United States Law Enforcement System

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UNITED STATES LAW ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM 2 Boston was the location of the first know system of law enforcement, which was established more than 350 years ago. At first, colonists appointed constables. Later, a “watch” was formed which was made up of six watchmen, one constable, and volunteers. The watch was responsible for patrolling at night and making rounds, enforcing the law. A sheriff, appointed by the governor, was used in more rural areas of the Colonies. This was often a paid position where the sheriff was compensated depending on the number of tasks performed or the amount of taxes collected. This early system of law enforcement was modeled after the English system, which also included the watch, constables, and sheriffs …show more content…
The duties and jurisdictions of each law enforcement agency vary and may overlap. The Department of Justice or the Department of Homeland Security are responsible for most federal law agencies. These include Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. There are 65 federal agencies whose officer’s duties include police response and patrol, criminal investigation and enforcement, inspections, security and protection, court operations, and corrections. The state Department of Public Safety or Attorney General is responsible for state-level police. The state police often perform duties including highway patrol and statewide investigations. They also assist local police with investigations and emergencies if necessary due to limited resources or jurisdictional boundaries. The special jurisdiction police have authority over parks, schools, transportation assets (e.g., airports, subways), hospitals, housing authorities, and government buildings. Deputy Sheriffs are granted authority by the state to enforce state law at the local county level. Local law enforcement is under the authority of a municipality, county, tribal authority, or other local governing body. The major duties of local police include upholding the laws of the jurisdiction, providing patrol, and investigating local crimes. Police corruption is …show more content…
It is considered procedural when a member of the police force violates department rules and regulations. Criminal misconduct involves the violation of state and federal laws. When the police violate a citizen’s Civil Rights, the misconduct is labeled unconstitutional. Misconduct can be in the form of excessive use of physical or deadly force, discriminatory arrest, physical or verbal harassment, or selective enforcement of the law. Many police departments have safeguards in place to help alleviate instances of misconduct. These might include codes of conduct, the training of new recruits and internal investigations and disciplinary actions. A department might seek outside advice and evaluation from a civilian complaint review board. There are also state laws that address police misconduct and often allow victims to sue police for damages in civil actions. It is not uncommon to hear about charges being brought up against police
UNITED STATES LAW ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM
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