Essay Sample on Enforcement of Laws in America: Exploring Its Components

Enforcement of laws in America is one of the major criminal justice systems. Law enforcement operates collectively in components such as semi-independently, court and corrections, investigation of criminal activities and administration of criminal punishment. The enforcement of law operates through governmental agencies of the United States (Donegan, 2012). These include; the county Sherriff Offices, City Police department, the Federal Enforcement Agencies, and the States Police. If one of these agencies suspects criminal activity, they conduct investigations and the results are presented to the federal prosecutor. The suspected criminals are then temporarily detained pending actions by the judiciary. This paper explains the law enforcement history in America. It also cites various examples of top influencers as well as top African Americans in law enforcement.

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Law enforcement agencies vary in various levels of government agencies. The enforcement agencies are charged with the responsibilities of determining crime activities as well as preventing other crimes committed in courts (Donegan, 2012). Their responsibility is to provide the first response to the emergencies that may occur. They are obligated to protect the public as well as the infrastructure. The agencies use operations to determine facilities to protect public officials. Policing in the country is now conducted more than 17,000 federal, city, local and states stakeholders. All the departments have their own rules, powers, and responsibilities which vary from one state to another.

There exists a close connection between the history of America and that in England. Early colonies took a particular form. The colonial policing was either informal or communal and was either referred to as "The Big Stick''. This system involved volunteers from the society whose work was to guard against any impending danger. Some people during the error argued that the watch system should be made up of constables (Spitzer 1979). They were considered the officers to enforce the law and were paid by through a fee system. The constables had other functions apart from law enforcement functions. These include; checking the accuracy of weights and measures in major United States' Cities and supervising activities.

In 1830, right after the American Revolution, police continued as a routine. Now, this idea of the centralized municipality was introduced and the Boston City established the first army in 1838. Similarly the southern states, the same paths were followed and the modern police organization was formed. This modern police were characterized by sharing of public and bureaucratic, they were employed permanent but not doing volunteering jobs anymore, departments now would have fixed rules and regulations, employment for the police officers would be continued and the departments of police would be accountable for the central authority. Urbanization and growth of small cities quicker the pace in which the police controlled orders. Prostitution becomes more evident and was easily ruling due to the reason the growing to urban towns from rural villages. At this time, the modern police force would not directly respond to crimes. The then government was much concerned with an economic interest greater than social control to crime. Commercial elites were responsible for the mechanism of ensuring good and orderly workmen. They provided an enabling environment for industries to grow and people to conduct business which was referred to as collective good. Maintaining a stable workforce for the development of industries ensures a safe community and it was easy for social control. Social control was defined as a crime that raised the specter of dangerous class and the need to conduct riots by the public.

There existed one similar characteristic for all police; they were notoriously corrupt and brutal. Most of them were in control of local politicians who in most cities appointed an executive to be in charge of leaders' neighborhoods. The system consisted of administration; there were organized interruption and political corruption which was inconceivable because most police were corrupt (Brown, 2010). The system gave the police payoffs which allowed them to gamble, drink and also get involved in prostitution. In other words, the police were organized criminals, pickpockets and thieves. During the post-Civil War era, the municipal police department gave attention to striking breaking. The strikes took two different forms; the forced dispersal and the subtle.

During the 17th century, the year 1635, Boston City established 'night watch' patrol officers were deployed to take control of the initial watchman duties. The watchmen served without pay although they were working part-time (Kuhns III et al. 2007). They have obligated the duties to patrol the town at night to guard against criminals, wild animals, and fire. In the 1840s the Boston watch has grown its members to 120 men who continued to operate until 1854 when their positions were taken by Boston Police Department. In the year 1786, Sheriff Benjamin Branch of Chesterfield County, Virginia was killed by his horse. He became the first law enforcement officer to be killed while in the office. The cities in America were characterized by unfolding unrest which led to the introduction of constable and other voluntary citizen groups who aimed at solving the urban problems (Kuhns III et al. 2007).

In 1844, the Young Men's Christian Association presented themselves as a perfect example to the immigrants and the poor. The same year the department of police established New York City which was later organized the following year (Kuhns III et al. 2007). The department used the London Metropolitan Police as a model and structure of quasi-military command. The main concern was to prevent crime disorder and other public services. Due to the ideological commitment to a local institution, the power of the police became the province of the state and local government (Kuhns III et al. 2007).

