The London Metropolitan police department was established in 1829 by a man named Sir Robert Peel. Although, the first mention of a law enforcement was in the early 19th century the 1929 Police Department is considered the first structured English Police department. Interestingly even though Peel was the driving force behind the Metropolitan Police Act he himself was never a part of this new police force. Sir Robert Pell developed what is known as Peel’s Nine Principles. These nine principles were established as a guide for police officers to emulate for the policing program to be successful. (Dempsey/Forst, 2013, p. 5)
It is beneficial to review Peel’s nine principles of law in order to compare if and how the principles effect the way police forces function in today’s society. The first of the nine principles states “The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder.” (Dempsey/Forst, 2013, p. 6) Preventing crime and disorder has always been and continues to be a major focus of
…show more content…
6) Meaning, Police officers should strive to be seen as firm but and fair by the people they serve. This in turn helps gain the community support.
The fourth principle speaks to “the degree of cooperation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately to the necessity of the use of force.” (Dempsey/Forst, 2013, p. 6) Use of force in today’s American society is one of our biggest issues facing law enforcement. Even in instances when the proper use of force is applied, officers are being scrutinized by the “Monday morning quarterbacks” whom assume situations could have been handled differently. The fact is Police Officers are making split second decisions in order to save the life of a victim, their partner or even