The Development and Responsibilites of Police Officers

Public Safety (2007) has stated that throughout history almost everyone have wanted a form of protection so they did not have to live in fear every time they left their house. People generally want to live their lives knowing that they are safe. It is not known for sure where the origins of police work have actually begun. During the medieval times, fudal lords would hire strong men who would ensure that everyone paid their taxes. These hired brutes attempted to maintain some sort of order throughout the kingdom among the people. Unfortunately, in most cases, these men only followed their employer’s wishes and did not handle situations in honest or civilized ways (p.142).

When America was first colonized the people living here followed a British form of police organization. The governor appointed a sheriff, who collected taxes and enforced laws and protected the people and their property. There was also a group of men, often called night watchmen, who stayed up during the night and protected their cities against fire and crime. Once cities started to expand in the 19th century, a larger and more organized police force was then created.

In 1829 a man named Sir Robert Peel established the first modern police force that wasn’t a part of the military. The New York City police force was created in 1844. These men wore uniforms and carried guns with them. This police force worked twenty-four hours of the day to protect its citizens within the city. An effort to create a statewide police force was made in Texas in 1835. These uniformed men protected against crime and were called the Texas Rangers. Only until 1905 was the very first official State Police department created. This department was in Pennsylvania. Soon after ...

... middle of paper ...

...e state and federal level. Smaller local departments often suffer from budget cuts which limit the number of officers they can higher.

Pennsylvania’s state wide’s outlook for state policemen is decreasing. As of 2010 Pennsylvania had 28,140 state policemen employed. The predicted growth from 2010 to 2020 is 0 percent. Openings due to the growth of Pennsylvania annually is 0. Annual openings due to retirement is 826.

At the national level the outlook for this occupation is currently stable. From 2010 to 2020, the employment change is predicted to increase 8.2 percent. The national average for all jobs in the United States has increases 14.3 percent. In the years 2010 to 2020 it is predicted that there will be a small amount of job openings annually. There are expected to be 24,94o annual job openings for the national level between the years 2010 and 2020.