After reading "A Brief Guide to Police History", I chose the workings of Augustus Caesar as the most significant contribution to the development of policing. He initiated the major steps involved in the establishment of the world's first organized police force. Even though not all of these steps were worthwhile or successful, the advances were the first substantial ones that will lead to what we know of as the modern-day police force. After his uncle Julius was killed, Augustus swore that he would get revenge, and made it his duty to reform the Roman Society. .
Although there have been other police initiatives thus far, such as Egypt being considered as the first known civilization and police state, Hammarabi's Code of Laws, and the argument that the captured Nubian slaves of Mesopotamia were the actual first police force, the fact that Augustus took his desire to such lengths makes it look like his vision is realized in the policing of modern-times. .
Rome seemed to have suffered much of the same crime and corruption 2500 years ago that we all suffer today. There is corruption from higher ranking officials, revolts by the lower class, threat of assassination of officials and theft. What was a ruler to do?.
Everything has to start somewhere, and even though the introduction of Caesar's Police Force may have been more for protection for himself than actual "police work" as we think of it today, he had the right idea. He divided up his forces into units quite similar to the military or to branches of the Federal Government as we know them today. And as a side note of things today being similar to the way they were back then, the Praetorian Guard was also involved in some shady issues themselves such as assassination attempts and pilfering of collected assets and police brutality. I guess some things never change.
Along with creating a police force, Caesar also made himself a little fire department to take care of all of those crazy Roman bonfires that got out of hand.
