There was a time when criminal justice was the responsibility of lords, landowners, and monarchs who had largely inherit roles as government leaders. After the feudal system, as it was known failed to stop bandits from selling wares in an 18th century medieval Europe, Napoleon introduced a military police force of sorts known as gendarme. This method of justice caught on even among Catholics, whose rules were based moral order.
The criminal justice field is an ever evolving field. As today’s technology changes so does the way the criminal justice field interacts with technology. As society changes the technology also changes. The barriers that come along can affect how the criminal justice field interprets what to do next. The basis of the criminal justice system is to protect and serve the community as a whole. Keeping up with the changes in society is a vital part of the system.
In the past the criminal justice system had to deal with rapes, robberies, murders, fights, and many of the same things today, but on a smaller scale. In the past law enforcement was more involved with the communities due to the fact that officers walked the streets on patrol. Officers talked with the citizens, and got to know the people within the communities. The result was a community that was not fearful, and that was trusting of the justice system. Years ago there was not the forensics to aid in a case, at the same time there was not today’s technology. As for the forensics this was a hindrance because it made figuring out who the criminal actually was much harder. In the same right the system did not have the technology of the criminals today, which at times can be very helpful for law enforcement agencies to find the criminals.
In the mid-1900s began such things as organized crime groups, prostitution, and the start of prohibition, gambling, and corruption on a larger scale.