Alfredo C. Cervera Chapter#1

PSC101 Section-04 February 10,2005 

Different U.S. Government’ Responses to Crime Throughout History 

In the 21^{st century, our government’s responses to the different types of crime have changed significantly, compared with the responses to crime in the 17th century. As the number of people increased in the United States—compounded by the advancement in technology—many new offenses have emerged in our society. The many kinds of law enforcement agencies, who are in charge of enforcing the law and making sure that the citizens abide by the law, are faced with new challenges every day.}

^{Four centuries ago, the environment in which the new colonizers lived was very different from our present circumstances. By that time, national government organization did not exist. However, every town or city had its own criminal procedures. These systems worked as copies from England’s methods of imparting justice. Nevertheless, in the 17th century, U.S. law systems were quite different because of the distance of the new immigrants from the motherland and the lack of technological devices that could make law enforcement more efficient.}

^{New outcomes formerly depended on the king of England. As a colony, the New World had to follow orders from the monarchy. In the beginning, after the first colonists settled, the hostility from authorities, who represented the crown, was tough. Non-native pioneers, who were mostly people looking for a new life, encountered many adverse situations in this new land. For instance, they had to confront natives for territories. In their quest for expansion, colonists found many problems with natives on a daily basis. New settlers had to find ways to combat the crime such as stealing and the various wrong behaviors of the natives. Besides the colonizers’ problems with the natives, many of the new immigrants who came from Europe had dishonest backgrounds.}

^{Eventually, the New World developed a system of justice that varied from the English system. The New World’s system was modified to more efficiently deal with the problems that the colonists faced. Because people met in large groups, they formed settlements apart from each other. These decentralized systems according to (Fagin, 2003, p. 188) were based on the “good of the community.” Fellows who would not follow the law would be marginalized from the society, and this punishment was considered very severe at that time.}

^{Around the 17th century, the first colonists had been mainly influenced by their English counterparts. The American watch system primarily operated on the basis of “hue and cry,” which resulted in rather silent and unseen policing. According to (http://faculty.ncwc.edu). Boston’s night watch was the first of this kind, which was formed in 1631. It consisted of one constable, six watchmen, and many volunteers. Professionals received money for their jobs. However, volunteers were not compensated at all. New York City (New Amsterdam) followed in 1652 with a “rattle watch”. Every patrolman gave a signal to another by shaking small wooden rattles (10-codes). In the South, mostly volunteers made up the patrols in the fields. American watchmen were often so harsh that they were called “leather heads”. Minor offenders, sometimes, as a punishment, did policing work. Three aspects from the policing system in the U.S. can be noted in the 17th century: (1) limited range of authority; (2) division, (3) decentralization (local control).}

^{However, in present times, the government’s responses to crime have varied greatly. The U.S. government has created throughout the country many different agencies which are in charge of fighting crime. These agencies work at different government levels such as the federal, state, county, and local. Some examples of these agencies are The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), State Police, County Police, and Municipal Police.}

^{These many government agencies have different purposes. Nevertheless, these agencies sometimes overlap functions. However, they have one main reason, which is to follow the laws in order to give a nice living environment for the citizens.}

^{Eventhought modernity has aided government agencies in fighting crime with computers, car patrols, radios, it also has assisted in developing many new types of crime. We notice how everyday new kinds of crimes appear in the news, such as the smuggling of drugs trying different smuggling methods, computer crimes in many variations, and terrorism.}

^{In the 21st century, the U.S. government has developed many mechanisms in trying to resolve the many problems it faces. New laws have been created to stop non law-abiding citizens. One of the most important set of laws is contained in the Patriotic Act, which refers to terrorism cases. Here, the government gives special powers to authorities when dealing with suspicious terrorists.}

^{The government, also through policy agencies, has created new strategies to bring down crime statistics. The new concept of community policing is backing the citizens from a new perspective. Here, police departments work together with people, preventing crime and promoting the quality of life in the community.}

^{In addition, our government is preoccupied for giving to the different authorities the necessary tools in order to combat crime. Sophisticated equipment, better salaries, and training are some approaches that government employees acquired periodically in law enforcement agencies.}

^{The U.S. government had been dealing with crime through its whole history. In the beginning it was difficult and harsh because the system was new and faced a different reality. However, today government agencies are constantly improving. Their strategies for fighting crime get better results more and more.}

^{References: Fagin, James A. Criminal Justice. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2003.}

^{Vila, B. and Morris C. (1999). The role of police in America society: A Documentary History. Greenwood Press Walker, S. Retrieved February 5, 2005, from http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/205/205lect04.thm}