Policing in America started out with the slave-catchers that tracked down runaway slaves. The slaves were strictly and brutally policed because the southern aristocracy lived in constant fear of a slave uprising. Today, the white supremacists still live in fear that "the Negro" will usurp the white man's power. So little has changed. I am no expert historian, but this is what I've picked up in the process of waking up to see the systemic racism in America.