Free Essay Analyzing the Article on History of Policing

In their article Evolving Strategy of Policing, Kelling and Moore made some explanations of the history of policing in America. The two argued that the history of policing is categorized into three eras, namely political, reform, as well as the community era. From these categories, there has emerged a changing role in the American in the ways of policing. The rise of racism and discrimination has affected in various ways, the development of the police in their departments. Kelling and Moore address the omission of minorities from being involved in improving the area of policing in America. They explain the advancement of policing as a strategic choice which is done by the police who used to develop a professional idea. The police organization can be based on the bases where the police acquire the legitimacy to help them deliver services to society. Therefore, the police functions should be laid down, with the police departments and the relationships created by the police with the surrounding.

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The Political Era

The historians have tried to explain the features of the initial policing in America. This includes the struggles between different groups to rule in the police department. In the primary era, the police were led by the local municipalities. Their police departments were powerless and also lacked the uniting power. The police had a good relationship with the politicians and this helped them to deliver an array of services to the people (Kelling and Moore 7). Cities in this era were categorized as precincts while the departments were linked to social and political detachments. Ideally, the demand for the police originated from the ward politicians and the demand for the beat officers. The system of the ruling was decentralized in this political era. Police officers used a tactic of foot patrol where the majority of the police walked beats to work on the crimes and the problems that happened to citizens. Moreover, the outcome of the police work was to maintain order, controlling the riots, and dealing with the crimes.

The Reform Era

This era was associated with the battles and conflicts that come from the urban reformer and leaders who came from the local wards. The fight came as a result of the law enforcement that limited the morality of the citizens who migrated to the urban areas. The reformers excluded themselves from politics in regard to the police legitimacy. Politics in this era became a major problem in America. As noted in the article, police narrowed their functioning to crime reduction which was their main goal to make sure they control the crime in the country. The organization of the police in the reform era used a form of administration that was encouraged by Frederick Taylor in the early twentieth century. The police redefined the good connection between the police officers and the people in the country. Police reformers tried to improve by branding on the urban policing. The police officers used a tactic of reform that entailed patrol and responded quickly to any call for services by the citizens.

The Community Problem-solving Era

In this era, the police started to get victories which they did not notice initially. Kelling and Moore illustrated that the foot patrol tactic continued to be prevalent, this made the citizens demand it be intensified. The law persisted to be the main legitimacy of the police functioning, and, hence it defined the powers of the police officers. The core functions of the police officers were to maintain law and order in the country, solving conflicts and delivering services to the citizens. The community in the era operated from the organizational assumptions which were different from those of the reform era. The demand for problem-solving used the form of decentralization in which the people were motivated to bring challenges they encountered to the precinct officers. Police officers used foot patrol tactics, solved the problems and gathered information from the citizens.

Personal Reflection on the Topic

From the analysis, it can be established that Kelling and Moore have helped people to comprehend the strategic history that governs the police officers in America. The three-era discussed above provided useful insights to people across the world, particularly in America. The interpretation of political, reform and community era have in one way curbed the white majority of people of our nation. The community era should be empowered and unite the community to be able work on a sensitive and responsible police department. In the political era, black should be made powerful and should be left to take part in the police department. This will help to eradicate the issue of racism in America by ensuring the inclusivity of every citizen in the police department without any discrimination. In the reform era where the police strategy was determined on the roots of law, hence, leaving black people unprotected, this strategy should be made to protect everyone.

Additionally, significant progress needs to be established in the community era to be able to empower the citizens to work together with police agencies. This will bring cohesion in the country, thus, improving the relationship between the citizens and the police officers in promoting peace and security in the country. The use of strength by the police officers against the minority communities should be discouraged, and justice should prevail without discrimination. Therefore, special efforts should be made in providing good training to police officers. The training should be geared towards making police competent and more sensitive to the desires and apprehensions of the minority community. Besides, better education should be provided to police leaders to help open the profession to new methods and ideas of leadership.

Works Cited

Kelling, George, and Moore, Mark. The evolving strategy of policing. Perspectives on Policing 4, (1988): pp. 1-15.