Police officers serve and protect the people of their community. The first police forces were established around the 1750s. Although the first police force in the modern sense was established over 250 years ago, its purpose is the same as it is today. As the rest of the world moves forward and progresses, the police force has advanced in many ways, making it a more effective and capable unit, to more fully accomplish its purpose of serving its community. In the next few paragraphs, you will learn how training, equipment, work environment and techniques have changed and evolved within the police force. First, in the past, the training a police officer had to undergo to be effective in their job was limited to being able to handle handguns and rifles and use the police baton effectively. With the vast technological advancements that have taken place, a police officer must now be trained in the proper use and operation of a variety of new weapons and technologies. 100 years ago, police batons were small, straight wooden sticks resembling a miniature baseball bat. In the 1970s it evolved to become thinner, made of metal and featuring a side handle for defensive purposes. Today, many law enforcement agencies use extendable batons, which require more training than the original small wooden baton. Along with the increased training required to use the police baton, law enforcement officers are able to use newer, more advanced equipment that was not available in the past, such as Tasers, different types firearm ammunition, radar and laser guns, radios, computers and even more sophisticated use of force to arrest a suspect, to name a few. Today's police forces are more highly trained...... middle of paper ...... century of crime hunting." auto evolution. UTC, October 21, 2009. Web. March 3, 2012 .- Richard A. Leo (2008). Police interrogation and American justice. Harvard University Press Cambridge, Massachusetts and London England p. 196-236. “Confrontational or non-confrontational interrogation.” , T., Milne, B. and Savage, S. (2009). International developments in investigative interviews: Portland.- Canada Parks Canada Rose Brodie, Jonathon. Coray, hired in 1951." Canadian Immigration Report, February 29, 2012: April 1.. 2012.