Policing Eras

Introduction

Since the independence of Jamaica, and up to the present, the agenda of policing bodies has been clear:

* To uphold and enforce the laws of our society.

Of course the way they do this today has undergone changes from the first police force of early Jamaica, law enforcement has seen changes come and go. Law enforcement is divided into three major eras throughout history. These eras are:

* The political Era.

* The reform Era.

* The community Era.

The patrol car became the symbol of policing during the 1930's and 1940's; when equipped with a radio; it was at the limits of technology. It represented mobility, power, obvious presence, control of officers, and a professional distance from citizens. Preventive patrol and rapid response to calls for service were intuitively appealing tactics, as well as means to both control officers and shape and control citizen's demands for service. The model of the police as neutral, professional law enforcers was attractive because it minimized the unrestricted excesses which developed during the political era, further, the strategy provided a comprehensive, yet simple, vision of policing around which police leaders could rally.

Historically, policing is classified into three distinct eras. Identify the main features of these eras and state what features if any are applicable in today's societies and why.

There are three specific periods of policing that the 19th and 20th centuries embraced:

* Reform Era.

* Political Era.

* Community Era.

During the political Era (1840s-1930s) the functions of law enforcement were controlled by the local politicians. Authority from politicians posed a problem during this time. Since most of the power was given to politicians the selection of good law enforcement was not a priority. During this era law enforcement officers wore no type of uniform, which made it difficult for citizens to recognize an officer when one was needed. The disadvantage though, with the political era was that the police got its authority from the politics and the law, this close tie with politics posed a problem. This era was characterized by political authority and was coming only from politicians and the law, it was a very broad social service function, the organizational design was decentralized, law enforcement had a very intimate relationship with the community, and there was an increased usage of foot patrol. Moreover, corruption became a big problem in Jamaican law enforcement. This resulted in gross political interference with policing.

The reform Era (1930s-1980s) was the second era in law enforcement. Crime control became the primary focus which made for a more centralized, efficient organization. It also provided the community with a more professional agency that used preventive patrol measures and a more rapid response time to crime. The characteristics of this era recognized the authority coming from the law