Chapter 4: The History of Policing

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. The earliest known system of policing in England was the ______, which was comprised of a social unit of 12 people.

A. frankpledge

B. borh

C. constable

D. tyth

2. ______ were precursors to sheriffs who policed communities in predominantly “countrylike” settings.

A. Thief takers

B. Parish constables

C. Shire reeves

D. Watchmen

3. Early English ______ share many similarities with modern-day bounty hunters.

A. thief takers

B. bondsmen

C. watchmen

D. shire reeves

4. The ______ is considered to be the beginning of modern public policing.

A. Metropolitan Police Act of 1829

B. Central Criminal Court Act 1856

C. London Government Act 1899

D. City of London Police Act 1839

5. ______ established the London’s Metropolitan Police Force at Scotland Yard.

A. Lord John Russell

B. William Bourne

C. August Vollmer

D. Sir Robert Peel

6. Which event led to the end of the borh system?

A. The Norman Conquest

B. The American Revolution

C. The French Revolution

D. The Civil War

7. What is an important difference between the frankpledge system and the borh system?

A. Membership was voluntary.

B. Membership was mandatory.

C. Membership was chosen by the King.

D. Membership included all men and women over the age of 12.

8. In the frankpledge system, 10 tythings were grouped together into a “hundred”; the ______ was the leader of the hundred and is considered to be the first real police officer because he dealt with more serious breaches of law.

A. shire reeves

B. watchman

C. hundredman

D. frankpledge

9. What is a difference between shire reeves and watchmen?

A. Shire reeves operated in colonial America, whereas watchmen operated in England.

B. Shire reeves existed under the frankpledge system, whereas watchmen existed under the borh system.

C. Shire reeves were volunteer positions, whereas watchmen were paid positions.

D. Shire reeves operated in rural areas, whereas watchmen operated in larger towns and cities.

10. An ethical rule dictating that police should only use force when necessary is one of the important guidelines set forth in the ______.

A. Peelian principles

B. Peelers guidelines

C. Bobbies rules

D. Shire reeve standards

11. In colonial America, ______ operated in the colonies to maintain the weapons and equipment of each “hundred” and ______ worked in counties.

A. parish constables; sheriffs

B. sheriffs; parish constables

C. bobbies; peelers

D. sheriffs; watchmen

12. ______ were self-appointed distributers of justice with no legal authority.

A. Constables

B. Vigilantes

C. Hundredman

D. Watchmen

13. ______ are considered the first organized police organization in America.

A. Slave patrols

B. Vigilantes

C. Sheriffs

D. Night watchmen

14. Which U.S. city created the first detective division?

A. New York

B. Philadelphia

C. Boston

D. Los Angeles

15. Which U.S. city consolidated its three rival police components in 1844 into a centrally directed police department based on the English Bobbies model?

A. New York

B. Philadelphia

C. Boston

D. New Orleans

16. What are the origins of American policing?

A. Biblical legal traditions

B. English common law and policing traditions

C. French enlightenment standards

D. Native American tribunal practices

17. Early colonial sheriffs responded to citizen complaints, rather than actively engaging in efforts to deter crime. What term describes their approach to policing?

A. retrospective

B. proactive

C. reactive

D. vigilantism

18. In 1600s Boston, a group of citizens watch over the city at night. Their duties involve calling the hour, giving weather reports, and reporting any crimes or suspicious activity to the police constable. Which of the following would best describe their job title?

A. Bobbies

B. vigilantes

C. shire reeves

D. night watchmen

19. In 1916 Texas, a Black teenager named Jesse Washington was lynched by a White mob for allegedly murdering a White woman. Rather than allow Washington to be sentenced for the crime, the mob decided to distribute justice by acting as ______.

A. vigilantes

B. Bobbies

C. shire reeves

D. slave patrols

20. Individuals who helped slaves escape from their masters could be punished with prison and a hefty fine. What federal law defined the punishment for this offense?

A. Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968

B. Fugitive Slave Law of 1850

C. Metropolitan Police Act of 1829

D. Slave Patrol Act of 1849

21. Groups of White men who sought to regulate the behavior of slaves were called ______.

A. watchmen

B. shire reeves

C. slave patrols

D. vigilantes

22. Why did early police forces in the United States rarely carry revolvers?

A. Most police officers lacked training and were incapable of properly using revolvers.

B. Revolvers were too expensive for early police departments.

C. The public was afraid that police would kill unarmed citizens.

D. Many police chiefs considered it “unmanly.”

23. In 1693, the first uniformed police officer was appointed in ______.

A. New York City

B. Boston

C. Detroit

D. Chicago

24. In 1768, a group of citizens calling themselves the “Regulators” rioted in Hillsborough, NC. They attacked members of the colonial court, whom they believed to be corrupt, and burned the presiding judge’s house to the ground. They would best be described as ______.

