In 
the 21st century, our government’s responses to  have changed significantly 

compared with the responses to crime in the17th 
century. As the number of people increased in the United 
States-conpounded 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 making observe the law 
by the citizens, are facing new challenges every day.


Four 
centuries ago, the environment in which the new colonist lived was very 
different from now. By that time, a whole government organization did 
not exist. However, every town or city had its own criminal procedures. 
These systems worked as copies from England’ methods of imparting justice. 
Nevertheless, here they were quite different because the distance and 
difficulties that face the new immigrants from the mothers’ land. 
New 
outcomes formely depended from the king of England. As a colony, the 
new world had to follow orders from the monarchy. In the beginning, 
after the first colonist settled, the hush and hostility from authorities, 
who represented the crown, was tough.           Non-native 
pioners, who mostly were people that were looking for a new life, encountered 
many adverse situations in this new land. They had to confront natives 
for territories. In the way of trying expansion, colonists found many 
problems with natives in a daily basis. New settles had to find ways 
to combat the crime, stealing, and the various wrong behaviors from 
the natives. In addition, many of these new immigrants came from Europe 
with dishonest backgrounds.
But 
in the new world something was developing very different from the centralized 
English system of justice. People met in large groups forming settlements 
apart from each other. These decentralized systems, according to James 
Fagin, were based on the “good of the community”. Fellows who would 
not perform the law would be marginalized from the society. And this 
punishment was very hard at that time.
Around 
the 17th century, the first colonists mainly had been 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 B.Vila and C.Morris. Boston’s night watch was 
the first of this kind, formed in 1631. It consisted of 1 constable, 
6 watchman, and many volunteers. Professionals received money for their 
jobs. However, volunteers, who work hardly do not. 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 plantations. American 
watchman were often so hursh they were called leather heads. Minor offenders, 
sometimes, as a punishment, made 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,and (3) decentralization (local control).
However, 
in present times, the government’s response to crime has varied greately. 
The U.S. government has created through the country many 
different agencies which are in charge of fighting the 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’s 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 environment for 
living to the citizens.

Eventhougt, 
modernity has aided the government agencies in fighting the crime, computers, 
car patrols, radios, it also has assisted to develop many new types 
of crime. We notice how everyday new kind of crimes appears in the news. 
Smuggling of drugs trying different modalities, 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 that face. New laws have been 
created to stop law-abidings. One of the most important laws is the 
Patriotic Act, which is referred to terrorism cases. Here, the government 
gives special powers to authorities when dealing with suspicious terrorists.
The 
government, also, thought 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 was difficult and harsh because the system was new 
and faced a different reality. However,  

 


 

 










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