The Police and Law Enforcement

American policing is a product of its English heritage. The British colonialists brought with them the criminal justice system of their country. This included English common law. Following a discussion of the differences between state and local law enforcement and federal law enforcement, the chapter looks at the history of policing in America. In the discussion it is noted that as police departments and policing developed in the twentieth century, it was important that during the 1920s and into the 1930s that the telephone became a common convenience. That made it easier to report a crime. However, it was a cumbersome process that involved looking for the phone number for the police or asking an operator to connect you to the police department. However, that all changed in 1968 when AT&T instituted the universal emergency number 911. This chapter goes on to examine the roles police officers play with a closer look at what patrol officers do. New developments on policing are discussed, including a look at the innovations brought about by CompStat.