Kristian Williams - Our Enemies in Blue - Police and Power in America

sounding an alarm when crimes were discovered, detaining suspicious persons,and sometimes suppressing riots and lighting street lamps.GlThe Boston Watch was in many respects typical. All men over 18 yearsold were required to serve in person or provide a substitute (though ministersand certain public officials were exempted from duty) . The state legislatureordered the watchmen to "see that all disturbances and disorders inthe night shall be prevented and suppressed" and gave them theauthority to examine all persons, whom they have reason to suspect ofany unlawful design, and to demand of them their business abroad atsuch time, and whither they are going; to enter any house of ill-fame forthe purpose of suppressing any riot or disturbance.62They were further instructed toto gowalk in rounds in and about the streets, wharves, lanes, and principalinhabited parts, within each town, to prevent any danger by fire, and tosee that good order is kept, taking particular observation and inspectionof all houses and families of evil fame,c"New York provided similar instruction in 1698. The watchmen were toldround the Citty Each Hour in the Night with a Bell and there to proclaimethe season of the weather and the Hour of the night and if theyMeet in their Rounds Any people disturbing the peace or lurking aboutAny persons house or committing any theft they take the most prudentway they Can to Secure the said persons.64Like the modern police, the colonial watch was public in character andaccountable to a central authority, usually either a town council or statelegislature. Unlike the modern police, however, the watch had only limitedauthority to use force, with no training and usually no equipment for doingso. As far as "modern" characteristics go, the watch shared responsibility forenforcement with the constables, sheriffs, and sometimes other inspectors.Thus it was not the major body responsible for law enforcement. Its personnelrotated with deliberate frequency, and many places it only patrolled partof the year. Hence, it lacked continuity in office and procedure. While thewatch was concerned with crime, it was often more concerned with otherdangers, especially fire and military attack; thus it lacked the specializedpolicing function. Except in times of emergency, the watch only patrolledat night (offering no twenty-four-hour service) . And for the most part, itspersonnel were not paid at all. In sum, by our criteria, the colonial watchmay be counted as a policing effort, but in no way did it constitute a modernpolice agency.The standard story in the history of policing, if we may speak of sucha thing, presents the modern American police force as a direct adaptationof the night watch, following the English pattern.65 But this story leaves outsignificant stages in the development of American policing. Or, put differently,it omits an entire branch of the American police family tree.35