The development of policing in America was greatly influenced by the developments of the London Metropolitan Police under the leadership of Robert Peel. During his tenure with the department, Robert Peel developed what he termed The Principles of Policing. Many of the original principles of policing that he developed are still important in contemporary policing. The following are two of these principles (A History of the Nine Principles of Policing, n.d.):
No quality is more indispensable to a policeman than a perfect command of temper; a quiet, determined manner has more effect than violent action.
The securing and training of proper persons is at the root of efficiency.
For this assignment, you are to take the above 2 principles of policing and respond to the following questions:
- Why is the command of temper important to the demeanor of the typical police officer?
- Do you feel that enough has been done in law enforcement to develop the proper demeanor of law enforcement officers?
- If you were the chief of police of a local law enforcement organization with the opportunity to establish guidelines on developing the demeanor of law enforcement officers, what methods would you utilize?
- The selection and training of personnel is perhaps one of the most important areas of responsibility that a department has for its employees. If you were the police chief, describe the areas in which you feel your officers would benefit the most from training, and explain briefly why you chose those areas of training.