Law Homework Help

Chapter Four (4) of your text outlines the history of policing in the United States including its origin in England to the present. For this discussion,

– Identity what is significant of each of the different eras of policing identified below:

FRANKPLEDGE (prior to the 13th Century)

THE PARISH CONSTABLE SYSTEM (13th Century)

THE ROBERT PEEL SYSTEM (1829)

THE COLONIAL ERA (Pre-1800s)

THE POLITICAL ERA (1840-1920)

THE PROFESSIONAL ERA (1920-1970)

THE COMMUNITY POLICING ERA (1970-PRESENT)

– Then read and consider the following

In May 2020 a bystander captured the death of George Floyd; an unarmed black man, at the hands of cops with the Minneapolis Police Department. One of the two officers is seen with his knee clamped down on Floyd’s neck; the other officer stands by idly offering no aide.

Click HERE (Links to an external site.) for a video of the incident (caution the images on the video are disturbing; discretion is advised.)

The two cops were fired from the police department after the video was made public. And, while the officer seen pinning George Floyd down was criminally charged, cities across the country have been plagued by rebellion as masses of people rally in protest of Floyd’s death as well as numerous incidents of violence against unarmed black men at the hands of the police.

The current rebellions are reminiscent of the incidents following the 2013 death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore in 2014. Each incident resulted in a spike in the crime rate in each city.

(see: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/us/politics/ferguson-effect.html) (Links to an external site.)

For this discussion- share your opinion.

1. What are your predictions of the future of policing and community safety?

2. Do you believe the death of Mr. Floyd will be a catalysis for change- good or bad? Fully explain the basis of your opinion.