Perspectives on Police - Coursework Example

Perspectives on Police Every country has a police system intended for the maintenance of law and order within the society. Traditionally, the police are defined as “The governmental department charged with the regulation and control of the affairs of a community, now chiefly the department established to maintain order, enforce the law, and prevent and detect crime”1. The police system is established in hierarchical order with designated officers holding different ranks and positions within the organisation to ensure a proper chain of command. A Police Officer is one who, “Under general supervision, performs general law enforcement, crime prevention work and traffic related duties; interpreting and enforcing various laws, regulations and codes; performs special or unusual assignments.”2 The discharge of these functions is referred to as policing and assumes great importance since one of the primary requirements of any civilised society is the guarantee to safety of life and property. Police officers would patrol the streets or other public areas within their jurisdiction in order to prevent crime and maintain peace and tranquillity within the community. Crimes that could not be prevented would be investigated by detectives to bring the culprits to book so that it acts as a deterrent to criminals. Governments or local authorities would provide the required funds and trained personnel to carry out policing duties. Property crimes constituted the majority of crimes in the past, but changes in society have compelled police all over the world to develop competencies to deal with a bewildering array of crimes, some using the most modern technology. Illegal drugs, smuggling of illegal immigrants, terrorism, ethnic strife, cyber crimes, human rights violations, domestic violence, pornography, hate crimes and more such mutations of criminal activities have added to the responsibilities of the police. Policing, both professional and otherwise, was practiced as long ago as the Roman era with the military usually carrying out the duties of enforcing law and order. One of the earliest known police forces was that of Mesopotamia, where Nubian slaves, with their distinguishing colour, stature and dress stood out as custodians of peace keeping in the cities. Their duties were more mercenary in nature than anything else, and involved working as guards most of the time. The first principle of crime control, that visibility is paramount, was thus established even at that time. Augustus Caesar formed the Praetorian Guard, a police force dedicated to protect his person. The first non-military professional police force the world was to know were the Roman vigils. Professional policing in the sense as it is understood today came into existence in France, during the 17th and 18th century when King Louis XIV created a force to enforce law and order in Paris. It was the largest city in Europe at that time, and equally dangerous to live in. In 1829, the first uniformed policemen in the world came into being in Paris and other French cities, named sergeants de ville or "city sergeants". London had its own force of watchmen in 1798, entrusted with protecting merchandise at the Port of London, called the “Marine Police.” Their name belied the nature of duties involved. Policing responsibilities evolved over time from protection of people and goods towards the role of a ‘helping profession.’ The 1940s and 1950s were known as the “golden age” of police. Consensus policing became the watchword and the police were able to maintain order, check crime effectively, and create a good image for themselves in the eyes of the public. “Agencies of community cohesion like churches, trade unions and housing associations” played an important role in achieving these, with much of the deterrence and visibility provided by non-police “agents of social enforcement” like park-keepers, caretakers and bus conductors. The police however got most of the credit. These ‘agents of social enforcement’ are considered the predecessors of today’s Police Community Support Officers. These ‘Agencies of community cohesion’ and non-police “agents of social enforcement” subsequently waned in their influence. Wider social and cultural processes marginalised them and made them more or less irrelevant. People lost faith in the ability to get stable employment, the institution of family and their belief in the ultimate fairness of the social order, making these representatives of such values irrelevant. Anti-social behaviour, crime and terrorism assumed more dangerous dimensions and created fears that forced the police to actually deliver what they were believed to be doing all along. Symbolic policing was totally different from delivering the results of policing and they were ill equipped to do it. Community Policing made its appearance in such a situation. Much confusion emerged as perceptions differed among different people. The key principles, applicable to all police activities however remain the same. They are service delivery, partnership, problem solving, empowerment and accountability. Though cast in the role of protectors of society, there have been conflicts between the society and police, most of it restricted to criticism, with the police usually at the receiving end. Direct, physical, often armed confrontation between the police and radical elements in society has occasionally taken place, but most of the time the police are involved in enforcing the law and preventing petty crime. The community has certain expectations about the efficacy of policing and when there is a gap between expectations and perceived performance, conflict arises. When activities of radical elements in society cross accepted limits, attitudes of both police and society harden leading to escalation in conflict, a phenomenon that is becoming more common. The twentieth century witnessed drastic changes in the attitude of the public towards the police, the most noticeable change taking place between the periods preceding and succeeding the 40’s and 50’s. The reasons range from evolution of new policing policies, community expectations about the nature and effects of policing and the new challenges faced by police forces. Property related crimes increased since the 50’s to constitute a significant proportion of reported crime. An affluent, ostentatious society displayed attractive targets for crime like consumer goods, cars and accessories. Most of them were capable of being disposed off in relative anonymity, making them easy and attractive targets. More crimes were reported, but the numbers dropped in the 90’s since people stopped