Crime + the Law: Roles of the Police

Question 1

detecting crime

Answer 1

• the police gather evidence through witness statements, CCTV footage, fingerprints etc and try to work out who is responsible for a crime, the evidence gathered is used to arrest someone and for it to go to court
• for example, the CID branch are mainly responsible for detecting crime

Question 2

protecting the public

Answer 2

• the police protect people and property, this is in the interest of keeping the public safe which they do through foot patrols, by car and by bike
• for example, thousands of police in Scotland were trained in order to protect the public during the COP26 climate change event

Question 3

managing traffic

Answer 3

• the police enforce speed restrictions, assist in road collisions, manage motorways and direct traffic, the Road Policing Division is responsible for making Scotland’s transport network safer
• for example, there are currently 600 road patrol officers across Scotland