Police Ethics

Police Influence on Society

Heather Kyzer

CJA 344: Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice

November 12, 2012

Roger Schoenwald

Police Influence on Society

Police influence society on different factors. The factors of influence that police have on society can be negative and positive. Police have the duty to serve and to protect the society. As on the three major components of the American criminal justice system, American law enforcement main purpose is to maintain order and investigate suspected criminal activity in this country (Get A Real Degree, 2012). The history of law enforcement began 1626 when New York City Sheriff’s Office was founded. After the opening of New York City Sheriff’s Office Boston began its own “Night Watch” in 1635 (Get A Real Degree, 2012).

Over the years since 1626 policing has changed dramatically. Policing on a technological development has increased massively. In the beginning, all policing was did on foot or by horse, now days there are patrol cars, vans, SUV, helicopters, bicycle, motorcycle, and even boats. The number of policemen and policewomen alone compared with the beginning of policing are massive (Get A Real Degree, 2012).

The delivery of policing, whether in the form of force or service should not be greatly inferior for some social groups than others (Phillips, 2003). The experience of policing within the American society has undergone fundamental transformation with society. Policing prior to these transformations were only White men and in today’s society there are police of every ethnic background as well as both males and females. The relationship between the police and minority ethnic communities has not been a happy one. Today’s controversy about the abuse of police power, the failure to investigate crimes against people from minority ethnic communities properly and the view that the police are unresponsive and unaccountable to the communities they serve, echoes this long and troubled history...