Hand in Hand: Policing and Government
Trinity Johns
Duke University Hand in Hand: Policing and Government P. J. Stead one said “Nations carve their police systems in their own likeness”. Through the examination of articles by Mark Haller and Wilbur Miller, we will investigate the historical connection between the institutional architecture of the state and police behavior, and how they have become “carved” through this relationship. Both authors present this historical connection through different lenses; for instance, Miller describes how the structure of U.S. government leaves control in local citizens’ hands, while Haller explains how local politics works in the exercise of practice. Both authors recognize that governments…show more content… First, police forces have been known to be “highly decentralized and often reflected, in important ways, the values of local communities” (Haller 1976). For most of their existence, local police forces have been bound to political leaders and have assisted in both their rise and stability in society. Additionally, for a significant amount of time, the police and local government had an uninterrupted ability to constantly communicate; this was possible because the police superintended was housed in city hall, rather than police headquarters, until the 1960s (Haller 1976). Moreover, in addition to their close-knit relationship known by the public, both police forces and governments often had an underground relationship that was both equally profitable for both parties involved, and truly solidified their loyalty to one another. Haller’s article (1976) states that in exchange for not interfering in gambling and prostitution, which many politicians profited from, the police forces within that district received a goodwill contribution that helped increase their income. Therefore, although police may have been against the act of defending these crimes, it was in their best interest to obey a code of loyalty between the government officials surrounding them. Likewise, even though policemen had been known to have high job security, despite the administrations in place, their ability to get a promotion or receive high level assignments did rely on the political figures in power. Thus, the ability to have a positive connection with political officials was imperative to an officer’s success in job advancement. As you can see, Haller’s article shows how Miller’s structural display of government works on a more intimate level. Miller speaks about how police “are the face of ordinary citizens”, yet he completely neglects to show how
