If you visit many national policing websites, you will frequently find Robert Peel cited as the father of modern policing. His nine principles, established in 1829, continue to be referenced as the foundation of ethical law enforcement. However, regarding policing Black communities, these very principles have long been ignored. Instead of upholding the ideals of public trust, limited use of force, and impartial service, American policing has relied on a different historical framework—one rooted in the legacy of slave patrols, Black Codes, and Jim Crow laws. While Peel’s principles aimed to create a policing system based on cooperation rather than…