One of the greatest strengths of the U.S. justice system is that our police agencies are directly responsible to local elected officials. Many parts of the world have only large national agencies controlled by the federal government. In the United States, 800,000 police officers work in more than 17,500 distinct, autonomous agencies. The reason for this structure is that many of those who immigrated to America over the years were fleeing oppression enforced by a national police organization. As a result, these immigrants and their descendants wanted to ensure as much as possible that the police were honest, apolitical, and responsive to the needs of the average citizen. This American system has largely been successful. Indeed, efforts to duplicate many of our strategies and policies can be seen around the world. Yet, despite the best efforts of talented police executives, periodic incidents of corruption and abuse of force and authority continue.