An AI-Illustrated History of Policing in America

For this test of LLM magic, I asked ChatGPT with DALL-E 3 to summarize policing in America from its start. I make no claims about factuality here. I aim to show what this AI can do without correction and redirection. The only comment I made related to the style of imagery since I wanted to ensure that all images look like photos and depict typical attire and job responsibilities.

Note: ChatGPT understandably balks at any depiction of slavery, so I had to ask it to exclude explicit visual references to slavery when depicting the slave patrol.

TL;DR History

The U.S. police system began in the colonial era with local volunteers. As cities grew, formal police departments were established in the mid-19th century. Over time, the role of the police evolved, with significant reforms in the early 20th century. The Civil Rights era brought increased tensions and scrutiny. Recent decades have seen debates over practices like the War on Drugs and concerns about excessive force, leading to calls for further reform.

Early Colonial Policing (1600s)

The American system of policing has roots in early English law and order systems. In the 1600s, colonial America relied on local volunteers for law enforcement, such as “tithingmen” and “constables,” who helped maintain local order.

Responsibilities

Enforce local ordinances, manage public morality, mediate disputes, and protect the community from external threats or disturbances.

Objective of Protection

Primarily focused on maintaining local order and ensuring community safety.

Important Facts

• Reliance on local volunteers for law enforcement.
• Roles of “tithingmen” and “constables” in maintaining local order.

Slave Patrols (1700s-1865)

In the southern states, the first formal slave patrols were established in the early 1700s. Their primary function was to prevent uprisings, catch runaway slaves, and maintain discipline. These patrols are considered by some to be one of the earliest forms of organized policing in the U.S.

Responsibilities

Monitor the movements of enslaved people, catch runaway slaves, suppress any form of uprising, and punish slaves who broke plantation rules.

Objective of Protection

Protect the interests of slaveholders and maintain the institution of slavery.

Important Facts

• Establishment of the first formal slave patrols in southern states.
• Main function to prevent uprisings, catch runaway slaves, and maintain discipline.

Urbanization and the Watch System (19th century)

As the U.S. urbanized in the 19th century, the “night watch” system became more prevalent in cities. These watchmen would patrol the streets, primarily to deter crime and disorder.

Responsibilities

Patrol streets, light lampposts, and watch for fires or disturbances. They would raise alarms if any issues arose.

Objective of Protection

Deter crime and maintain order within growing urban areas.

Important Facts

• Prevalence of the “night watch” system in urbanizing cities.
• Watchmen patrolling streets to deter crime and disorder.

Establishment of Formal Police Departments (mid-19th century)

The mid-19th century saw the establishment of the first formal police departments in the U.S., starting with Boston in 1838, followed by New York City in 1845. These departments were influenced by the Metropolitan Police Service in London.

Responsibilities

Prevent crime, detect and apprehend offenders, maintain public order, and provide various services to the community.

Objective of Protection

Address the challenges of rapid urbanization and the associated increase in crime.

Important Facts

• Creation of the first centralized and paid police force in Boston in 1838.
• Establishment of New York City’s Metropolitan Police in 1845.
• Influence from the Metropolitan Police Service in London.

Political Era (1840s-1930s)

During this period, police departments were closely tied to political machines, leading to corruption and patronage. Officers were often selected based on political loyalty rather than merit.

Responsibilities

While they were tasked with maintaining order and enforcing the law, police during this era were often involved in serving the interests of the political figures who appointed them.

Objective of Protection

While the stated objective was public safety, the practical objective often leaned towards serving political interests and maintaining the power of political machines.

Important Facts

• Close ties between police departments and political machines.
• Prevalence of corruption and patronage in police appointments.

Progressive Era Reforms (1900s-1930s)

Reformers sought to professionalize and modernize the police force. Innovations like fingerprinting, police radios, and the establishment of detective units became common. The Pendleton Act of 1883 introduced civil service reforms, which reduced political influence in police appointments.

Responsibilities

Enforce laws more impartially, investigate crimes using modern techniques, and engage in community policing.

Objective of Protection

Transition towards a more professional and less corrupt police service, emphasizing public safety and crime prevention.

Important Facts

• Efforts to professionalize and modernize the police force.
• Introduction of innovations like fingerprinting, police radios, and detective units.
• The Pendleton Act of 1883 reducing political influence in police appointments.

Civil Rights Era (1950s-1970s)

This era was marked by tensions between law enforcement and African American communities, culminating in events like the Watts Riots in 1965. The period led to increased scrutiny of police practices and calls for reform.

Responsibilities

In addition to general law enforcement duties, police were often tasked with enforcing segregation laws and suppressing civil rights protests.

Objective of Protection

While the general duty was to protect all citizens, in practice, they often protected the interests of those who opposed civil rights advancements.

Important Facts

• Tensions between law enforcement and African American communities.
• Significant events like the Watts Riots in 1965.
• Increased scrutiny of police practices and calls for reform.

The War on Drugs and Militarization (1980s-Present)

Initiated in the 1980s, the War on Drugs led to increased police powers and the militarization of police forces. There has been growing concern about the disproportionate impact of these policies on minority communities.

Responsibilities

Enforce drug laws, conduct raids on suspected drug dealers, and seize assets suspected to be connected to drug crimes.

Objective of Protection

Curtail drug trafficking and use, although this often led to aggressive policing tactics and a focus on minority communities.

