Changes In Crime And Punishment - Methods Of Combatting Crime Flashcards
What’s ere communal methods of combatting crime in Saxon and medieval times?
Ten families grouped into tithings
Entrusted with policing disturbances, fire and wild animals
Leader was the tithingman who raised hue and cry
Ten tithings grouped into hundred
Hundredman responsible for more serious crimes
What were shires?
Counties
Had a shire reeve / sheriff who was responsible for public order in his shire
Could raise a posse to capture a criminal who had escaped their tithing
What happened in 1326?
JPs appointed to assist the sheriffs in controlling the shires
Usually local landowners who held trials and hearings in court
Who did parish constables replace?
Hundred men
Had to maintain law and order in communities and report to JPs
Night watchmen reported to a parish constables
System consistent by 1500
What were the duties of the JP?
Acted as a magistrate and administer justice through Petty and Quarter Session courts
Also organised parish constable and night watchmen
Administered local government and responsible for enforcing local laws, checking weights and measures
Supervised poor relief
Managed Houses of Correction
Carried out orders of Privy Council
Acts passed by Privy Council and the Council of the Marches enforced
How did the JPs workload substantially increase during the Tudor period?
Effective in maintaining law and order at local level
Policed and punished offenders
Ensured Acts of Parliament were enforced locally
Who was the Parish Constable?
Appointed from tradesmen or farmers
Held the unpaid post for a year alongside day job
Who was the Town Watchman?
Patrolled the streets at night and handed wrongdoers to the Constable
Who were the Charleys, established in 1663?
London night watchmen
Unpaid posts were unpopular among those selected to serve
Few could afford the time to perform duties properly
Charleys tended to be old or lazy
What caused increased pressure on the medieval system of combatting crime?
Sharp rise in population levels and growth of towns and cities
Who were thief-takers?
Acted as unofficial policemen
Captured criminals and claimed reward money
Jonathan Wild (1683-1725) - built an empire of organised crime, planning thefts and burglaries and then negotiated return of stolen goods
Who was Henry Fielding?
Appointed Chief Magistrate at Bow Street in 1748
In 1751 - paid 6 law officers who were trained and full time
‘Quick notice and sudden pursuit’
Who was John Fielding?
Continued the work of the runners and enhanced policing in London
1763 - £600 government grant to establish the Bow Street Horse Patrol to deal with Highway Robbery
1772 - Quarterly Pursuit Newspaper - descriptions of wanted criminals
Renamed Public Hue and Cry in 1786 and the Police Gazette in the 1800s
1792 - Middlesex Justices Act extended to the Bow Street Scheme by funding 7 JPs in other parts of London each with six runners
What happened in 1798?
Thames River Police established by Patrick Colquhoun
Horse patrol of 54 armed officers established in 1805 - Robin Redbreasts
1829 - London had 450 constables and 4000 watchmen to a London population of 1.5 million
Preventative policing
What was the Metropolitan Police, set up in 1829?
Under control of Robert Peel
Paid, full time law officers
Peelers/ Bobbies
Run by two commissioners
Headquarters at Scotland Yard in Westminster
Covered 7 mile radius, 17 districts with 144 police constables each
Had to read and write
Blue jacket, white trousers, tall white hat, truncheon, rattle
Worked 7 days a week
What was the Metropolitan Police Act 1839?
Extended to a 15 mile radius from Charing Cross
River Police and Horse Patrol brought into Metropolitan Police Force
What was the Municipal Corporations Act 1835?
Allowed borough towns to set up a police force if they wanted to, only a small number had done so by 1837
What was the Rural Police Act 1839?
Allowed JPs to establish police forces in their country, only a small number had done so by 1856
What was the County and Borough Police Act 1856?
Made it compulsory for every county to have a police force
What was the Detective Branch 1842?
Detectives in plain clothes used to investigate crimes, became CID in 1878
What was the Special Branch 1883?
Set up to deal with terrorist threats
What was Photography 1850s?
Provided visual images of criminals for police forces
What was fingerprinting 1901?
Establish unique identity
National register increased crime detection rate by over 400 percent
How did police transport change?
Bicycles 1909
Police cars 1920s - 1930s
Police motorbikes improved speed and effectiveness
Motorbike 1930s
Bobby on the beat replaced patrol cars
Introduction of police helicopters and light aircraft
Public pressure brought foot patrol back in 1990
What was the use of telegraph and radio?
First used in 1910
Police telephone boxes 1920s
999 number from 1937
Two way radios in 1930s
What was the role of camera and video technology?
In 1901, first police photographer employed
Police helicopters and cars fitted with cameras
CCTV
What was the role of computer technology?
The Police National Computer came into use in 1974
Holds databases for fingerprints, DNA records, vehicle records and missing persons
What was the CID 1878?
Plain clothed detectives investigate major crimes
What was the Flying Squad 1919?
Deals with serious threat
Central Robbery Squad
What was the Fraud Squad 1946?
Investigates economic crimes
What was the Dog Handling Squad 1946?
Trained officers use dogs tos to help trace people, property, drugs and explosives
What was the Anti Terrorist Branch 1971?
Monitor and prevent terrorist activity
What was the National High - Tech Crime Team 2002?
Deals with serious and organised cybercrime
What was the Counter Terrorist Command 2006?
Formed from Anti Terrorist Branch and Special Branch to prevent terrorism
How were community police relations improved?
On the beat
Neighbourhood Watch - nationwide membership of 10 million people
PCSOs - deal with anti social behaviour
Crime Prevention Schemes
How many voices did John Fielding reportedly recognise?
3,000
How many men joined the police force within a year?
3300
How many decisions did London have?
17 with 144 constables each
What were the police requirements?
Younger than 35
Taller than 5ft7
How far did a police constable walk each day?
20 miles
How much were they paid?
One guinea
What was their uniform like?
Blue uniforms with a wooden truncheon and rattle
Top hats
How many police forces are there now?
Reduced to 117 in 1946 and 47 in 1964
43 with 129,000 police officers
What is the role of police officers?
Catch criminals
Maintain public order
Arrest criminal suspects
Stop and search if criminal activity suspected
Detain suspects
Issue fines
What was the popularity of the police like?
Public trust continued
Fear power of police to intrude in private life
Prejudice and corruption
Enforce unpopular laws
When was the National Police College established?
1947
14 weeks basic training
Role of women
WW1 Female police volunteers
1919-1939 Limited duties, patrol, escorting children, hospital duty, no arrest
1940s Married women could remain in force and role widened
1970s Fully integrated
1969 First black female police officer
1995 First Female Chief Constable
2017 First female commissioner of London MET
What percent of police force are ASBOs?
7
