The History of Policing America: From Militias and Military to the Law Enforcement of Today

Laurence Armand French

Rowman & Littlefield, Apr 5, 2018 - History - 280 pages

America’s first known system of law enforcement was established more than 350 years ago. Today law enforcement faces issues such as racial discrimination, use of force, and Body Worn Camera (BWC) scrutiny. But the birth and development of the American police can be traced to a multitude of historical, legal and political-economic conditions. In The History of Policing America: From Militias and Military to the Law Enforcement of Today, Laurence Armand French traces how and why law enforcement agencies evolved and became permanent agencies; looking logically through history and offering potential steps forward that could make a difference without triggering unconstructive backlash.

From the establishment of the New World to the establishment of the Colonial Militia; from emergence of the Jim Crow Era to the emergence of the National Guard; from the creation of the U.S. Marshalls, federal law enforcement agencies, and state police agencies; this book traces the historical geo-political basis of policing in America and even looks at how certain events led to a call for a better trained, and subsequently armed, police, and the de facto militarization of law enforcement.

The current controversy regarding policing in America has a long, historical background, and one that seems to repeat itself. The History of Policing America successfully portrays the long lived motto you can’t know who you are until you know where you’ve come from.

Contents

• Colonial Roots in Policing America: 3
• Chapter 2 Introduction to the Origins of American Jurisprudence: 17
• Insurrections Rebellions and Indian Removal: 37
• Chapter 4 PostCivil War Unrest and Social Control during the Nineteenth Century: 47
• PART II LAW AND ORDER IN THE AMERICAS AND BEYOND 18981946: 65
• Chapter 5 US Colonial Expansionism in the Caribbean and Pacific: 67
• Eugenics and Prohibition: 83
• Chapter 7 PostWorld War II Challenges to Law Enforceme: 107
• Increased Militarization and Racial Myths Enhancement: 147
• Chapter 8 The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act: 149
• Chapter 9 Role of Academia in Validating Institutional Racism: 159
• Chapter 10 The War on Drugs and Its Escalation: 171
• Chapter 11 Factors Contributing to the Militarization of the Police: 179
• PART IV TWENTYFIRSTCENTURY CONCERNS: 193
• Chapter 12 Understanding Group Dynamics Biases Prejudices and Discrimination: 195
• Chapter 13 Assessing Law Enforcement Personnel: 205
• Chapter 14 Politics and Policing: 219
• Chapter 15 Recommendations for American Law Enforcement: 229
• An EthnoMethodological Note: 235
• Notes: 243
• Index: 259
• About the Author: 263

About the author

Laurence Armand French, Phd, is professor emeritus of psychology at Western New Mexico University and senior research associate at the JusticeWorks Institute at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH. He has taught criminology, criminal justice, sociology, and psychology at various universities, including minority-serving universities and has won awards for this minority-based research. He is Senior Fulbright Scholar assigned to the University of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the 2009/2010 academic year. He has written many articles and books, including Frog Town: Portrait of a French Canadian Parish in New England (R&L, 2014), Running the Border Gauntlet (2010) and Native American Justice (R&L, 2003). He received the 1999 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) research award for his work in assessing substance abuse among minorities in the U.S. southwest.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The History of Policing America: From Militias and Military to the Law Enforcement of Today
• Author: Laurence Armand French
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018
• ISBN: 1538102048, 9781538102046
• Length: 280 pages
• Subjects: History / Military / General; History / Military / United States; History / Social History; Law / Criminal Procedure