One should note how ancient the idea of policing is to give some perspective on its history. Archeological evidence shows that Mesopotamia and Egypt as far back as the 1500 B.C. had already established numerous police forces. Not much is known about them except they were supposedly efficient and effective in controlling crime. Also by 27 B.C. the Roman Emperor Augustus assigned armed officers with power to maintain public order in the urban areas. Thirty two years later at the year 6 A.D. Rome had established a police force that would patrol their streets 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. These early police forces were known to have mistreated their prisoners very inadequately, and to have tortured suspected criminals to the extreme to get confessions. Their tolerance for crime was very low and their punishment was severe. Their structure for dealing with criminals were simple but yet affective. Criminals at that time did not have many rights, if any. Unlike the former, the United States of America has one of the most complicated and complex police organizations in the world. The structure of the United States policing organizations was largely influenced and derived from the British form of policing. It was not always as complex
In the mid 1800s the people of the United States’ hatred for the government grew. They hated their power and they hated the taxes that were implemented. Riots were growing in number and intensity during the 1830s. People had more fear of disorder than the government. Many people did not fear the police; they were more worried about the growing number of mobs and rioters. There were many flare-ups of anger as people rioted for many reasons. People held demonstrations from: the newest wave immigrants entering the country to vendors selling high priced goods in time of hardships. Many groups of immigrants warred with each other. Also many abolitionists who wanted to rid the country of slavery grew in hostility as the nation drew near civil war. At this period of time the people the police could do very little as they were out numbered by the rioting mobs in nearly most occasions. With all this mayhem and anarchy, cities were forced to enhance their police force in order to better control the citizens as well as command of authority to ensure a better and more peaceful community.
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