Policing in the USA

The struggle for political control of the police in the United States gave rise to a distinctive strategy of policing that became influential throughout the Western democracies in the 20th century. The strategy involved new managerial techniques, integrated sources of authority, innovative tactics, and a narrowed definition of police work. Many of the reform leaders were police administrators who desired to make policing more professional. They sought to improve the administration and organization of their departments while at the same time isolating them from the corrupting influence of local politics. The strategy eventually led to the rejection of the Peelian principle that effective policing needed community approval and support. Instead, administrators adopted an insular view of professionalism that emphasized crime fighting as the primary function of police work. That rejection of the alliance between the community and police and the narrowing of the mission of police work would lead to disastrous consequences in later decades. The period from about 1900 to 1920 was a tumultuous time for police in the United States: progressives battled entrenched ward and “machine” leaders for political control of cities; labour unrest and concerns about communist influence preoccupied many politicians and police officials; political and economic corruption was widespread at all levels of government; and the Prohibition movement was becoming a political force. Riots, mass demonstrations, and bombings were not unusual. The limited ability of local police departments and private detective agencies to handle such problems eventually forced federal and state governments to create their own police organizations.

Презентация на тему: Policing in the USA, 16 слайдов