Evolution of the Police Officer

1555 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Development of technology in policing

Police officers serve and protect the people in their community. The earliest police force was established around the 1750’s. Although the first police force in the modern sense came to be over 250 years ago, the purpose they had is the same as today. As with the rest of the world advancing and progressing, the police force has advanced in many ways which have made them a more efficient and capable unit, in order to more fully accomplish their purpose of serving their community. In the next few paragraphs you will learn how training, equipment, work environment and techniques have changed and evolved in the police force.

Firstly, in the past, the training a police officer had to go through in order to be effective at their job was limited to, being able to handle the handguns and rifles and to effectively use the police baton. With the vast technological advances that have occurred, a police officer is now required to be trained in the proper use and function of a variety of new weapons and technologies. Police batons 100 years ago were small straight wooden stick resembling a miniature baseball bat. In the 1970’s it evolved to being thinner, made of metal and having a side handle for defensive purposes. Now many law enforcement agencies use extendable batons, which require more training than the original small wooden stick. Along with the increased training required to use the police baton, law enforcement officers are able to operate newer and more advanced equipment not available in the past, such as Tasers, different types of ammunition for guns, radar and laser speed guns, radios computers and even more sophisticated use of force in order to take down a suspect to name a few. The police force of today is more highly traine...

... middle of paper ...

...ne Century of Chasing Crime." auto evolution. UTC, 21Oct2009. Web. 03 Mar 2012.

- Richard A. Leo (2008). Police interrogation and American justice. Harvard University Press Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London England pg. 196-236

- Sturman, Shane. "Confrontational vs. Non-confrontational Inerrogation." CFI. 18 Mar 2009: n. page. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. .

- Williamson, T., Milne, B., & Savage, S. (2009). International Developments in Investigative Interviewing. Willan Publishing: Portland.

- Canada. Parks Canada. Rose Fortune. Web.
- Brodie, Jonathon. "London celebrates first Black police officer, Lewis Coray, hired in 1951." Canadian Immigration Report. 29 FEB 2012: n. page. Web. 1 Apr. 2012.

Show More
Related

  • The Case of Casey Anthony's Disappearance

    1874 Words  | 4 Pages

    Lord, V. B., & Cowan, A. D. (2011). Interviewing in criminal justice. Ontario: Jones and Bartlett.

    Read More

  • P. O. Michael Dowd Case Study

    1380 Words  | 3 Pages

    The job of a law enforcement officer sometimes can be tough. Officer are sometimes plagued with situation that test their ability to enforce the law and maintain order. Police officers today face a constant battle to maintain higher ethical standards. This mission becomes tougher each day when one considers the importance of fighting terrorism, drugs, human trafficking,

    Read More

  • A Study Of The Negro Policeman: Book Review

    1029 Words  | 3 Pages

    involved in being black in blue. Alex was concerned with the ways in which the

    Read More

  • The Reid Technique, Benfair, By Adam Benforado

    1823 Words  | 4 Pages

    Our interrogation tactics have come a long way from using physical force to retrieve incriminating evidence, which was referred to as the “third degree”, to non-violent methods of obtaining information. We’d like to think that the system we have instilled in America is perfect and fair, but that is far from the reality. Although we have eliminated physical force from interrogations, the new equivalent implemented to the third degree is psychological torture. The nation-wide system used to interrogate potential suspects- the Reid Technique- is heavily flawed and corrupt. In his book Unfair, author Adam Benforado, unveils the truth behind modern interrogation style: it coerces suspects into producing false confessions by subjecting them to grueling

    Read More

  • Wrongful Conviction

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the moment an innocent individual enters the criminal justice system they are pressured by law enforcement whose main objective is to obtain a conviction. Some police interrogation tactics have been characterized as explicit violations of the suspect’s right to due process (Campbell and Denov 2004). However, this is just the beginning. Additional forms of suffering under police custody include assaults,

    Read More

  • The PEACE and Cognitive Interviewing Models vs. the Reid Technique

    1740 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...igations today has a huge impact on false confessions. The Reid Technique is being criticized in the media because of its guilt-presumptive, aggressive, and psychologically manipulative nature. It is based on a series of assumptions that lack scientific support, and by using it they are creating hostile and coercive environment for the interrogation. The fact that they try to pass these confessions off as voluntary should also be an issue against using them since we know they are usually coerced. There are two alternatives to the Reid technique being used to interview suspects. These do not use coercion and manipulation to get confessions. The first is the PEACE Model, which is an interview technique that is more ethical, and the other technique is Cognitive interviewing which is used by police as a memory technique used to enhance the retrieval of their memory.

