The Main Functions of the Police and How Effective Has the Service Been in Fulfilling Them - Term Paper Example

Running head: CRIMINOLOGY: POLICE SYSTEM Criminology: What are the Main Functions of the Police and how effective has the Service been in fulfilling these? Abstract This compiled research on the British Police was done to give emphases in behind what their purpose and roles really are in correlation to those in the various communities spread out across Britain. The research defines these roles as law enforcement officials who can be guidance givers, emergency care givers, law enforcers, community service workers, helpful civil workers, and a myriad of other titles and roles which can also be placed upon the British Police Force. The research has pinpointed the fact that the role of a police officer is hugely –multi-faceted as their main purpose is to help the citizens of the community, and at times this requires different roles for them to fill. However, this literature details that their role of maintaining order and keeping social control is emphasized the most and is shown to be consistent with what the majority of the public expects from the police force. The conclusion of this research detailed that without law enforcement there would be many unfavourable consequences for those in British society. The role of the police officer is concluded as being one of the most essential and crucial in a societal atmosphere within the country of Britain. Criminology: What are the Main Functions of the Police, and how effective has the Service been in fulfilling these? From a historical perspective and dating back to 1962, the role of 1British police officers has been that of a civil, and peace keeping community official more so than anything else. The police are in the communities for a number of reasons and their purposes are so numerous that there really is no way to define just one of their roles. It is best known that the police have developed a well-meaning and defined relationship with the generalized public due to the fact that they are always readily available to assist when needed, even if it is for a minute reason. Furthermore, from a political standpoint, foreigners who have had the opportunity to visit the country of Britain have commented on the quality of the police force as well, making note that they provide some of the most proficient and high quality services in maintaining social control throughout the world. Although the British police force is not unique in their ability to maintain social order, they have been found to be one of the main legal forces that have developed and expanded throughout the decades. The main differences in Britain’s policing system in comparison to other countries are the fact that their legal remedies stem from common law practices that have been passed down through history. The philosophy of the British police force is in allowing for a “2community policing itself”, and for police presence to be in the communities when it is needed. This ideal has not changed that much in the past decades but indeed, there have been many reforms in the British police force that have developed it into becoming what it is today. Due to globalization and the entering of other ethnicities into the country of Britain, the British police force has had to learn how to police specific cultural areas. This is due to many cultural beliefs and various ideas having unique qualities about them and therefore policing can not be handled in the same way with all cultures. An example of how the police have adapted to this idea is evidenced in how effective they have been since the mid 1950’s when they first were exposed to having to police the communal society of Sri Lanka3 Firstly, when a new ethnicity is intertwined with another culture within a country there is the issue of safety and trust that comes into play. It has been found that some cultures attempt to use the idea of discrimination against the police in order to try and detract from correct policing in a minority community, such as like Sri Lanka. However, British police have developed ways of handling this type of cultural diversity in order to protect and serve other ethnic communities efficiently regardless of any adversities they come across. If a community danger is sensed to be on the dividing line of ethnicities then the police work in a way to keep there from being any form of racist issues out of the picture so that they can effectively maintain peace and social order within the ethnic community. The main adverse conditions that British police were up against when they were policing Sri Lanka were the language barriers, and the harsh fighting among the different ethnic groups. The majority of the population was followers of the Hindu religion so they were a peaceful community for the most part but there were times when policing and maintaining legal order was necessary, especially during the period of the racial dividing and uprising among the different cultural groups. The most logical means that were found to be put to use in providing better economic equality for those in the area of Sri Lanka was by educational choices. The police worked to engage these various groups in learning the English language so communication could be more effective and an equal understanding of the laws could be developed as well4. So, as obviously perceived the British police have had a large variety of tasks laid out before them from dealing with antagonisms from different cultures and those threats to having to establish a specific type of police force to monitor and maintain order in these various communal circles. A ton drum of different policies has had to be developed in the country to allow for efficient policing to take place in the heart of Britain as well as the many other sectors that have proven to be more culturally diverse. Thus far, the perception of the police has had to change from a civil servant, to a legal enforcer, to a form of a political figure as well, so the roles are very diverse, almost as much so as the people within the country has become. Over time the main goal of the British Police force has developed into one to try and reduce crime, yet many claim that no matter how many officers are added to the force, and no matter how regulated the patrolling of the communities are, the effort to minimize crime is a problem that is seemingly daunting to the policing system. The British communities look to the police force to protect and serve them; with the following quote doing a great job of summarizing this idea. The political system performs a function of symbolic protection far beyond it’s specific role as an apparatus of a selective regulation of social risks… It is most of all on the symbolic level that the institutions of authority, with all their show, ritual, prescriptions, and even codes of manners and etiquette satisfy a latent need for social protection and spread a gratifying sensation of order and security5 In many ways the policing system holds true to these ideas but as was stated, controlling the crime rate has proven to be more adverse in gaining a hand over than was initially thought it would be. Even though the police have been found to have a rather fast response to calls of possible criminal acts being committed, as well as being known to regularly patrol specific areas of communities that are known to be statistically higher in deviant actions, the problem of capturing and detaining criminals has still posed many problems for the British police force. The main source of the problem lies in where the crime is stemming from and trying to pinpoint that facet of it. Because of these very