Class and Policing

Question 1

The birth of the modern police: Orthodox theories

Answer 1

The role of the police is to react to problems of disorder that came about due to industrialisation and urbanisation. (Consensus view of their role).

Question 2

The birth of the modern police: Revision theories

Answer 2

Crime and disorder that was brought about by individual and urban revolution are not hard and unequivocal categories. They mean different things to different social classes and political viewpoints. So the main problem of order is class division and conflict associated with capitalism. Therefore the polices role is to control the conflict between the classes, brought about by industrialisation and urbanisation.

Question 3

Storch (1975) The Plague of the Blue Locusts

Answer 3

General surveillance of everyday working class life. The Police as “domestic missionaries”- translating and mediating bourgeoisie values into working class communities.

Question 4

Carson (1980) Policing of the Factory Acts

Answer 4

The factory acts were used to protect the working classes however the policing of them was relatively lenient.

Question 5

Cohen (1979) Policing the working class city

Answer 5

There was a change in relations due to…

1. working classES (a respectable working class)
2. No shortage of jobs- men were needed
3. Structural changes brought about by capitalism

Question 6

Policing the miners strike

Answer 6

"Maggies boot boys" to control working class communities.
Used to be civil issue however implementing paramilitary tactics, and policing communities not out of hand individuals.

Question 7

Policing the “underclass” (Crowther 2000)

Answer 7

Free market societies create surplus populations:
Weak thesis- authors of their own exclusion
Strong thesis- issues of social structure that is the responsibility of political and economic elites to address.

Question 8

Custodial Democracy

Answer 8

Murray 1990 we need to be physically protected from the underclass.

Question 9

Bias in police procedure? Smith and Gray 1983

Answer 9

There is no reasonable suspicion for a third of all stop and searches (is class a relevant factor though?)

Question 10

Tonry 1995; Reiner 2000

Answer 10

Stops are often based on stereotypes

Question 11

Brown 1997

Answer 11

Two thirds reject their right to legal advice (cant’ understand rights).