    Read More

  • Police Brutality is a Criminal Act

    1671 Words  | 4 Pages

    The main purpose of the police is to protection, and force should only be use to promote the safety of the community. The police have been charged with the one of the greatest responsibility in the world, and that is with safeguarding the domestic well being of the public. My father was a New York police officer for 20 years, and I know firsthand that this job is not an easy one. The polic...

    Read More

  • What Are The Strengths And Weaknesses Of A Victim Interview

    1467 Words  | 3 Pages

    This assignment will identify the strengths and weaknesses regarding the fundamentals of the interviewing, and whether the seven stages in the interview sequence were properly used by the detective in film Interviewing victims and witnesses. Many Successful victim and witness interviews use foundational knowledge to explore and evaluate the role of six key factors and seven stages have in successful interviews. I will carefully examine the effectiveness of the structure that was used by the detective, and identify the presence of proxemics, micro-skills involved in listening, the development of rapport, and possible barriers to communication.

    Read More

  • Police Brutality: A Stain on American Society

    1744 Words  | 4 Pages

    Burris, John L. Blue vs. Black : let's end the conflict between cops and minorities New York : St. Martin's Press, 1999

    Read More

  • The Police Force: The Use Of Force

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    A police officer’s job is to protect civilians by keeping criminals off the streets. Without the use of force, this duty would become quite difficult. Some people try to turn the use of police force into a race issue when it has absolutely nothing to do with it. While some

    Read More

  • African American Police Research Paper

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    (1st para)How did police get started? According to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund, in 1635 “The City of Boston establishes the first system of law enforcement in the 13 colonies. Called the ‘night watch,’ officers served part-time, without pay.” Later, on September 24, 1789, “The United States Congress creates the first Federal law enforcement officer, the United States Marshal,” which were appointed by President George Washington.” According to Eastern Kentucky University, “It was not until the 1830s that the idea of a centralized municipal police department first emerged in the United States. In 1838, the city of Boston

    Read More

  • Eras of American Policing and Their Origin

    1541 Words  | 4 Pages

    Walker, S., & Katz, C. (2012). Police in America: An Introduction (8th Edition ed.). New York:

    Read More

  • The Law Enforcement Hiring Process

    1126 Words  | 3 Pages

    This paper will show four different police departments that are currently hiring or recruiting for police officers. There will be a summary on the research found on the process used to recruit police officers. It will also show their current hiring trends and what hiring practices they have that are successful or not successful. The paper will also go over the different methods departments use to train their new officers and their values.

    Read More

  • Police Interrogation Paper

    1423 Words  | 3 Pages

    The intellectual battle between police officers and suspects has been ongoing since laws were created. Who did it? Being one of the most popular questions around the globe. There is a multitude of different way to figure out who did it, but one of the most common, and often the only, piece of evidence and investigator can gather is a confession. To get these confessions investigators often use a harsh and aggressive method of interrogation known as the Reid technique. The Reid technique uses a multitude of morally questionable methods to gather a confession such as intimidation, telling the suspect that there is evidence placing them at the scene, and continually refusing to accept the denial of the suspect. These interrogations can also last

    Read More

  • Police Officer´s Responsibilities

    564 Words  | 2 Pages

    When you think of police what does it mean to you? The responsibility of a police officer is to protect the public and to serve the community. Also, they detect and to prevent crime, police officers strive to maintain the law. New police officers work with the general duty as patrol divisions, that provides a range of experiences and assignments. The General duty of policing involves patrolling in assigned areas to enforce laws, protect public safety, and arrest criminal suspects either by car, foot, bicycle, or in some cases, horse. Police officers can also do some of the following: they Investigate accidents and crime scenes; to secure evidence and interview any witnesses; they collect notes and reports; they can provide emergency assistance to victims an disaster, crime, and accidents;

    Read More

More about Evolution of the Police Officer

Open Document