Fidelis ad Mortem A History of The New York Police Essay

Since the declaration of Dutch independence in 1609, the metropolis of New York, the called New Amsterdam, had been a relatively large and sprawling municipality. As one might expect, the city had criminal elements in proportion to its population. (Costello, 1885) throughout its biography, the entity t put on would become the New York legal philosophy discussion section has represented the leading adjoin in law en perpetratement, organization, technology and civilian relations. By 1800, having repaired the privations ca theatrical roled by the innovation of 1776, the city began to formalize its law enforcement procedures. Costello, 1885) In 1798, the city established its beginning(a) official law of nature office.By 1800, the city had four round incarceration centers. trinity of them were criminal jails and one was a debt prison. (Costello, 1885) The institutions were the State Prison, the Penitentiary, Bridewell, and The Jail. (Costello, 1885) The city had already been admin istratively divided into three districts. Because ii of the districts were so large geographically, the Watch as they were called then, abandoned their traditional practice of standing at station, and began the low beak patrol in the history of New York law enforcement. Costello, 1885) By 1803 the fare of patrolmen in each of the three districts fifty, fifty-four and thirty-six.Each district was e realwhereseen by two captains of the watch, who were the administrative heads of the district. (Costello, 1885) This system, called the constabulary (as it was administered by law of nature force constables) lasted and grew until the formal establishment of a constabulary part in 1845. After the last high constable of the city of New York (a position analogous to the guard force Commissioner) Jacob Hayes, retired in 1844, the regulator of New York gave permission to the mayor to establish a practice of law force. Costello, 1885) Watchmen and constables were replaced with police officers. (Costello, 1885) The officers wore eight-pointed stars (these represented the eight constables of the watch that existed in 1844) featuring the city seal, and made of copper. (Frequently Asked1999) It was the exhausting of these copper stars that earned the police the nickname cop. (Short for copper). (Frequently Asked1999)In Britain, the equal nickname for police was derived from the initials of their title, Citizens on Patrol. Thus the United States and Britain had their own unmistakable cops patrolling the street. Frequently Asked1999) The headquarters of the New York Police Department perplex changed over quantify. They began as a series of offices in City planetary house, and in 1909, a building dedicated entirely to police administration was built on Center Street in Little Italy. This remained the centerpiece of the department until 1973, when the offices were relocated to the financial district at virtuoso Police center. The image of a modern New York City patrol officer is a combine of many traditions, regulations, habits and practices adopted and adapted for conditions within New York City. Frequently Asked1999) The eight-pointed hat that is emblematic of the patrol officer is a memorial of the eight passkey Dutch Watchmen. (Frequently Asked1999)These hats have been standard issue for patrol officers since 1928. (Frequently Asked1999) The night present is so-named because police used to have two sticks as weapon issue. (Frequently Asked1999) One was 11 inches long, and the second was 26 inches long. The long-dated stick was used on night patrol as this was the more dangerous time for the police. The 11-inch day-stick has since been abandoned, scarcely the longer night sticks are pipe down standard issue. Frequently Asked1999) The patrolmen of the NYPD began carrying guns by regulation in 1887. (Frequently Asked1999) Originally mandated as a . 32 Colt revolver, the traditional police handgun was changed to a . 38 revolver stam ped with the wielders case number. (Frequently Asked1999) This standard service revolver was the required primary weapon until 1993, when the force officially switched to nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistols. (Frequently Asked1999) As the police department grew, the traditions and habits with which we are familiar from movies and tv began to develop.From 1854 until the practice was dis abided in 1959, the force used whistles to summon coadjutor officers when needed. (Frequently Asked1999) The whistles had a loud and distinct sound, and replaced the practice of banging on the confirmation with an officers nightstick. By 1959, radio technology rendered the whistles obsolete, and they were no longer standard issues for patrol officers. (Frequently Asked1999) They remain in use for traffic-control officers however, as they still serve to call attention of civilian drivers. (Frequently Asked1999) As a complaisant institution, the NYPD was more progressive than many of its institut ional counterparts. Frequently Asked1999) As proto(prenominal) as 1911, well before the Civil Rights movement, the NYPD Appointed Samuel J. Battle as the first African-American police officer. Hispanics received representation in NYPD redden earlier. (Frequently Asked1999) George Garcia was the first Hispanic police officer, appointed in 1896. (Frequently Asked1999)The necessity of having to proceed with female criminals made the appointment of female officers an earlier necessity. (Frequently Asked1999) In 1891, four police matrons were appointed to deal with female prisoners. In 1911, the title of police matron was created, and six women were appointed. Frequently Asked1999) despite their long history of diligence, bravery and courage in a very unvoiced setting, the NYPD has also had its share of slump points. In the late 1950s and into the 1960s, the department fell victim to rearing corruption. (Kefauver investigating n. d. ) Criminal organizations had made permanent an d profitable allies in within the department, and the police began acting according to the whims of crime bosses, offering enforcement and penalty for medicate trafficking enterprises throughout the city. (Kefauver investigating n. d. When an officer, Frank Serpico, attempted to expose these abuses, he was violently repressed by members of the police department. Eventually, in the early 1970s, later being s hot in the face in the line of affair (under suspicious circumstances) Serpico took his story to the New York Times. (Kefauver Investigation n. d. )Under close examen from the press, the Mayor formed a commission to investigate the corruption claims. (Kefauver Investigation n. d. ) The resulting Knapp Commission investigation led to the removal of the police chief, Frank Leary, who was replaced by Patrick Murphy. Kefauver Investigation n. d. ) Murphy instituted many reforms and helped the department regain the trust of the people. disdain this victory, Serpico himself was harassed by his fellow officers for turning rat. (Kefauver Investigation n. d. ) He retired from the police and moved to Europe. This incident highlighted an ongoing problem in New York Police History. (Kefauver Investigation n. d. ) With the prevalence of alcohol bootlegging, and , later, drug trafficking, it was easy for organized criminals to payoff special treatment from the police.While not many officials were actually corrupt, it was very difficult to weed out corruption, because the police tend to be exceedingly loyal, and a Serpicos case shows, reluctant to implicate one of their own. (Kefauver Investigation n. d. ) Cases of abuse by the police have also been alleged in the latter half(prenominal) of the 20th century. