The United States policing system was based on the system in England. There were typically two categories: private policing and community policing.  In the 1830s this system was formalised by a central municipal department for law enforcement. Eventually this spread to all major cities in the North.

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However, the development of the Southern policing system was significantly different. In 1704, the first “Slave Patrol” was formed. The primary focus of this Taskforce was to retrieve slaves, prevent revolts and maintain discipline. Methods for maintaining this order were often violent in nature. After the Civil War in 1865, these group formalised into police departments, however their focus was mainly on controlling slaves who had been freed and were working as labourers, enforcing the “Jim Crows” laws and preventing freed people access to politics and the rights they had been granted. 

Jim Crow laws followed the ratification of the 13th Amendment - abolishing slavery. The laws controlled how former slaves could live their lives, including where and how long they could work, places they could travel and ability to vote. Particularly in the Deep South, officers were often former confederate soldier, therefore there was inherent bias against former slaves. 

In addition, this era saw the formation of the Ku Klux Klan, groups of violent people who purposefully vandalised Black property and schools. The Ku Klux Klan spread across the South rapidly and became increasingly dangerous, harming and eventually lynching Black people. This became an accepted part of Southern culture during this time, and as these societies wore masks, members could work in positions of authority without consequence.

As segregation laws increased and authorities did not react, African Americans were forced to leave the South and move to the more tolerant Northern cities. 

Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 overruled the last of the Jim Crow laws, bias continued due to the culture in the South, and many people believe bias still exists today in Southern Law Enforcement. 

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“Didn’t they already gut the Voting Rights Act?”

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In particular, the 1965 Voting Rights Act has recently been discussed in the Supreme Court, as many believe it has been altered beyond recognition, with key aspects of it removed.
In 2013, the court invalidated the system of pcreclearance - an element of the act which forced states with  prior history of racial discrimination and low voter turnout to clear the restrictions with federal government. It has been noted that this should have been updated to reflect how states are affected by these conditions, however it never has.
In addition, in 2021 the Supreme Court upheld provisions of a law in Arizona which would remove ballots cast in the wrong precinct and limited who could collect absentee ballots. This led to further restrictions being introduced, making it harder for people to vote, particular minority voters looking for representation. Figures show that there is greater disparity between White and black voter turnout. Also, the introduction of strict rules on voter ID mean that many have been refused the opportunity to vote, particularly those who have recently gained their ID in the United States. Early voting and voting by mail has also been limited in many states. 18 states have passed laws which restrict access to voting in some form, therefore there will be an impact demonstrated in future elections.

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