Discuss some of the early attempts at police reform and some of the early catalysts for reform. How successful were they? If the attempts failed, did they raise any important questions or bring issues to light that were later addressed?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In an effort to reduce police corruption, civic leaders in a number of jurisdictions created police administrative boards to reduce local officials' control over the police. These measures often failed because the citizens appointed to review boards lacked expertise in the intricacies of police work. Another reform movement was the takeover of some metropolitan police agencies by state legislators. For example, New York City temporarily lost authority over its police force in 1857. One big catalyst for reform was the Boston police strike of 1919, which came about because officers were dissatisfied with their status. Other professions were unionizing, but the police had not and salaries were lagging. The Boston Social Club voted to become a union and the officers went on strike, leading to rioting and looting across the city. The striking officers were all fired. The result of the strike ended police unionism for decades and solidified power in the hands of reactionary, autocratic police administrators. Various local, state, and federal crime commissions began to investigate the extent of crime and the ability of the justice system to deal with it effectively, but the onset of the Depression made justice reform less of a concern. While these early attempts seem to have been ineffective at the time, they did create concerns that led to reform later. For example, now there are citizen review boards that look at police corruption and while they don't have power over departments, they do address issues of public concern and act as a sort of "watchdog" on police behavior. While the Boston strike might have ended unionism for some time, police unions are now powerful forces within departments, protecting officers' interests.