August Vollmer Criminal Justices Studies And Modern Policing

August Vollmer: Criminal Justices Studies and Modern Policing Innovator America’s justice system has come a long way. It is because of the great leadership of our forefathers that brought us this far. There are several traits a great leader must exhibit, and one is innovation. Innovative leaders specifically in America’s criminal justice history and their actions, created the modern justice system that lives on today. This paper will profile one of the great leaders in American law enforcement history. It examines the leadership qualities that made Chief August Vollmer an influential leader. This paper will also discuss several events from his life that showcase his innovative traits. August Vollmer, the son of two German immigrants,†¦show more content†¦He believed that police officers ought to be the finest men and the position â€Å"is the highest calling in the world (BENNETT ). Vollmer ran his department similar to the structure of the military (BENNETT ). He also believed that education was one of the best ways to create th e brightest police officers. Because of this, he established the very first police school in Berkeley in 1908 (BENNETT ). He and another police inspector taught courses such as crime scene investigation, photography, first aid and sanitation (BENNETT ). Although Vollmer had only a grade school education, he relied on his military background and read criminology textbooks from Europe to teach himself (BENNETT ). Police modernization became very important to Vollmer as he created ways to stop corruption and crimes in Berkeley. Under him, Berkeley Police Department saw great reformation. To ensure his revolutionary idea to educate police officers were recognized in the educational system, Vollmer pleaded with the University of California at Berkeley to take on the law enforcement profession with an academic approach. In 1916, the first criminal justice academic degree was available to students (BENNETT ). Vollmer pursued this innovative idea because he strongly believed that it would help eliminate the corruptions and create a more organized law enforcement personnel and procedures. Not long after, other universities adapted their own police degree programs. It is because of VollmerShow MoreRelatedThe Father Of Modern Police Administration1296 Words   |  6 PagesBiological Sketch August Vollmer Many persons are familiar with the story of policing in regards to its British origins involving Sir Robert Peel. However, very few are acquainted with the story of August Vollmer, who is hailed as the father of modern police administration in the United States. Vollmer, a pioneer of the criminal justice system, revolutionized policing by providing the foundations to the practices that we see today. 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