The Tiers of Justice

The Tiers of Justice

Crime is tackled through agencies whose main goal is provide the community with the service of protection. These agencies revolve around three focal branches of government: local, state and federal. Jurisdictions of each agency rely on the conditions of crimes, such as location and offense. Each particular branch of government is founded upon three tiers, including: enforcement-police, prosecution-courts, and punishment-corrections. These three tiers compose what is known as the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system would not flow as smoothly without these components, and would leave the United States as a whole in complete chaos.

When criminal activity has been called to the attention of the police department an investigation is launched. Completion of these investigations can vary in length of time, dependent on various factors such as: wiliness of victims to accessibility of evidence to warrant an arrest, if a case is even completed at all. Police officials must first build a probable case against a suspect before the defendant can be detained.

Around the year 1500 B.C, the earliest known organized police force recognized was formed in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Washburn (2000) argues the police's tactics were renowned to be "effective and efficient while holding a reputation for torturing suspects and mistreating prisoners" (p.3). In April of 1631, Boston Massachusetts establishes the first system of law enforcement "known as the night watch". Later "the night watch became paid uniformed officers who were issued service pistols, a first in law enforcement history.

State level police officers in the state of Texas, now know as Texas Rangers, have earned the title of the oldest statewide law enforcement agency in the United States of America. When Stephen F. Austin moved over 300 families to the Spanish province, there was no order of protection for the families which caused them to rely on the citizens of their society for security. As explained by the Texas Department of Public Safety (2000) "during this era, the Ranger Service held a place somewhere between that of an army and a police force. When a Ranger was going to meet an outside enemy, the Indians or the Mexicans, he was very close to being a soldier; however, when he had to turn to the enemies within his own society - he was a detective and policeman".