Impact of Forensic Psychology Professional Roles in Policing

In ancient civilizations, police officer positions developed from the military. Their job was to be guardians of peace or bodyguards for rulers. In addition, in ancient Greece, slaves were used as police to keep order and to control crowds. Romans organized the first non-military police force when Augustus Caesar created separate units to be bodyguards, some of whom were undercover. The Romans also created separate units to protect the peace during the daytime hours and the nighttime hours. Duties eventually increased to include arrest and investigation functions. The roles of police officers continue to change and develop along with the needs of the people they serve.

Just as the roles of police officers are many and varied, so are the roles of the forensic psychology professional. What may have started out as one or two psychology professionals acting as consultants to police departments has mushroomed into a specialized profession integrated into the functioning of law enforcement agencies and has developed to match the needs of the police professional. This integration provides police professionals with expertise that improves their abilities, performance, and productivity in day-to-day operations.

. Think about forensic psychology professional roles that can influence the internal and external contexts of police work.

• Select two roles that forensic psychology professionals may have when working with police.

• Think about the ways in which forensic psychology professionals impact police work in both internal and external contexts.

a description of two forensic psychology professional roles. Then, analyze the impact of each role in both an internal context (i.e., within the police department) and an external context (i.e., outside the police department—n neighborhoods, schools, etc.). Be specific and provide examples.