The Police Flashcards
Policing by consent:
- Society agrees to the powers and responsibilities of the police
- Public approval
- Police are the public, public are the police
- Peelian Principles- The police’s authority is dependent on public consent
Paramilitarism as policing:
Paramilitarism - Organised like an army but isn’t
- Uniformed, ranked, responses to protests and rights
- Centralised position of power
Functions of the Police:
Bowling et al. (2019)’s view:
Crime reduction
Peacekeeping
Emergency Service
Roles:
Rapid response
Preparing cases
Maintaining social order
The Police as force or a service?
Force:
Law enforcement and order
Crime control at heart
Prevention and response
Service:
Peacekeeping
Maintaining public confidence
Supporting vulnerable individuals
Police as neutral evidence collectors:
- Their role is not to determine guilt
- Impartial collection of evidence
- Adversarial principles of justice requires the focus to be on their role as investigators: proof over truth
Discretion - Definition + Newburn & Reiner:
Definition: The decision to label certain acts as criminal
Discretion can be influenced on 3 levels: (Newburn and Reiner, 2012)
- Individual = Authoritarian personalities
- Cultural = Shared identity within the police service & banding together: us against them’
- Structural = Hierarchy enforces it to become accepted and embedded
Police culture & example:
Influence the institution’s practices and attitudes
Structurally encouraged and enforced
Example:
Machismo: Holdaway (1997) “Racist banter was part of the job”
Power of the Police:
- Police powers are restricted
- Individual rights are protected
- Right to silence: Some protection afforded to those being arrested
Criminal Justice and Disorder Act 1994 modified the right to silence: ‘you do not have to say anything. But …’
Accountability:
Transparency and visibility legitimise criminal justice agencies
