History Of Police Officers

Today 's police officer in the United States has evolved in many ways from when the first police department, the Philadelphia Police Department, formed in 1751. Police officers now go through extensive training, are better educated, physically fit, and have access to vast technologies in the fight against crime. Yet even with these additional attributes, the primary role of the police officer has remained the same, to serve and protect. The people who take up this profession do it knowing that it will involve working in high stress environments, rotating work shifts, long periods way from family and friends, and instances of life and death. These officers dedicate themselves to helping others and work to make their community a safer place. It 's a profession that requires ethics, honor, integrity, and professionalism if you wish to succeed as a police officer.

The largest police department in the U.S., the NYPD, was formed in 1845. At that time, there was no existing law enforcement profession. Most patrol officers at that time were mostly white males who had a limited education, received meager training on police tactics and procedures, and often used excessive force on criminals. Police officers were primarily assigned tasks such as patrolling neighborhoods on foot, arresting offenders for criminal acts, and confronting civil disobedience, often armed with only a club for self defense. For the most part, patrolmen had insufficient guidance from the departments ' leadership in regards to police tactics and procedures. Due to limited supervision by their supervisors, police officers could often be found at local bars and restaurants, eating, drinking, and socializing with community members, instead of out patrolling neighborhoods. At that time, police officers were seen as figures with the only roles of providing neighborhood security and going after