Police Influence of Society

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Police Influence on Society Police Influence on Society Over the years policing has not changed much over the years; at least there is no record of any major changes in policing. The influence that a police officers or the police department has on society however has changed. It changed with any event that occurs in the social area. This is depending on crime and how police officers handle these cases. The makeup of the ethnic population in a society can have a big influence on policing as well. Policing in the U.S. started the same as it did in England. It was an informal social control in which citizens protected one another, and relied on the hue and cry and watch and ward system. These were primarily conducted in smaller areas and grow into formal policing when areas grow into larger towns were a police department was needed and established. Policing in the south was drastically different then the north. Policing in the south stated out with slave patrols. These patrols patrolled the areas and prevented slave revolts and find runaway slaves. This had an impact on the different ethnic groups in which the white group and African American groups had high tension between them. The African American population and police officers had tension for many years even after the emancipation and the civil rights act. Policing had three different eras that equally had influence on society. In the political era police had a closer relationship with communities because they walked the streets on a daily basis. They also provided more than just crime control. They ran soup kitchens and helped with medical care. During this period many police actions were influenced by the politics of its time. This era did not have its lack of cultural issues. Many officers that were not white were treated the same. Black officers were not allowed to patrol an area that was mostly

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