Role of Police

Question 1

Intro (6)

Answer 1

1. Definition of police
2. Bittner; best known, least understood
3. Peacekeeping (Kleinig 1996)
4. Crime fighting (Morgan and Newburn 1998)
5. Roles are for citizens too
6. Essay aims to identify role (W&B)

Question 2

Para 1 (11)

Answer 2

1. Policing is shared by institutions
2. Enforcement through employment e.g. company auditor
3. Rock (1995) more effective
4. Lidstone (1980) 20%
5. Purpose of police?
6. Bittner; potential to use force distinguishes police
7. Some can use force e.g. mental
8. Police use force at discretion
9. Police = repository for dealing with all
10. Role = using potential as means of control over the state
11. Waddinton = insightful, problematic

Question 3

Para 2 (9)

Answer 3

1. Skye’s and Brent (1983) object to emphasis on force (very rare)
2. Stephens and Becker (1994) care
3. Waddington takes the view further
4. Police “do” exercise authority (not potential)
5. They do so on intervening and patrol
6. Notion of policing as coercive authority lends coherence to police activity and links with role in society
7. State grant authority; custodians of monopoly of force
8. Role=exercise of authority by state over citizens
9. Authority based on monopoly of legitimate coercion, police don’t need to use force

Question 4

Conclusion (5)

Answer 4

1. B&S(1996) policing is changing
2. 2 developments; pluralisation and search
3. Creation of agencies; state monopoly over
4. Doubt traditional methods; search for identity
5. Police; not what police do but what society demands