Introduction

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The history of law enforcement began with captured Nubian slaves in Mesopotamia. These slaves were considered the first police force and were used as praetorian guards, marketplace watchmen, or mercenaries (Berg, 1998). I have always found the early history of police interesting, particularly when we examine current issues in our police communities and the conflict with marginalized communities. Our history in law enforcement tends to demonstrate that we (police officers) come from marginalized communities as well.

In the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries, "night watchman" and the "rattle patrol" were used to protect merchants from vagrants and thievery. As cities expanded and people congregated, those who were privileged needed individuals to protect their belongings and property. Some of these night watchmen were punished for their own crimes and assigned as night watchmen as atonement. Many times I have heard police officers say, "To be a good cop, you have to think like a criminal." Certainly this behavior appears to be part of our history.

Yet we evolved out of this behavior and early beginnings to become more professional, thanks, in part, to Sir Robert Peel. In 1829, Sir Robert Peel was instrumental in the passage of the Metropolitan Police Act in England, which created a new police force of men who were professional, educated, and disciplined. We in the United States began to follow the "Peel Principles" of law enforcement in the nine-teenth century. However, this was also during a time of race and industrial riots involving Irish immigrants and Native Americans. Police were trained to think they were better than the working class, which instigated conflict between police and community. Yet most of these officers were recruited from this very same culture. Here is the beginning of conflict with who we are and whom we serve.

Perhaps if we view our history of law enforcement by looking at our behavior from the beginning to the present, we might discover patterns of conduct that help identify why we are experiencing such violence today. Additionally, we can look at police behavior from a social psychological perspective as a way of understanding that behavior, recognizing that our behavior can change when we actually view its effect in society and various situations. Finally, by examining police behavior from our earliest beginnings to today, we are afforded the opportunity to change the behavior because we have observed those patterns through our history.

In our evolution and adaptation, two law enforcement goals in the United States are paramount to good policing. The first is the prevention of crime and disorder and the preservation of peace. The second goal for law enforcement officers is the protection of life, property, and personal liberty. So what is currently happening in the United States with police and society?

There has been a clear demonstration in the United States since 2013 that our police culture has a significant problem. Some moments in history appear to demand change, and I believe we are experiencing one of those moments. If we choose to ignore these moments or don't deal with them ethically, they shall rise again in intensity and quantity. This has occurred within the police culture and community over and over, until today we have reached a tipping point: our police community is under the microscope, the public trust has been severely damaged, and many of our communities are demanding change.

Earlier incidents have certainly illustrated the tension between law enforcement and marginalized communities. Look no further than the time of the Civil Rights Movement to see the tremendous clashes between "people of color" and law enforcement. What has changed from that time to the present day? There were changes to laws and guidelines. People were forced to integrate.

Yet, most people were angry about integration and change. It did not matter whether it was the individuals forced to integrate or the individuals "accepting" the integrated person. Everyone was uncomfortable, familiarity was gone, isolation increased, resentment and divisiveness became pronounced. This example in our history illustrates our inability to "teach" each other through these critical events, such as integration. It is typical of us to simply "tell" our communities that they must change, "force" or impose new laws without much explanation, and then fail to educate when punishment is easier.

In my opinion, our process of educating people about civil rights and integration was basic, reactive rather than reflective. In the United States, we still have not done a good job of actually teaching people how to integrate. We have enforced/demanded and punished people into integration. Clearly, this approach only fosters tension and conflict. Changing ourselves at the cellular level to find acceptance with each other requires time and work on every individual's part. But it also requires money, so instead of truly taking the time to explain why we must change, we institute laws and rules to enforce our new behaviors while underneath, the issue of inequality remains and may be passed down through generations and families on both sides of the issue.

So we are still faced with the issues of inequality, racism, and marginalized communities. The police community usually is the first place where this conflict begins to show. When tension and frustration reach a boiling point, the police are often the first to encounter that frustration. Because, unfortunately, the police community is also at a breaking point, when conflicts with marginalized communities arise.

As a nation, we demand that our law enforcement officers confront human destructiveness and suffering, defend our communities, and stand between...