Lecture 2 - Police in the CJS

Question 1

Policing by consent

Answer 1

Legitimacy - an acknowledgement by the public that they have the authority to exercise their power to police.
In Common Law, police authority is derived from the public - that is, our consent.

Question 2

Police force - as of March 2024

Answer 2

• 147,746 police officers.
• 52,331 female officers.
• 10,046 BME officers.

Question 3

Police - first responders

Answer 3

• Police as part of the criminal justice ‘system’ - first responders/gatekeepers.
• Not the only player in law enforcement.
• Other government agencies and non-government agencies.

Question 4

Teresa May, 2010

Answer 4

“It is to cut crime. No more, and no less.”

Question 5

Some duties of the police include:

Answer 5

• Problem-solving
• Peace-keeping
• Crime control and investigation

Question 6

Bittner, 1970

Answer 6

• Police’s unique resource is the capacity to wield non-negotiable force.
• “A mechanism for the distribution of non-negotiable coercive force.”
• Overall, he is saying that what makes the police unique is their ability to use force in situations where they decide it is necessary.

Question 7

Discretion

Answer 7

• Denotes the freedom of the individual officer to act according to their own judgement in particular situations.

Question 8

National Powers (PACE)

Answer 8

• Stop and Search a person or a vehicle in a public space.
• Enter private property, search the premises and seize material (with or without a warrant)
• Arrest
• Take fingerprints and other non-intimate samples
• Detain a person in custody
• Joyce, 2017