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). In 1962, mobster and alleged liquidator Frank Lito accused the department of extreme acts of delirium during his interrogation. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). His claims were backed by his appearing with broken limbs(Mushabec & Wigg en, 2008)..The department was forced to release him under probation when he threatened to bring a civil suit. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). In 1994, a police officer was accused of choking Anthony Baez. At the officers trial, two separate officers were also convicted of lying to cover the incident up. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). In 1997, other abuse case, this one occurring in the offices of the 70th precinct resulted in the conviction of some(prenominal) officers for both the act and the cover-up. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). In 1999, Amadou Diallo, an innocent citizen, was shot 41 times by Street Crimes detectives who mistook him for a criminal. Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008).Diallo was unarmed. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). The Street Crimes unit was disbanded as a result, and the city had to pay a $30,000,000 settlement to the family. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). A few remarkable incidences also occurred where public furiousness was caused or inflamed by police activity. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). In 1988, Tompkin Square Park erupted when police attempted to enforce a curfew. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). After police clashed violently with protesters, the commissioner found that the fault for the violence was on the poor planning and execution by the NYPD.In another renowned incident, the NYPD was actually the instigator of a riot in 1992. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). Supporters of mayoral view Rudy Giuliani, the NYPD rioted and attacked city hall under then-mayor David Dinkins. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). Dinkins was forced to close City Hall to the police in fear of further violence. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). In 2007 The New York carry inspector general said that the New York City Police Departments crime lab cut corners analyzing evidence and submitted results in drug cases without having done the required tests in 2002. Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008).Inspector General Kristine Hamann said that skilful errors were made following exsisting protocols, which had since been changed. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). She said past officials failed to appropriately monitor some lab workers performance and enforce standards. Hamann said her investigation began after the fix Division of Criminal Justice Services asked her to investigate allegations of dry labbing move results to police and prosecutors without doing the actual lab tests in 2002. Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). Despite these incidents, and numerous other cases of varying brutality and error, the overall record of the NYPD is impressive. The men and women of the New York Police department also have a long and prestigious history of protecting the population of the city. (Bosak, 1999)In 1863, in the middle of a hot summer, and short of patrolmen, the Police of New York was called upon to protect African Americans of the city from the drunken revelry mobs who protested Abraham Lincolns Civil War Draft. Bosak, 1999) The African-Americans were obvious targets given the light in the city that the war was being fought to free southern slaves. (Bosak, 1999) The violence began as the enlistment office on 3rd Ave. was burned to the underfur by a segment of the citys own give the bounce department in protest to their prospective draft. (Bosak, 1999) Beaten nearly to close on his way to third avenue, was Joseph Kennedy, a police Chief of Department, and police precinct offices became targets of rioters as four were killed and two station houses destroyed on the first day of riots. Bosak, 1999) As the rioting expanded, the citizen protesters were joined by criminals, looters and other miscreants and the violence escalated (Bosak, 1999).The armory was sacked and burned, and the rioters did the same to a home for orphaned mordant children. (Bosak, 1999) A station on West 35th St. wired police headquarters on Mulberry Street with a question. (Bosak, 1999) Expecting an attack, they asked if they should fight or flee. The message they received from police headquarters was a single interch ange Fight. (Bosak, 1999) The 35th street station took in the Black orphans and withstood seven attacks by the mob without capitulating. (Bosak, 1999) It was from events during this riot that the citizens gifted the NYPD with their motto, Fidelis ad Mortem, loyal to the death. (Bosak, 1999) From 1806 to 2007, the department has illogical 758 officers in the line of duty. Of those deaths, twenty-three occurred as a result of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in September of 2001. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). Nearly half of the remainder of deaths was from hostile gunfire. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008).Headquartered now at 1 Police Plaza in Manhattans financial District. , the New York City Police department spans over 20 different departments and nearly eighty patrol precincts. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). Despite the occasional instances of misconduct, the nearly 40,000 men and women of the New York Police Department have served with a great deal of distinction under very dif ficult circumstances in a city renowned for its violence, drug use and crime. (Mushabec & Wiggen, 2008). The police have been able to reduce the occurrence of all of these acts, and continue to earn the trust of the population.