The Political era of policing stemmed through the 1840s to the 1930s. This particular method relied highly of political gain. Police officers were used by Politicians as way to control neighborhoods. The advantages of the political era of policing allowed community interest to be main priority; therefore, community policing was said to be an effective tool. The disadvantages of the political era were politicians had immediate control over the departments and unfortunately recruitment was entitled to the politician’s discretion. In essence, officers were being recruited with no prior experience or training. Corruption remained a major concern of this time period. Police officers often took bribes in an effort to avoid enforcing moral crimes.
