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Say the word, “POLICEMAN”… and most people have a pretty good idea of what you are talking about: uniforms, sirens, red lights, traffic tickets & handcuffs.
Say the word “SHERIFF” and they are still pretty sure of themselves: Big western hats, boots, star badge, citations, subpoenas & lots of news paper coverage.
But say the word “CONSTABLE”… and the meaning of the word to most people becomes…HAZY. It conjures up images of England or Sherlock Holmes .
Voters know that people campaign for the office of CONSTABLE. They know it is a modern day office which performs some type of function: “BUT WHAT DO CONSTABLE'S DO?”
Most people are either misinformed,… or have no idea what the Constable does. For example, Webster’s Dictionary defines the Constable in four (4) ways:
• A High Officer of medieval royal household.
• The Warden or Governor of a Royal Castle or a fortified town.
• A public officer responsible for keeping the peace and for minor judicial duties.
• A British Policeman of the lowest rank.
Fifteen centuries ago, in 438 A.D. the Roman Emperor Theodosius appointed the chief of his royal stables comes stabuli -- "Master of the Stable." This is the origin of the word “constable” in the English language. The office of constable was introduced into British common law following the Norman invasion of the British Isle in 1066 A.D. The constable was responsible for keeping the militia and armaments of the king, and those of the individual villages, in a state of preparedness for the protection of the village communities throughout England. The office eventually became an integral arm of the military throughout Britain. During the reign of King Stephen, (1135-1154) the office of Lord High Constable was established, and those who filled this position became the King's representatives in all matters dealing with the military affairs of the realm.
Authority for local law-enforcement derived primarily from the Statute of Winchester (1285), which, although essentially a codification of much earlier measures, encompassed instructions on the communities' obligations regarding the possession of weapons and maintenance of the king's peace. As a precaution against violent assaults, robberies and other unlawful acts, there were provisions concerning watch keeping. The statute specifically gave the power to constables and watchmen to arrest suspicious strangers, who were to be kept under guard until further investigation by the eyre justices or, as was the norm by the fourteenth century, at gaol delivery. Two constables in each hundred (a subdivison of counties), who were responsible to the county keepers of the peace, were entrusted with the inspection of arms and on two occasions each year were to check that the watchmen were armed according to their competence. They held the titles of capitales constabularii et custodes pacis—“constable of hundreds and keepers of peace.”
The enforcement responsibilities accorded constables and bailiffs after the Black Death brought their duties into the economic sphere. The Ordinance (1349) and Statute of Labourers (1351) appointed them to control the movement, conduct and service arrangements of labourers and servants within their jurisdiction. Workers who left the village could be arrested. (In nineteenth century Toronto, there remained a category of offense known as “Deserting Employment” applicable to apprentices and servants.)
From the medieval epoch until the nineteenth century, the primary proactive system of organized policing in the English speaking world, aside from the modern professional “thief takers” in London, was the watch and ward—patrols, usually at night, composed of citizens under the supervision of the High Constable, a county-level appointment. Under the concept of the watch and ward, also known as the parish watch, every citizen was compelled under penalty of law, to serve as a volunteer night sentry or watchman a certain number of days a year. Refusing a High Constable's call to report for watch and ward was punishable by fines and/or imprisonment. .
In 19th Century England, “Scotland Yard” was created as a new Law Enforcement agency which was made up of 17 superintendents, 68 inspectors, 323 sergeants and 2,906 constables.
When early America was settled by English colonies, it only made sense for the settlers to follow the form of government they knew best… the normal English system. This is how the office of the Constable was introduced to the United States.
Constables had the power to levy and collect taxes as well as enforce the orders of the colonial officials in both civil and criminal matters, As time went on and America came under self rule, the Constable garnered more Law Enforcement power and at one time was responsible for the peace of the City of New York in 1801 and the enforcement of all State Laws and ordinances of the municipal corporation.
In the early history of TEXAS, Constables were the Law Enforcement arm, in the colonies lead by Stephen F. Austin with the consent of the Mexican government before we had Texas Rangers. At that time, as they are today, the Constables were elected by popular vote. The Texas Constable is a member of an Elite corps of Cowboy-Lawmen organized in 1823 by Stephen F. Austin, replacing the Spanish style military policing organization, thereby pre-dating even the Texas Rangers. In 1836, the Constitution of THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS established Constables as primary Law Enforcement Administrators, whose stature is still upheld under article 2.12 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. They are elected to four-year terms of office and are commissioned by the Governor of Texas as Law Enforcement Agencies just as the Sheriff's Department or the Texas Department of Public Safety. Today, Constables are unique elected individuals commissioned by the Governor of the State of Texas and boast a proud heritage in statewide Civil and Criminal Law Enforcement authority.
Constables are the only Law Enforcement mandated by the Texas Constitution, truly the Constable is indeed “The People’s Police Officer”. |
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