ABSTRACT
The vision of what a police department should be has evolved significantly over the past 100 years. In the early 1920s, police chiefs such as August Vollmer of Berkeley, California, were primarily concerned with the structure of their organizations. Vollmer is considered one of America’s first professional police leaders. His focus on building a well-constructed, professional organization set the tone for police leadership all over the country. His vision was designed to combat corruption and community disorganization. The increased incidence of crime during what is known as the Progressive Era in the United States created a new mandate to deal with institutional development and serious corruption issues in police organizations. The Progressive Era was a pivotal period in American history during the early 1900s when new American public institutions, such as the police, were in the midst of reform and reorganization.