reporting many property crimes for a variety of reasons. The police were happy to show lower crime figures, and people had concerns about their insurance policies. Communities too changed composition with large isolated pools of ethnic and religious groups being created in many. Racial and religious intolerance created so-called “hard-to-reach” groups, often fanatical, that were isolated from the traditional control mechanisms of the community. The police had little access to them and found it difficult to understand the dynamics of such groups. Radical elements within such isolated hard-to-reach groups were believed to be responsible for many sensational, violent crimes and their potential for serious terrorist activities, made them a prime target of police investigations and surveillance. These have compelled the police to adopt unorthodox methods like undercover or covert operations, which are controversial areas where issues like privacy and deception need to be tackled judiciously. They have the potential to go out of control and have profound effects on both the police personnel who undertake such work and also on society. Similarly, dealing with drug related crimes often exposes police officers to extreme physical danger and sometimes to irresistible temptation for deviant behaviour. The increasing presence of women among the police force has also compelled forces to rethink many of their strategies for dealing with crimes and other situations involving women and children. Patrol, investigation, special operations and community policing form the most important activities of the police force. Detection of crime developed during the last two centuries from a private matter to being an integral part of the police force. The role of the detective too underwent a change from a bounty hunter to a bureaucrat. Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) came into existence in the U.K on passage of the Police Reform Act 2002, as a consequence of the perception that the first principle of policing, visibility, was not being ensured. PCSOs are full time paid officers based at local Police Stations, who receive training in law, self defence and first aid, working in shifts and on weekdays and weekends. In order to ensure visibility, their uniforms, have several distinguishing features such as body armour of a different colour from the police, distinguishing headgear in the form of a hat and a hat band with or without the force crest, or a plain shield. They wear high visibility clothing especially for traffic duties. A Police Officer’s job offers a mix of excitement, danger, compassion, and loads of paperwork. It involves both physical and mental challenges and offers the potential for satisfaction. Their work requires an understanding of the human psychology and law. They need to possess deductive, reasoning and logical skills apart from physical ability and quick reflexes. Their work can at times be extremely hazardous, but a PCSO may not be exposed to these in the normal course. The Police Officer’s job is a mix of ordinary activities and extraordinary situations. It also poses the danger of desensitising the officers and making them indifferent to situations that would normally arouse intense emotions in people in other professions. Police Officers’ powers also impose a higher level of accountability on them. They are accountable to statutory bodies formed by law, who oversee all police forces. They also raise the threshold of self discipline that police officers have to exercise. The constant exposure to criminal elements and organised crime puts many officers under tremendous pressure to withstand the temptations of corruption or indulge in acts of brutality. A spate of police scandals in the 80s and 90s like the cases of the Birmingham Six, the men convicted for the murder of a PC during the 1986 Broadwater Farm riots, the West Midlands Serious Crimes Squad scandal, and many other reported instances of malfeasance further eroded the police’s credibility. Respect for the police as an institution came down drastically during the last few decades, particularly among the usual targets of police powers such as youth, and other groups that were isolated from the mainstream of society. They saw the police as perpetrators of corruption, excessive force, or racial discrimination, resulting in a preference for a community-oriented, service style of policing rather than an enforcement-based approach. This approach placed the police in a dilemma since community – oriented, service style of policing was ineffective in preventing acts of terrorism and hate crimes targeted at vulnerable minorities. Law enforcement had to go hand in hand with service, resulting in differing attitudes to police among different sections of the population. Aberrations did take place and several such instances were the subject of inquiries. One such, the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, made several recommendations, of which the important ones are: “That a Freedom of Information Act should apply to all areas of policing, both operational and administrative, subject only to the "substantial harm" test for withholding disclosure.” “That Investigating Officers' reports resulting from public complaints should not attract Public Interest Immunity as a class. They should be disclosed to complainants, subject only to the "substantial harm" test for withholding disclosure.”3 The media too play a role in forming public perspectives about the police. Every crime is covered extensively by the media, putting the police under a microscope. The coverage is usually critical, possessing the privilege of hindsight, and give ample material for hardening of attitudes among viewers or readers. High technology crimes since the 90’s have added to the pressure on police forces. Cyber-crimes, economic fraud, child abuse, pornography and crimes using high technology required the police to devise newer strategies which often came after these were committed and reported in the media. Many of these crimes had international ramifications, requiring the police to acquire skills and knowledge that were often beyond their capabilities. The police were seen to be reactive, rather than being proactive. Bibliography The Free Dictionary. www.thefreedictionary.com (accessed March 6, 2007). City of Burlingame Job Description. www.burlingame.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=673 (accessed March 6, 2007). The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. Chapter Forty–Seven. Recommendations. http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm42/4262/sli-47.htm (accessed March 6, 2007). Read More