LANSING POLICE DEPARTMENT HISTORICAL WEB SITE
|
LANSING POLICE DEPARTMENT HISTORICAL WEB SITE
|
|
|
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Law enforcement is the means by which a community, state, or country keeps order. The special legacy inherited on the day an officer takes an oath of office and receives a BADGE goes back far beyond the Lansing Police Department. In the villages of New England American colonists established the English form of “watch and ward duty” where a “reeve,” or chief headed each “shire” or county. Hence the term “sheriff,” a shortened form of “shire-reeve.” By 1844, the growth of New York City prompted the legislature to create a police department with an appointed “chief.” This was followed by similar legislation in Boston and Chicago in the 1850s. These departments were modeled after the military style of the London Metropolitan Police force organized in 1829 by Sir Robert Peel. However, the London police force was formed on a national level, while American departments are organized on a local level. Many people were not in favor of uniformed police and until after the Civil War most American policemen wore their own clothing with a police badge made of “copper.” Low pay and the lack of training and supervision reduced their ability to respond to the public’s needs. A small group of reformers searched for a different approach. In the 1870s over 100 men attended a National Police Convention to form a “voice” for police agencies and discussed such topics as criminal photograph exchange, police telegraphing, abandoned youth, and the role of the police officer. In 1901, this group became known as the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). In 1907, Chief August Vollmer of Berkeley, CA contributed to reform by introducing forensic science to police work. His department was called upon to investigate an apparent suicide, but when Vollmer called in a forensic scientist the doctor determined the case to be a homicide. Having arrived in America from other countries, many of Vollmer’s officers could barely speak English but he required them to attend classes on the gathering of physical evidence and other proper police methods. In essence, Chief Vollmer created the first police academy and by 1920 had organized the first School of Criminology. He gained national recognition and served as a mentor to many law enforcement officers. Chief Fred Koehler of Cleveland continued the progressive-reform era when he proposed teaching policemen what constituted a good arrest by using discretion while performing their duties. Through his efforts, rehabilitation of juveniles, women, and adults with minor offenses led to the first juvenile court and the National Probation Association. The Criminal Justice System then included the police officer, the courts, and the prison system. In the early 1900s, the automobile contributed to major changes in the way police officers carried out their duties, as officers went from walking beats to motor patrols. Chief O.W. Wilson of Wichita, KN, using influences from August Vollmer, geographically researched the city. Applying these statistics he determined the size of the police force needed to effectively serve the city. He redistributed the auto and foot patrol officers and encouraged the move to one-man patrol cars. From the 1940s-60s Wilson authored influential textbooks used throughout the United States and became a leading authority of police administration. Police work had produced its own authorities. Police departments were formed to “protect and serve” the public. Over the decades history illuminates the changes in society, industry, technology, creating the path taken by law enforcement to better serve the citizens. |
|
Send mail to
canderson@ci.lansing.mi.us with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
