Pender, Lionel, ed. To Serve and Protect: The History of Policing. Part of the Law Enforcement and Intelligence Gathering series. 2017. 96p. ISBN 978-1-5081-0381-3. Available at 363.2 TO on the library shelves.
Policing has a long history, but it is only in the last 150 years that it has become an organization recognizable to modern society. In the last few years, the Black Lives Matter movement has shown the spotlight on disputed police practices, from a militarizing of the force to poor community relations. These issues have been decades in the making, and stem from a war on crime launched in the 1970s.
Empires of ancient civilizations employed people in the role of law enforcement officers, along with other duties such as fighting fire and collecting taxes. But for most of history, local communities were in charge of monitoring crime, punishing criminal, and enforcing laws. It is only with the evolution of the nation-state that recognizable police forces emerge. First tasked with implementing the King’s will, law enforcement soon became dedicated to protect the population from criminals. However, it wasn’t until the end of the 19th century that police officers became paid by political entities and were no longer able to accept bribes and payments for crimes solved. Several models of law enforcement were explored, particularly in the West, where vigilantes arose to protect towns from desperadoes.
The 20th century saw the rise of a professional and effective force capable of investigating and solving major crimes using scientific principles. Social and psychological theories were incorporated in police works, and specialized units arose. The introduction of the automobile into police work perversely diminished the community presence, so community policing was introduced to address the lack of proximity between officers and the people they serve and protect. Today, tensions between police and ethnic minorities and terrorism are presenting law enforcement troubles that we are still struggling to address.
The history of policing is a fascinating one, and readers who are interested in law enforcement will appreciate seeing how policing evolved over the centuries.
Titles in this series include:
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