Important Facts

• Initiation of the War on Drugs in the 1980s.
• Increased police powers and militarization of police forces.
• Concerns about the disproportionate impact on minority communities.

21st Century Policing and Calls for Reform

The early 21st century has seen increased scrutiny of police practices, particularly regarding racial profiling, excessive force, and the militarization of local departments. Protests, like those in Ferguson in 2014 and the global Black Lives Matter movement, have called for significant reforms.

Responsibilities

While the traditional roles of enforcing laws and maintaining public order continue, there’s a growing emphasis on community policing, transparency, accountability, and de-escalation techniques.

Objective of Protection

Protect all community members, with a renewed focus on building trust and ensuring fair treatment for all, irrespective of race or background.

Important Facts

• Increased scrutiny of police practices.
• Protests like those in Ferguson in 2014 and the Black Lives Matter movement.
• Calls for significant reforms in policing practices and policies.

Morality Grades

I wanted to know if it might be possible to create a rudimentary morality grade for each era of policing in America. Below is a requested summary of a system ChatGPT developed.

Note: This is just an idea and I have no idea how useful it would be if it made sense.

1. Define Criteria for Evaluation

First, we established clear criteria for evaluating the morality of policing in each era. In the example, we used:

• Fairness
• Accountability
• Protection of Rights
• Community Trust
• Effectiveness
• Use of Force

2. Score Each Criterion

For each criterion, we assigned a score on a scale of 1 to 5 based on the available historical data and our understanding of the era’s policing practices:

• 5 = Excellent
• 4 = Good
• 3 = Neutral/Average
• 2 = Below Average
• 1 = Poor

3. Calculate the Average Score

We added up the scores for each criterion and then divided by the total number of criteria to get an average score.

Using the Colonial Era as an example:

(3 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 3 + 3) / 6 = 16 / 6 = 2.67

4. Convert Average Score to a Letter Grade

We then converted the average score into a letter grade using a predefined scale:

• 4.5 — 5 = A
• 3.5 — 4.4 = B
• 2.5 — 3.4 = C
• 1.5 — 2.4 = D
• 1 — 1.4 = F

In our example, the average score of 2.67 falls within the C range.

Context

It’s important to note that this grading system, like any system attempting to measure something as complex and subjective as morality, has limitations. It’s based on predefined criteria, available historical data, and interpretations of that data. Different criteria, data, or interpretations could yield different results. The system aims to provide a structured way to approach the evaluation, but it’s crucial to accompany each grade with contextual notes to explain the rationale and acknowledge potential areas of contention or debate.

Trends

Chart: Ethical Evolution of Policing Across Eras

The chart above visualizes the ethical evolution of policing across different historical eras based on a set of predefined criteria. These criteria include fairness, accountability, protection of rights, community trust, effectiveness, and use of force.

Axes and Labels:

• X-Axis: Represents the historical eras of policing, ranging from the Colonial Era to the present.
• Y-Axis: Quantifies the overall ethical grade for each era, converted to numeric values to facilitate plotting. The grades range from ‘D-’ to ‘B’, where higher values indicate better ethical performance.

Data Points and Annotations:

• Blue Points: Each blue point indicates the overall ethical grade for an era. These are annotated with their respective letter grades.

Trend Line:

• Orange Line: This is a trend line fitted to the data points, providing a general sense of how the ethical grades have evolved over time. It’s a linear fit, meaning it captures the simplest form of the trend without diving into more complex fluctuations.

Observations:

• Lowest Point: The era of Slave Patrols stands out as having the lowest ethical grade (D-), notably due to its explicit focus on the subjugation of enslaved individuals.
• Fluctuations: The chart shows some fluctuation in ethical grades across different eras, such as the Progressive Era Reforms, which scores a B- due to efforts in professionalization and reform.
• Recent Trends: The 21st Century shows a noticeable improvement, scoring a ‘B’, likely reflecting the impact of ongoing calls for reform.
• Trend Line: The trend line suggests a slight upward movement in ethical grades over time, but the increase is not significantly steep, indicating that while there has been some improvement, it has been incremental.

Chart: Details of Policing Ethics Across Eras

The chart presents a detailed look at the trends in ethical dimensions of policing across various historical eras, broken down by specific criteria:

Axes and Labels:

• X-Axis: Represents the historical eras of policing, from the Colonial Era to the 21st Century.
• Y-Axis: Shows the grades for each criterion on a scale of 1 to 5, where higher values indicate better performance.

Lines:

• Each colored line corresponds to one of the six criteria: Fairness, Accountability, Protection of Rights, Community Trust, Effectiveness, and Use of Force.

Observations:

• Fairness: Starts at a neutral level, dips significantly during the Slave Patrols era, and shows a gradual improvement, peaking in the 21st Century.
• Accountability: Shows a similar trend to Fairness, with noticeable improvement during the Progressive Era Reforms.
• Protection of Rights: Has its lowest point during the Slave Patrols era and shows improvement in the 21st Century.
• Community Trust: Remains fairly constant but dips during eras with significant social or political turmoil, such as the Slave Patrols and Civil Rights Era.
• Effectiveness: Remains mostly neutral but peaks during the Progressive Era Reforms and 21st Century.
• Use of Force: Takes a significant dip during the Slave Patrols era and shows an improvement in the most recent era.