Law enforcement and policing in the United States are rooted in the English constable watch system, which was made up of early American colonists volunteers who assisted the community with a variety of community service roles and very minimal enforcement. These community services roles included assisting intoxicated citizens to their homes and lighting the gas street lanterns. Policing evolved into more of a profession during the mid-19th Century, as police officers placed significance on crime prevention, protecting life and property, and preserving the peace (Haecker, 2017).
The 1900s brought the development of modern policing development, with more than 10,000 patrol units throughout the United States (Cuadro, 2019). As the century continued, science was introduced into the profession, and more of an emphasis was placed on fighting crime. Over the last 30 years, law enforcement agencies and police officers have had to evolve as their communities’ expectations have changed. With increased media coverage and almost every adult in America having a cell phone with a camera on it, police officers are facing the unprecedented challenges of being heralded as heroes when responding to active shootings and terrorist attacks with mass casualties, to being insulted and having objects thrown at them during public uprisings (Haecker, 2017).
Policing has a history of being a family business. Those seeking a career in law enforcement are pulled from a young age and are often inspired by a family member who is a police officer (Cuadro, 2019). Family traditions, public service, and the nobility of the profession are some of the primary reasons people were led to the policing profession. Policing is not just a job or a career, but it becomes a way of life supported by a strong and unique culture and belief system (Haecker, 2017; Tessieri-Hochuli, 2018; & Sutton, 2011).