either is good

New York City didn't have a police department until the 1840s

Prior to that they relied on the English legal structure, namely ordinary crimes were mostly policed by armed private citizens. The main law enforcement officer was the sheriff, who was a servant of the courts. The governor could call in troops to quell a riot, but day-to-day life was largely free of law enforcement seeking out people to control them.

(Although there were some extremely statist periods during the Colonial Era as well)