In 1786, the first federal law enforcement officer, who would be United States Marshall was created by the United States Congress. The then-president George Washington selected thirteen U.S Marshalls (Walker & Katz, 2012). The year 1857, Baltimore City was named as the first department of police to give pistols to police officers. The following year the departments of police form Chicago and Boston issue uniforms to their officers. In 1865, John Booth was assassinated forcing President Abraham Lincoln to approve the foundation of the United States Secret Service.

In 1870, Graham, North Carolina, Wyatt Outlaw who was serving in the position of a constable was killed while on duty. He was the first African American officer to die while on duty. The killing happened after he was removed from his place of residence by members of KKK. The reason for his killing is that he had rumored about a troop of men who belonged to the Klan the previous week. In the same year, more than 625 police officers were killed including the Chief's police while on duty.

In 1881, Billy and his notorious kids were involved in the killings of known law enforcement officers in the City of New Mexico. The enforcement officers included; Sheriff William Brady, James Carlysle, Hindman George, Marshal Robert, James Bell, and Robert Beckwith. The same year, Legendary Lawman Wyatt Earp together with his brothers Vigil and Morgan won the best famous gunfight. In 1886, 8 Chicago, policemen got brutally injured in labor conflicts known as Haymarket Riot, Mathias Deegan, John Barrett, and Michael Sheehan.

20th century marked another era of police departments change in the United States. In 1902, the United States first used fingerprinting by enforcement of the law. The heads of New York State Department's Nellie Wicks became the first female law enforcement officer and was killed in the line of duty when she was stabbed by an inmate in September 1906. In 1909, fewer police officers were reported to have been killed. Out of 100 officers, 69 of them made an ultimate sacrifice in 1909.

The later automobile was introduced by Berkeley to the police departments and the country had first agency patrol officers using the automobiles. In 1929, Federal agent Ness started a legendary carrier and picked to lead a group known as 'the Untouchable'. In the same year, 8 officers died at Colorado State Penitentiary. At the start of 1932 at least 5 lawmen were killed by unknown two suspects who wanted the murder of Marshal Mark Noe. Two years later Dillinger accompanied by another gang were involved in the killing of ten officers.

Activities by anti-labor organization compelled significant changes in the departments of police. Boxes of alarms were set throughout major cities and patrol system wagon was instituted implying a large number of people could be arrested and transported at a particular time. Effective strikes were improved and the reported compelling issues were addressed by the police. The business was improved boosting the economy of the country at large because of the abolition of brutality by police. Force arrest was enforced for those who break the law and refused to be arrested. Primarily drunkenness, harassing of a labor organizer, slaves and gambling were abolished and laws favoring these groups restricted.

There exist many reasons for the emergence of many state police agencies, for instance, following during the Philippines and Constabulary war against Spanish-American. The war created strikes especially in the local field of Pennsylvania and controlled small towns composed of catholic, Germany and European immigrants. The municipal police were enriched with day to affairs of the big city machines by the end of the 19th century. The police provided services to political allies of machines by harassing, interfering and arresting with opponent machines. The engagement by police helped to spread election fraud which they considered as the political role of the machines. They saw the use of force as a business not a crime anymore. This police were corrupt since the department of the era concentrated with the provision of 'community service rather than concentrating with law enforcement.

Prohibition advent of 1919 to 1933 worsened the entire situation. People engaging in criminal activities such as alcoholism and urban drunkenness, the police did not look at as a crime but an opportunity to create new corruption loopholes as they were substantially concentrating on corruption. How prohibition is in some way changed the way corruption was being organized by the police. Illegal outlets for alcohol, enormous sums of money and political power were no longer depending on the machines at large. The organization of crime was able to marge at large and the law could directly deal with the police. As noted earlier, corruption by police heavily depended on gambling and prostitution. On the Lenox Conference held in 1894, it investigated to find out that to be promoted in the New York Police Department, you needed to bribe with at least $1500 to be promoted and become a sergeant.

A series of investigations in Philadelphia showed that massive police collaboration came up as a result of prostitution enterprises and gambling. In 1929, Hoover, who was the then-president appointed a commission named Wickersham which was obligated to look into the rise of crime in the police departments. The commission has also obligated the task of determining the reasons for ineffectiveness when the police are dealing with criminal activities. The attempt for policy reforming comes from the ranks of the departments.

Police commissioners appointed tried to avoid scandals by changing the nature of police bureaucracy. From the reforms, training the recruits, promotion awards were estab...