justmahl t1_j8tbcjw wrote on February 16, 2023 at 8:20 PM

Reply to comment by Gilyon01 in MPD Officer often fed information to Proud Boys leader by oxidadapanda

So I guess according to you, the same men that participating in the slave patrols, who saw it as their right to control and keep blacks in line just gave up their mission and retired once the 13th and 14th amendments were passed?
Then comes along the concept of police forces in these exact same areas giving police officers the exact same authority that the slave patrols had, specifically with regards to cracking down on Jim Crow laws. These police had free reign to terrorize, beat and kill blacks legally, and....the slave patrolmen weren't interested?

Gilyon01 t1_j8tgd2e wrote on February 16, 2023 at 8:51 PM

I'm saying that there existed a generalized law enforcement in both colonial and post colonial United States. A sheriff, or constables, or marshals, or a citizen based night watch. I'm not sure why the existence of groups dedicated to the enforcement of slavery has more of an importance to the history of law enforcement in the US than the actual law enforcement apparatus in place at the time. I'm also not saying that people who were part of slave patrols couldn't have turned into municipal police as they were formed. Neither am I saying that municipal police didn't enforce racist laws.

The statement that "Policing in the United States came from Slave Patrols" is saying that the origination of the enforcement of law in this country came directly from a desire to enforce slavery. The fact that racist laws and policies exist doesn't lead to the conclusion that these departments were created for the purpose of enforcing those laws specifically. It's more that the departments were complicit along with other aspects of government in the oppression. Which isn't the same thing.

justmahl t1_j8tlljl wrote on February 16, 2023 at 9:24 PM

I think where you're tripping up as that the statement should be "modern day policing in the US" developed as a response to Jim Crow laws. Focusing on the fact that the idea of policing existed before and in other countries is missing the point, possibly deliberately. It's also ignoring the fact that there are aspects to the US law enforcement and judicial system that are very unique to this country. That is because slavery/racism is woven into the fabric. It's not just something that kind of happened along side it.