NCJ Number
27937
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 48 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL-JUNE 1975) Pages: 122-132
Date Published
1975
Length
11 pages
Annotation
THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PRIVATE POLICE FORCES AND COMMERCIAL SECURITY ORGANIZATIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN IS TRACED, AND THE TWO ARE COMPARED. CONTINUATION OF THESE SERVICES.
Abstract
BEFORE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF POLICE FORCES FOR THE CITY OF LONDON IN 1829, LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS CARRIED OUT BY JUSTICES OF THE PEACE IN THEIR OWN JURISDICTIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. THEY HIRED CONSTABLES, WHO IN TURN HIRED BEADLES TO CARRY OUT THEIR AUTHORITY, BUT THESE OFFICERS WERE SEVERELY UNDERPAID, THEREFORE LOWERING THEIR ENTHUSIASM AND PERFORMANCE. THIS IS THE BASIS OF THE PRINCIPLE THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IS A LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY. DURING THE PERIOD FOLLOWING THE NAPOLEONIC WARS AND THE EARLY INDUSTRIAL PERIOD, THERE WAS SUCH UNREST IN BOTH THE CITIES AND THE COUNTRYSIDE THAT MANY INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS FORMED PRIVATE POLICE FORCES TO GUARD AGAINST THE ROVING GANGS. RAILROAD COMPANIES AND THE COMPANIES INVOLVED IN THE BUILDING OF HARBORS AND DOCKS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT SECURITY, SO THEY WERE AMONG THE FIRST HIRE PRIVATE CONSTABLES, STARTING AROUND 1830. THE PRIVATE FORCES WERE ASKED TO PROTECT THE SURROUNDING AREAS OF THEIR JURISDICTIONS AS WELL, WHICH LED TO THE MERGER OF MANY GROUPS. THERE ARE PRESENTLY 15 PRIVATE POLICE FORCES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, DIVIDED INTO THREE MAIN GROUPS -- GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, PUBLIC AND SEMIPUBLIC BODIES, AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES. THE TERM 'PRIVATE POLICE' REFERS NOW TO THEIR AREA OF JURISDICTION AND NOT TO THEIR ACTUAL DUTIES. THEY WEAR RECOGNIZED POLICE UNIFORMS AND ARE ESTABLISHED AS A PART OF THE GENERAL POLICE SERVICES. THE VALUE OF PRIVATE POLICE FORCES IS ASSESSED; IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THEY ARE SO WELL ESTABLISHED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE FEASIBLE TO CHANGE THIS SYSTEM. THE PRIVATE CONSTABLES ARE STILL UNDERPAID, SO THE EMPLOYING ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO INCREASE THEIR SALARIES. IN THE 1930'S, PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANIES WERE FORMED TO FILL IN THE GAPS LEFT AMONG ALL OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. THEY WERE MADE TO INCREASE PROTECTION IN WEALTHY RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND TO PROVIDE ARMOURED CAR SERVICE, SPECIAL GUARDS, ESCORTS, AND INVESTIGATION SERVICES. THESE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS ARE BASED ON PROFITMAKING, SO THE AUTHOR NOTES THAT THEIR REAL VALUE MAY BE IN QUESTION. IN CONCLUSION, THE AUTHOR RECOMMENDS THAT THERE BE A REORGANIZATION OF ALL THE POLICE ACTIVITIES IN GREAT BRITAIN TO REDUCE THE OVERLAP BETWEEN COMMERCIAL SECURITY ORGANIZATIONS AND PRIVATE POLICE, AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC CONSTABLES. AN APPENDIX LISTING THE PRIVATE POLICE FORCES IS PROVIDED. (BAC)