NCJ Number
25836
Date Published
1973
Length
13 pages
Annotation
AN HISTORICALLY BASED ACCOUNT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICING IN BRITAIN (ESPECIALLY THE METROPOLITAN POLICE) THAT DISCUSSES THE SOCIAL FACTORS THAT ACCOUNT FOR THE PHILOSOPHY OF POLICE PRACTICE.
Abstract
SIR ROBERT PEEL ORGANIZED THE METROPOLITAN POLICE ON THE FOUR BASIC PRINCIPLES OF A RELIANCE ON PUBLIC SUPPORT; AN ENABLING STATUTE THAT PERMITTED A WIDE-RANGE OF EXPERIMENTATION; DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OF THE FORCE, MAKING IT ANSWERABLE TO PARLIAMENT; AND, RECRUITMENT OF OFFICERS FROM THE SAME SOCIAL STRATA THAT THEY WERE LIKELY TO DEAL WITH. THE AUTHOR ATTRIBUTES THE SUCCESS OF THE POLICE TO THREE PRINCIPAL FACTORS: THEIR MILD DEMEANOUR; THE WILLINGNESS, IN CONSEQUENCE OF THIS, OF THE PUBLIC TO ACCEPT THEM (AND THE BODY OF LAW THEY ENFORCED) ON THEIR OWN TERMS; AND WIDESPREAD SATISFACTION WITH ARRANGEMENTS FOR CONTROLLING THE POLICE THAT MADE THEM AMENABLE TO DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES AND ANSWERABLE, FOR THEIR WRONGFUL ACTS, TO THE ORDINARY COURTS. THE POLICE ALSO HAD THE INESTIMABLE ADVANTAGE, BEFORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOTORCARS TURNED EVERY DRIVER INTO A POTENTIAL CRIMINAL, AND THE MORE RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF PROTEST MARCHES BEGAN TO INVOLVE ALL SECTIONS OF SOCIETY, THAT THEY RARELY DEALT WITH, AND HENCE RARELY OFFENDED, MEMBERS OF THE MIDDLE AND UPPER CLASSES; AND IT IS THEY WHO TEND TO MOULD PUBLIC OPINION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)