Most of the things that  happened in America that had to do with the police force happened first in England. The British were the first people to actually have a set police force that all they did was catch criminals. They can be traced all the way back to the 1060s and the time of the Norman Conquest. By 1705 Philadelphia found it necessary to divide the city into ten patrol areas.  In the almost 100 years between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, the more than rapid growth of population and industrialization in America mandated the development of municipal police departments. In 1833, Philadelphia organized an independent, 24 hour a day, police force. During this period, police departments were headed by police chiefs, appointed and accountable to political bosses. Corruption was commonplace. Part  of the inherited law enforcement was the Sheriff system. As America moved toward the west, in most frontier towns the Sheriff was the chief law enforcement official. He could be recruited from the local community, or more often a Sheriff was selected by his reputation, and not always a savory one. The Sheriff system still exists today, but, on a more formal and politicized basis. Today law enforcement agencies and departments are highly specialized organizations, with ongoing training to prepare to meet a great variety of problems and situations. Today we have federal, state, county, and municipal police. Our world has gotten to be a most dangerous place, and we all are dependent on peace officers from every organization for our" life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."