Application: Law Enforcement Agencies and Systems

Law enforcement agencies and systems in the United States have evolved significantly since their inception. Initially, the approaches used by law enforcement agencies and systems were based on the needs of communities in which they were located. For example, largely urban and commercial areas in the northeast such as New York and Boston developed law enforcement agencies and systems similar to those in London in which officers patrolled neighborhoods on foot. This approach worked well in densely populated areas but not in rural areas, in which hundreds of miles of terrain had to be patrolled. Law enforcement agencies and systems were virtually nonexistent in the Old West until migration to those areas necessitated the establishment of state and county agencies to serve the population. Today, the evolution of law enforcement agencies and systems continues. The exact structure of each law enforcement agency and system is still, to some degree, driven by the demands of the local, regional, and/or state-based needs of the citizenry.

To prepare for this assignment:

• Review the assigned pages of Chapter 1 of your course text, Policing America: Challenges and Best Practices, the book excerpt “The Evolution of Law Enforcement in the United States,” and the article “Trends in Rural Police Protection.” Pay attention to the differences in the development of law enforcement agencies and systems by region (northeast, southeast, and western) and by area (urban and rural).
• Review Chapter 10 of your course text, Policing America: Challenges and Best Practices. Think about the current organization and structure of law enforcement agencies and systems. Consider how the organization and structure of law enforcement agencies and systems have evolved or developed over time.
• Consider the similarities and differences between and among the development of modern law enforcement agencies and systems in the northeast, southeast, and western regions of the United States.
• Think about the similarities and differences between the development of modern law enforcement agencies and systems in the urban and rural areas of the United States.

  The assignment (2–3 pages): due Wednesday September 7, 2016.

• Compare (similarities and differences) the development of modern law enforcement agencies and systems in the northeast, southeast, and western regions of the United States.
• Compare (similarities and differences) the development of modern law enforcement agencies and systems in the urban and rural areas of the United States.

• Based on your comparisons, explain at least one insight you had or conclusion you drew about the development of modern law enforcement agencies and systems. Be specific.