The Relations between the Metropolitan Police Force and the Ethnic Communities - Term Paper Example

Community-oriented policing is a response to the contemporary needs of today’s police agencies and the communities they serve. Most researchers agree the history of policing can be divided into three eras. These eras are distinguished from one another by the apparent dominance of a particular strategy of policing (Kelling & Moore 1988). As municipal police agencies developed in the 1840’s politicians and the politics of the particular jurisdiction drove the police agencies’ function.

This era is referred to as the Political Era, and these close relationships between the police and politicians eventually led to widespread corruption. Special interests and selective enforcement led to the gradual deterioration of the legitimacy of police agencies during this era. The Reform Era followed with attempts to re-legitimize the mission of all law enforcement agencies. A strong proponent of reform in the 1920s was the Berkeley, CA Police Chief August Vollmer. He was instrumental in encouraging police executives to return to the morality and legitimacy that police agencies were envisioned to uphold at their inception.

 Vollmer led the country in reform initiatives by implementing some of the first professional models in policing. These models included a police screening for recruits and formal training for police officers. Berkeley officers conducted themselves under a Code of Ethics and all officers were held accountable for their moral and ethical behavior.  Conversely, this era saw Reformers turning their backs on any political affiliations and led police agencies to become autonomous organizations strictly adhering to the law and those police executives who were leading independently of any political influence.

This reform strategy worked well for several decades; until the 1960s and 1970’s when it appeared that no matter what programs or initiatives the police embarked on, crime and the fear of crime was on the rise. The civil-rights movement, anti-war demonstrations, budget constraints, and cutbacks were all factors that frustrated the police, government officials and citizens.