adverse issues the police have moved to incorporate new strategies to try and quell the various criminal actions taking place. One of these has been to establish certain contacts within the communities to be the “eyes and ears” for the police force when they can’t be in a specific location6. At the same time, the police are trying to satisfy the needs of the publics demand; they have to also work out a strategic plan to block crime from escalating. The publics’ opinion is that there needs to be more Bobbies on specific beats in the various outlying communities but the police have already tried this philosophy to no avail. Even so, to appease the public and to keep the mutual peace the police do work hard to fulfil these types of expectations of the public body, even though they appear to be gaining no ground in the fight to detract people from committing criminal acts7. Due to the wide mass of problems the police have encountered in recent years in trying to maintain law and order there has now been developed a phase that is more like that of a managerial program. This philosophy has been incorporated into the regulation of law enforcement to try and keep social control from a distance rather than right in the midst of the various problematic circumstances that have been arising8. This program favours more of a self-regulating control within the society and the police force itself rather than what has been previously a centralized form of law enforcement. The British police feel that this new system might prove more beneficial to the various communities around Britain sense the old strategy has seemingly been unable to produce a quality to control crime and keep regulated control over policing behaviours that the legal system and public body have been unsatisfied with. Furthermore, since to some degree the public holds the police accountable for many of the deviant occurrences that occur out in society, this new program has a way of dealing with how the police should actually be held to some degree of fault if their actions go awry in some form or fashion9. So, in past years the policing force has not only had to worry about how to properly combat crime and prosecute offenders but they have also had to monitor their own behaviours with the public very closely to keep the correct degree of civility between officers and civilians. However, just with trying to maintain social order there are problems with trying to maintain the correct conduct within the police force, this is something that takes considerable time to deal with just as gaining control over adversities in society does. Therefore the British police not only have the role of policing the community effectively but also in keeping their own actions and attitudes in check and in the correct and respectable manner befitting a British Police Officer. Of course, the majority of the British Police force conducts themselves exactly as they should and are very respectable to those in society so the problem within this is very minimal. The main discord again lies in minimizing criminal intentions among deviant civilians within the communities, which is the primary and most important position in the policing system. Any other problems are taken care of in a political type of manner within the body of the legal system itself, but as was said these instances of police misconduct are few and far between, although they do occur as no human being is perfect. What many in the public don’t realize is that the job of a police officer has its own stresses and strains that can lead to discord in the policing force. These strains of the various occupational and environmental hazards can place a toll on the police force and therefore the police officers themselves require the understanding of society in order to continue in their roles in a coercive structure10. With these further acknowledgements it can be seen how the police also have a role of caring for their own mental well-being to ensure they can continue to be capable of policing a society properly and efficiently. The police culture is one that is unique just as the many different cultures in various ethnic communities are as well. Therefore, just as understanding is given to these other ethnicities, there also needs to be a communal understanding of the police as well and what their position actually is within society. Basically, what is more fluidly known about the police and their identity in society is the fact that they are the legal bodies recognized that provide the necessary resources to the public to keep communities running effectively and successfully regardless of the opposition that they are up against11. Moreover, many communities in Britain express the fact that over all they do an extremely decent job of trying to maintain control and order throughout Britain. Furthermore, the police are faced with the heavy responsibility of keeping the public safe and this normally falls on the Bobbies who routinely patrol a beat and the lower ranking patrol officers. They put their lives on the line to try and protect and ensure the lives and liberties of all citizens remain intact and safe from harm. This is ultimately what defines them and makes them stand out in the crowds of Britain12. Also, their characteristics are what keep them safe the majority of times themselves. They are use to a solitary life out on the streets, especially when on a beat. Therefore their role and demeanour is often filled with suspicions about the environment they are in, as well as attempting to maintain a correct moral and ethical code in their decisions to maintain social order and equal justice to all those in society. In conclusion the main role of the British police officer has been found to be one that doesn’t fulfil simply one general position. Again, it is multi-faced and the police officers are flexible in their roles so that they might fulfil the various needs that society has. There are times when they might have to switch from being a regular Bobbie on a routine beat to a guidance counsellor for young children who seem to be getting into a little trouble. Also they might have to be rescuers in order to save lives, or civil workers to work out disagreements among people. There is not an end to their many roles. What the bottom line comes down to is that without the history of the British Police Force the various cities inside the country of Britain would not be as safe as what they are today. As has been said although the police have many adversities to get through to combat crime, the work that they do is most beneficial to the citizens of the country because it is known that the efforts of the police are always in regard to what is in the best interest for society as a whole and not just from a legal standpoint. Their role is indeed a major obligatory position to the country of Britain and one that is very much appreciated by a good percentage of the population. Total Word Count: 2,624 References Burger, Angela. (1987, July). Policing a Communal Society: The Case of Sri Lanka. Asian Survey, 27, 822-833. Chan, Janet. (1999, June). Governing Police Practice: limits of the new Accountability. The British Journal of Sociology 50, 251-270. Loader, Ion. (1997, March). Policing and the Social Question: Questions of Symbolic Power. The British Journal of Sociology 48, 1-18. Reiner, Robert. (1982, April). Who Are the Police? The Political Quarterly, 53, 165-180. Terrill, William & Paoline, Eugene & Manning, Peter. (2003, November). Police Culture and Cohesion. Criminology, 41, 1003-1034. Tobias, J. (1972, January). Police and the Public in the United Kingdom. Journal of Contemporary History, 7, 201-219. Read More