on a local level.
While arguably more democratic, decentralized police forces organized on the local level were not nearly as well insulated from local politics as their British counterparts. Political leaders were able to exert a large amount of influence over police hiring, policymaking, and field practices.
The First Modern Police Forces in the United States
There is some debate amongst the concerned departments as to whether Boston or New York City was the first modern police force in the United States. Boston’s day watch was established in 1838, and many credit this as the first modern police force. New York City formed its police force in 1844. Most other large cities soon followed suit, and full-time, salaried officers became the norm.
Early Issues in Policing: A Tale of Politics and Power
Political Influence and Its Effects on Policing
Back in the day, the police force was a lot like a game of politics. The people in charge often used the police to get what they wanted, rather than focusing on keeping everyone safe. Imagine this: the police being more like helpers for politicians than protectors of the public! Politicians would hire police officers from certain groups to make sure they got more votes. And sometimes, these officers would even turn a blind eye to crimes if they were paid off. It wasn’t really about keeping the streets safe, but more about who had the power.
Policing and Politics in the 19th Century
In the 1800s, policing in the United States was really mixed up with politics. The police and politicians were like two peas in a pod. Politicians would hire police officers to help them stay in power. In return, these officers would encourage people to vote for these politicians. It was like a cycle where each one helped the other stay in charge.
The Role of Police Chiefs and Officers
The connection between politicians and the police was so strong that every time there was a change in political power, the police department would practically get a whole new team! Police chiefs, chosen by these politicians, had little say in what happened in their departments. This meant they couldn’t really make decisions to help their teams or improve how things were done.
The High Cost of Becoming a Police Officer
Back then, being a police chief was like riding a really fast merry-go-round. For example, Cincinnati had seven different chiefs in just eight years! And becoming a patrol officer wasn’t easy or fair – in some places, you had to pay hundreds of dollars just to get the job. Even promotions had a price tag. This meant that sometimes, the people who became officers weren’t necessarily the best ones for the job.
The Issue with Training and Standards
When someone finally became a policeman, part of their salary had to be given to the political party in charge. There were hardly any rules for hiring the right people or training them properly. A guy named August Vollmer once said that because of all this political influence, many police officials back then were not well-trained or smart about how to really keep people safe.
🔍 Reflect
How do you think this kind of political influence affected the way the police worked back then? How different do you think policing is now compared to the 1800s?
The Early Days of Policing
What Being a Police Officer Used to Be Like
Back in the early days, becoming a police officer was pretty simple, but not exactly what you’d expect. Imagine this: you show up for your first day, you get a quick talk from a boss, a wooden club, a whistle, and a key to a special phone box. That’s it. No fancy training, no law books, nothing! You’d just partner up with someone who’s been doing it for a while and learn as you go. Police work back then wasn’t just about catching bad guys; it was a lot more.
The Many Hats of Early Police Officers
Police officers had to do all sorts of things, and not all of them were about stopping crimes. They were like the Jack-of-all-trades. For example, they would clean the streets, check out boilers to make sure they were safe, help people who were poor by giving them supplies, find a place for homeless folks to stay, keep an eye on markets to make sure everything was okay, drive emergency vehicles, and, of course, try to stop crimes. It was a mix of being a helper, a caretaker, and a crime fighter all rolled into one.
🔍 Reflect
How do you think having to do all these different jobs affected police officers back then? Would you like it if police officers today did more than just focus on crime?
Limited Oversight and Political Ties
Keeping Citizens Happy
In the early days of policing, there was a big focus on making sure the people (who were also voters) were happy. This wasn’t just about being nice – it was a strategy. Happy citizens meant that the local political boss, who had a lot of power, would stay in office. And why did this matter to the police? Well, if their boss lost his job, they might lose theirs too. So, keeping everyone happy was a way to make sure they kept their jobs.
More Socializing Than Patrolling?
In some cities, police officers didn’t do much of the typical police work we think of today. Instead of patrolling the streets and keeping an eye out for trouble, they spent a lot of time hanging out in places like saloons, bowling alleys, and barbershops. It was more about eating, drinking, and chatting with the owners of these places than about keeping the streets safe. So, they were more like regulars at these businesses rather than officers on duty.
Supervision? What Supervision?
When it came to keeping an eye on these officers, well, there wasn’t much of that. Their main responsibility was to the political leaders who helped them get their jobs. There was a system where a sergeant would check on them by making a sound with a whistle or a baton, and the officers had to respond to show they were around. But that was pretty much it for supervision. Later, around the mid-to-late 1800s, things started to change a bit with the introduction of call boxes. These were like early telephones directly connected to the police headquarters, which helped improve communication between officers and their bosses.
🔍 Reflect
How do you think the lack of supervision and focus on political connections affected the way police officers did their job back then? How important do you think supervision and accountability are in policing today?
Policing Challenges: Misconduct and Corruption
The Rise of Police Misconduct and Corruption
When you mix the limited supervision of police officers with a lot of political control, you get a recipe for trouble. This was exactly what happened in the early days of policing. Police misconduct and corruption weren’t just rare events; they were pretty common. A lot of this bad behavior was tied to politics – like messing with elections or making people vote a certain way. There were also serious issues with officers abusing their power and using too much force.
Using Violence and Limited Options for Citizens
Back then, police officers often used violence as a go-to method, especially if they thought someone was breaking the law. They believed that physically disciplining young people was more effective than arresting them. Violence was also used to get information from suspects or to force them to confess (known as the ‘third degree’). Even in cases where officers felt disrespected, they thought it was okay to use “street justice.” If people had complaints about the police, they didn’t have many options, as the police bosses and courts usually sided with the officers.
What the Lexow Commission Found
The Lexow Commission was one of the first groups to really dig into police corruption. After a huge investigation involving thousands of subpoenas and witnesses, they came up with some pretty shocking findings. The police were not acting as protectors at election polls but were instead helping a political group. Instead of stopping illegal activities like gambling and prostitution, they were letting them happen for a share of the profits. Detectives were only interested in finding stolen property if there was a reward. And, the police were often harassing regular, law-abiding people instead of helping them.
The Outcome of the Lexow Investigation
Following the investigation, some officers were fired or even convicted of crimes. But later on, many of these decisions were reversed, and the officers got their jobs back. This showed just how strong political influence was in American policing at that time.
🔍 Reflect
How do you think the findings of the Lexow Commission impacted public trust in the police? Do you believe investigations like this are important in today’s world to ensure police accountability?
Key Terms
References and Further Reading
Modification History File Created: 08/15/2018 Last Modified: 12/111/2023
This work is licensed under an Open Educational Resource-Quality Master Source (OER-QMS) License.
