Their duties included cleaning streets, watching fires, and even worked as jailers. In the early 1900s there emerged a reform movement called the Progressive Model of Policing, which ushered in a new era of modern law enforcement. The police then became full-time employees and retained many responsibilities. Their role now is to prevent crime and maintain order and control. However, one of their main functions then was to provide housing for new immigrants and help them find work. (https://ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/114213.pdf) An article on DiscoverPolicing.org describes the role of sworn officers as follows: “handling community issues rather than specific crimes or incidents is at the heart of the job of the police”. This would mean that their most important job is to maintain the community as a whole and ensure the safety and well-being of its residents. He goes on to explain that although fighting crime is part of the job, it is not a very common task; therefore it is not the most important and vital role of police officers. This type of policing is a community-oriented style. However, an article in the Houston Chronicle (work/chron.com) states that the two most crucial duties of a law enforcement officer are 1: to serve and protect, and 2: to investigate crimes. This is a slightly different perspective, focusing more on crime and arrests in order to protect the community. The article states that what makes crime and arrests higher is the need to keep drugs off the streets and out of the hands of civilians. This in itself should be a top priority for