NCJ Number
166841
Editor(s)
W Saulsbury,
J Mott,
T Newburn
Date Published
1996
Length
143 pages
Annotation
These papers, which were prepared for the British Independent Committee of Inquiry into the Role and Responsibilities of the Police, address such police themes as crime trends, the changing social context of crime and policing, public opinion and the police, and public and private policing.
Abstract
A paper on crime trends in six developed countries concludes that changes in informal social controls and social bonds must lie at the heart of any explanation of the remarkable post-war increase in crime in countries with developed economies. A paper on crime and policing in a changing social context advises that in spite of global trends in economic and social change, there remain differences at the regional, national, and city level in precisely how these trends affect life in a particular city; consequently, there is a need to understand more about the comparative and international dimensions of the development of modern cities, modern crime, and modern social control. A paper on police functions in five developed countries develops a detailed analysis of the two major functions of modern police forces: authoritative intervention and symbolic justice. Another paper profiles three models of policing -- the law enforcement model, the service model, and the community model -- and assesses each model. A review of the impact of the police patrol function advises that a uniformed patrol presence that reduces the public's fear of crime and increases public satisfaction with the police has value, even though it may not produce a decrease in crime. Remaining papers discuss public opinion about police in Great Britain, public and private policing in Britain, the need for incentives to support crime prevention efforts, the regulation and control of the private security industry, and police accountability mechanisms in Great Britain. Chapter references and notes are provided. For individual papers, see 166842-51.