Description
Book SynopsisAmerica’s first known system of law enforcement was established more than 350 years ago. Today law enforcement faces issues such as racial discrimination, use of force, and Body Worn Camera (BWC) scrutiny. But the birth and development of the American police can be traced to a multitude of historical, legal and political-economic conditions. In The History of Policing America: From Militias and Military to the Law Enforcement of Today, Laurence Armand French traces how and why law enforcement agencies evolved and became permanent agencies; looking logically through history and offering potential steps forward that could make a difference without triggering unconstructive backlash. From the establishment of the New World to the establishment of the Colonial Militia; from emergence of the Jim Crow Era to the emergence of the National Guard; from the creation of the U.S. Marshalls, federal law enforcement agencies, and state police agencies; this book traces the historical geo-political basis of policing in America and even looks at how certain events led to a call for a better trained, and subsequently armed, police, and the de facto militarization of law enforcement. The current controversy regarding policing in America has a long, historical background, and one that seems to repeat itself. The History of Policing America successfully portrays the long lived motto you can’t know who you are until you know where you’ve come from.
Trade ReviewPolicing America: From Militias to Law Enforcement Today by Laurence French. French provides an excellent insight into the development of policing in America. Policing America is well thought-out, well written and organized This book should be read by all those interested in policing. -- Michael J. Palmiotto, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Wichita State University
This book is a comprehensive review of the history on how both informal and formally sanctioned organizations in the United States morphed into the law enforcement organizations that exist today. It is well written, easy to understand, and will be of great interest to all readers alike. -- Jeffrey Ian Ross, PhD, professor, University of Baltimore
French’s career long investigation of policing practices and policies provides the basis for his insightful analysis of the historical roots of the paradoxes of policing in the 21st century. This book makes an important contribution to our understanding of the social forces that shape police-citizen encounters. -- John Humphrey, PhD, professor, Saint Anselm College
Table of ContentsPart I: Origins of U.S. Law Enforcement: Militias, Military, Marshals, and Sheriffs Chapter 1: Introduction: Colonial Roots in Policing America Chapter 2: Introduction to the Origins of American Jurisprudence Chapter 3: Growing Pains—1783–1865: Insurrections, Rebellions, and Indian Removal Chapter 4: Post–Civil War Unrest and Social Control during the Nineteenth Century Part II: Law and Order in the Americas and Beyond, 1898–1946 Chapter 5: U.S. Colonial Expansionism in the Caribbean and Pacific Chapter 6: Reinforcing WASP White Supremacy: Eugenics and Prohibition Chapter 7: Post–World War II Challenges to Law Enforcement Part III: Civil Rights Aftermath: Increased Militarization and Racial Myths Enhancement Chapter 8: The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act Chapter 9: Role of Academia in Validating “Institutional Racism” Chapter 10: The War on Drugs and Its Escalation Chapter 11: Factors Contributing to the Militarization of the Police Part IV: Twenty-First-Century Concerns Chapter 12: Understanding Group Dynamics, Biases, Prejudices, and Discrimination Chapter 13: Assessing Law Enforcement Personnel Chapter 14: Politics and Policing Chapter 15: Recommendations for American Law Enforcement Postscript: An Ethno-Methodological Note