A. colonial enforcers

B. vigilantes

C. self-appointed sheriffs

D. common law officers

25. Where was the first slave patrol formed?

A. South Carolina

B. North Carolina

C. Massachusetts

D. New York

26. ______ is considered the Father of American Policing.

A. Robert Peel

B. August Vollmer

C. O. W. Wilson

D. James Q. Wilson

27. An early method of interrogation was called ______ and involved the act of brutalizing an individual to gather information.

A. enhanced interrogation

B. sensory overload

C. the first degree

D. the third degree

28. The ______ began in 1871 and continues its mission today to increase the professionalism of police officers and police agencies.

A. International Association of Chiefs of Police

B. Fraternal Order of Police

C. Police Executive Research Forum

D. Association of Chief Police Officers

29. Camp Sumter commandant, Henry Wirz, was hanged in 1865 for using dogs against unarmed Union soldiers in order to extract confessions. The use of torture to extract confessions, also known as the ______, was common among law enforcement officers at the time.

A. corporal punishment

B. third degree

C. enhanced interrogation

D. first degree

30. ______ required all officers to obtain college degrees in order to professionalize the police force.

A. Charles Lynch

B. Sir Robert Peel

C. August Vollmer

D. Samuel Walker

31. The ______ works to improve the science of policing, to promote best practices in law enforcement, and to establish rules for ethical and professional policing.

A. Keystone Cop Guild

B. Peelian Organization

C. American Society of Criminology

D. International Association of Chiefs of Police

32. Which of the following statements about modern law enforcement represents the legacy of August Vollmer’s contributions to American policing?

A. In 1994, the United States ratified the “United Nations Convention Against Torture,” which requires all parties to pass laws forbidding the use of torture.

B. Today, only 10% of police departments in the United States require that their officers obtain 2- or 4-year degrees.

C. In 2008, a NYPD whistleblower secretly recorded his superiors pushing officers to arrest more individuals to meet quotas rather than acting as “social workers” to address problems before crimes were committed.

D. In 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions ended the “National Commission on Forensic Science,” which was tasked with improving the accuracy of forensic science.

33. The Texas Forensic Science Commission (FSC) was created in 2005 to improve accuracy and professionalism of forensic science laboratories by investigating scientific misconduct or negligence. This commission represents one of the main goals of ______.

A. the American Society of Criminology

B. the International Association of Chiefs of Police

C. the Berkeley Police School

D. the Bureau of Investigation

34. Which of the following examples illustrates one of the goals of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)?

A. The 9/11 Congressional Report found that the attack was preventable, but the plot was successful because the CIA and FBI refused to cooperate or share intelligence.

B. Although studies have shown that better pay for police officers increases recruitment, many state and local agencies refuse to increase funding.

C. As of 1994, the FBI maintains a database of DNA that is collected from federal, state, and local crime scenes and can be accessed by all levels of law enforcement for comparison.

D. In 2007, an Oakland police officer was fired for killing two unarmed men. The police union appealed the decision and ensured he was reinstated with back pay in spite of a pattern of reckless behavior.

35. Which technology was pioneered by August Vollmer?

A. body cameras

B. mobile DNA testing kits

C. drone technology

D. lie-detector tests

36. While examining case files, a detective notices patterns in several recent murders. The victims were all prostitutes who were sexually assaulted and strangled. The detective suspects that a serial killer may be on the loose based on his analysis of the similarities in the ______ of the crimes committed.

