CRI 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Bow Street Runners, London Metropolitan University, New York City Police Department
10/23/18
POLICING, HISTORY & STRUCTURE
• History of Policing
o American model of policing was based on British model
o Police forces throughout the world developed similarly, but often in isolation from one
another
o Early law enforcement system (1200s) utilized non-uniformed, mounted officers
• Depended heavily on citizen efforts for criminal apprehension
o In England, bailiffs were used for night watches
o Larger cities expanded idea of bailiff
• Resulted in day ward and night watch
o British police strategies were codified
• Statue of Winchester
• Many were drafted
o Gin riots of 18th and 19th centuries rendered bailiffs inadequate
o Bow Street Runners, one of the first early police forces
• Early police unit, heavily disciplined and trained
o In 1829, Robert Peel formed first modern police form in the world
• London Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)
• 'Bobbies' after Robert
• Uniformed
• Used military hierarchy of command
o Based on two principles:
• That is was possible to discourage crime
• Practice of preventative patrol
• American Experience
o Based in part on British model
o However, was considered to be very decentralized
• Vast amounts of land, wealth, nature of citizenry
o Utilized modified versions of the night watch/day ward
o The Frontier relied heavily on vigilante, posse, and gang justice
• Lynching, hangings occurred
• Lack of formal law enforcement
• Occurred up until the 19th century
o 17th century. Watchmen were used in place of drafted citizens in NYC
o 1731, first precinct was established
o Early 19th century, Boston, Cincinnati, and New Orleans followed NYC model
o 1844, day and night forces were combined to form NYC Police Department
• 1855, Boston followed suit
o During 19th century, immense amount of difference in style of policing depending on where
you live
• In the South, police were a sort of occupying force
o Creation of policing organizations:
• International Association of Chiefs of Police (1902)
• Fraternal Order of Police (1918)
o By 1915, 25 cities employed policewomen
• Most were confined to administrative duties, not allowed to carry out the same roles
as men such as serving on the day or night watch
o Advances in technology continued to alter police
• Telephones, call-boxes, automobiles, radios
o Bureau of Investigation created (later become FBI)
