What aspects of the early police force in the United States led to its corruption? Describe some of these elements of corruption and how those have been addressed-or could be addressed further-in the modern system.

What will be an ideal response?


Perhaps the most significant force that led to the corruption of early policing in the United States was the fact that departments were controlled by the political system in power. This meant police were hired and promoted based on their connections rather than their qualifications. This also meant that if a new political power took control, the entire department would be upended. The police were also untrained and had nearly unchecked power, which meant they were ineffective in their patrolling and allowed to take matters into their own hands without restraint. Furthermore, the police role was only minimally directed at law enforcement, and its main function was instead to be the enforcement arm of the reigning political power, to protect private property, and keep control of immigrants. Some of these issues have been addressed. Policing was separated from political powers so that they are no longer directly beholden to politics in a way that makes politics their main focus. Officers are now carefully trained and education, law enforcement, and crime control are their main focus. While some of the powers of police have been unchecked, the latitude police are given to act is still a topic of debate today, especially considering civilian deaths at the hands of the police. Some people think police are given too much leeway to act as they see fit without facing any sort of consequences for their actions, which can lead to corruption.

Criminal Justice

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Indicate whether the statement is true or false

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Criminal Justice