The Pete Quiñones Show Modern Policing's Origins and Issues w/ Thomas777 - Complete
Jan 12, 2026
Thomas777, an independent commentator and expert on policing and political sociology, joins to dissect the complex origins and modern issues of policing. He argues that current police functions are shifting towards militarization and privatization, tracing roots back to Robert Peel's principles and their adaptation in the US. Thomas highlights the impact of Irish immigrants on policing culture, examines the failures of paramilitary policing in the 1970s, and foresees a future where local communities prioritize self-defense over traditional police reliance.
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Modern Policing Is Historically Contingent
- Modern policing as structured in the U.S. is a recent, historically contingent institution rather than perennial.
- Thomas777 argues policing's role is collapsing into military and privatized security as the modern state becomes obsolete.
Peel's Model Built Around Public Legitimacy
- Robert Peel designed modern urban policing to manage divided societies and integrate alien populations politically.
- Peel's model emphasized prevention, public approval, and policing as part of the public rather than a hostile occupying force.
Cold War And War On Drugs Transformed Police Culture
- Policing shifted from communitarian night-watch roots to a secretive, alienated institution during the Cold War and the war on drugs.
- That shift created deep hostility between police and communities and transformed police attitudes to violence and enforcement.