A. actus rea

B. mens rea

C. degree

D. modus operandi

37. August Vollmer first implemented the use of the ______ system to classify offenders and crimes.

A. modus operandi

B. corpus delicti

C. stare decisis

D. res publica

38. August Vollmer and several colleagues formed the ______, a professional organization of criminologists.

A. Justice Studies Association

B. International Association of Chiefs of Police

C. Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences

D. American Society of Criminology

39. In the early days of policing, female employees of police departments were called ______.

A. police sergeants

B. policewomen

C. police officers

D. police matrons

40. The role of the first female in the Los Angeles Police Department in the 1880s was to ______.

A. aid children and women who were victims and offenders

B. perform clerical work

C. work as a dispatcher

D. perform the same police duties as male officers

41. In 1910, ______ became the first full-time paid policewoman with arrest powers in the Los Angeles Police Department.

A. Lucy Gray

B. Lola Baldwin

C. Alice Stebbins Wells

D. Georgia Robinson

42. The first Black female police officer was ______.

A. Lucy Gray

B. Lola Baldwin

C. Alice Stebbins Wells

D. Georgia Robinson

43. In 1872, the first African American police officer was appointed by the mayor of ______.

A. New York

B. Chicago

C. Philadelphia

D. Los Angeles

44. Julius Boyd Loving, the first African American deputy in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, is known for his contributions to ______.

A. the jail system

B. patrol operations

C. crime prevention

D. community outreach

45. ______ was New York City’s first Black officer, sergeant, lieutenant, and parole commissioner.

A. Samuel Walker

B. Samuel Battle

C. Roy Green

D. Wiley Overton

46. ______ was one of the first cities to hire Asian Americans as police officers and in higher level positions.

A. Los Angeles

B. San Francisco

C. Chicago

D. Philadelphia

47. In 1891, a male New York City police officer assaulted a 15-year-old female detainee. Afterward, a law was passed to ensure that female prisoners would be housed in separate facilities overseen by female employees of the NYPD. These employees were responsible for supervision, searches, and care of women and juveniles; however, they did not go on patrols or arrest perpetrators. What was their job title?

A. female protective officer

B. social worker

C. police matron

D. policewoman

48. How were the duties of female police officers and male police officers different prior to the 1960s?

A. Policewomen were more likely to patrol on foot.

B. Policemen were more likely to be assigned to missing persons cases.

C. Due to the fact that they were solely responsible for juveniles, policewomen were paid more than policemen.

D. Female police officers were more likely to be assigned to cases involving juveniles and missing persons.

49. What is one difference between the duties of White and Black police officers in the early days of American policing?

A. Black officers were not permitted to arrest White citizens.

B. White officers were not permitted to arrest Black women.

C. Black officers were not allowed to work in plain clothes.

D. White officers were required to supervise Black officers.

50. What is similar about the history of African American, Hispanic, American Indian, and Asian police officers in the United States?

A. They have all historically benefited from affirmative action.

B. It is difficult to identify the first police officer belonging to those racial and ethnic groups.

C. None of the officers were allowed to arrest White citizens.

D. Members of these minority groups were not allowed to work in Chicago until the 1960s.

51. Accurate estimates of LGBTQ police officers is difficult based on the fact that there is still social stigma attached to their identity. According to your text, why might it be slightly easier to identify lesbian police officers when compared to gay male police officers?

A. Because gay male officers are less common than lesbian officers.

B. Because lesbians are more likely to be open about their sexual orientation.

C. Because police departments are slightly more tolerant of lesbian officers.

D. Because women are predisposed to be more likely to discuss their personal lives.

52. An elderly Hispanic woman is hospitalized after a brutal attack. She cannot speak English and is anxious about speaking to the police. One of the officers assigned to her case is Hispanic, speaks Spanish fluently, and is able to gain her trust thanks to their shared cultural experience. As a result, he is able to discover the identity of her attacker. What does this anecdote illustrate?

A. the fact that Hispanic Americans are superior police officers

B. the importance of obtaining a college degree

C. the necessity for all police officers to learn Spanish

D. the benefit of diversity in the police force

53. ______ was the first female police officer to be killed on duty.

A. Gail Cobb

B. Lucy Gray

C. Alice Stebbins Wells

D. Betty Blankenship

54. Which of the following racial or ethnic groups established one of the earliest forms of policing in North America?

A. European Americans

B. American Indians

C. African Americans

D. Asian Americans

55. What is a similarity between the duties of early female and Black police officers?

A. Both were given titles other than “police officer” until the early 1900s.

B. Both were forbidden to work in plain clothes.

C. Both were mainly responsible for policing communities and individuals who shared their characteristics.

D. The first officers of both groups were hired by the Los Angeles Police Department.

56. The ______ Police Department is believed to have hired the first Black female police officer, Georgia Robinson.

A. New Orleans

B. New York

C. Chicago

D. Los Angeles

57. The Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder (2013) struck down provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which required certain jurisdictions with a history of discriminating against minority voters to seek approval from the federal government before they could change voting laws. As a result, there are no longer any ______ in the United States.

A. covered districts

B. discriminatory voting practices

C. literacy tests

D. racially segregated schools

58. Slave patrols were known to use specially bred dogs to track, maim, and kill fugitive slaves. Throughout the civil rights era, dogs were used by police departments in the South to violently counter peaceful protests. Research suggests that police dogs are disproportionately used against minorities today. What is the result of the use of canines to control minority populations?

A. Canine officers are rarely used in policing today.

B. Canine officers have come to represent violent and aggressive attitudes toward minorities for many communities.

C. Canine officers are significantly less popular among Americans than in the 1960s.

D. Canine officers are no longer used to subdue suspects.

59. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 sought to end the use of ______ as a requirement for people to register to vote.

A. a poll tax

B. voter ID laws

C. literacy tests

D. felony disenfranchisement

60. The ______ outlawed discrimination based upon race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, and gender.

A. Civil Rights Act of 1964

B. Voting Rights Act of 1965

C. Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

D. Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

61. As a response to rising crime rates in the 1960s and the perceived lack of control over the sales of firearms, Congress enacted the ______.

A. Civil Rights Act of 1964

B. Crime Victims' Rights Act

C. Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968

D. Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970

62. Which of the following provisions was an important component of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968?

A. It included enhanced penalties for hate crimes.

B. It required affirmative action in hiring for police departments.

C. It mandated that states with a history of racial discrimination get voting law changes approved by the federal government.

D. It included provisions that regulated firearm sales.

63. The official use of dogs in law enforcement originated in ______.

A. Belgium

B. England

C. Ancient Rome

D. New York

64. Intentionally injuring or killing a K–9 is a(n) ______ in most jurisdictions.

A. summary offense

B. misdemeanor

C. felony

D. status offense

65. According to your text, since the 1980s, working conditions for police officer have improved in part due to ______.

A. improvements in local government

B. improvements in community relations

C. improvements in firearms

D. the proliferation of police unions

1. Under the frankpledge system, membership in a tything was voluntary.

2. Thief takers were privately hired by crime victims.

3. English thief takers were corrupt and engaged in illegal activities themselves.

4. The constables created by the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829 were called “coppers.”

5. In America, colonial sheriffs were a proactive police force that patrolled to deter criminal activity.

6. Vigilantes are groups of citizens who distribute justice according to their own rules.

7. The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 required that runaway slaves be returned to their master and outlined punishments for those who aided runaway slaves.

8. In the 19th century, police officer was an undesirable, low-paying job.

9. August Vollmer sought to outlaw the use of the violent “third-degree” interrogation method.

10. A majority of police departments in the United States require that police officers earn college degrees.

11. August Vollmer pioneered the analysis of the third-degree system to classify offenders and crimes in order to discover patterns.

12. Originally, women were only considered for clerical work in police departments.

13. There were no African American police officers in the United States until after the Jim Crow era.

14. Very few of the officers in the Los Angeles Police Department are Latino.

15. The presence of American Indian police officers predates the establishment of the United States.

16. Estimating the number of LGBTQ police officers is difficult, given the stigmatization that continues to be attached to this identification.

17. The police often used excessive force against demonstrators during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

18. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed discriminatory practices that led to widespread disenfranchisement of Blacks.

19. Canine officers have always been received positively by the public.

20. Since the 1980s, there has been a call for police to act less like social workers and to focus more on crime control.

1. Explain why Sir Robert Peel is called the “Father of Modern Policing.”

2. Identify the purpose of vigilantes in colonial America.

3. Explain how the police officer’s job in the 19th century differed from today.

4. Explain why August Vollmer is considered the “Father of American Policing.”

5. Identify the police techniques and technologies that August Vollmer introduced to policing.

6. Identify the contributions of the International Association of Chiefs of Police to U.S. policing.

7. List and describe the many technological advances championed by August Vollmer, and explain how they are still used in modern policing.

8. Why is it difficult to estimate the number of LGBTQ police officers in the United States?

9. What were the main recommendations of The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society (1967)?

10. How did the increase of police unions improve working conditions for officers?

1. Explain how thief takers differed from modern-day bounty hunters.

2. Explain why early efforts at policing ineffective overall.

3. Describe the controversies that accompanied the hiring of the first female police officers.

4. Explain why support for canine officers waned during the civil rights era.

5. What directions do you see in the future of policing?