-
Essay / The history of policing and its milestones in the United Kingdom
Table of contentsIntroductionThe arrival of the new policePublic perception of the policeThe first women in uniformFirst black man in the MetConclusionReferencesIntroductionSince its establishment in 1829, beginning with The Metropolitan Police, "modern" policing has continued to grow and evolve over the years, from a single force in London to 43 forces across England and Wales, each covering a number of cities and counties. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get an original essayEach police force usually consists of a number of dedicated teams such as community policing, intervention units and Criminal Investigations as well as a number of specialist departments such as Crime Scene Investigators (CSI) and Canine and Mounted Sections, as well as specialist police equipment and vehicles available to all forces. In today's modern world it is difficult to imagine that there is not a police force in place, in this essay we will look at the early establishment of police forces in England and the Country of Wales and read in more detail about some of the milestones of policing and also how some aspects have remained the same but evolved, such as police uniform and equipment and the officers themselves. The earliest forms of policing were parish constables (also known as petit constables) who were usually unarmed, unpaid part-time workers and from 1617 they were appointed by the local police magistrate. Historian Stephen Inwood described parish constables "of varying quality and commitment" whose effectiveness ranged from inadequate to non-existent. (Inwood Stephen, 1998: 591). Within the City of London, another group emerged whose activities attracted attention: these were the Bow Street Runners, named after the street from which they operated. While they were nicknamed "runners", they investigated offenses and located offenders, in exchange for fees and their expenses. The group was established by magistrate Henry Fielding in 1749 but was eventually disbanded in favor of the Metropolitan Police. The Arrival of the New Police When Sir Robert Peel became Home Secretary in 1822, he was determined to tackle the policing problems facing London when the time came they set about creating a police force that would replace the disorganized system of parish agents and guardian. The Metropolitan Police Bill was introduced by Sir Robert Peel on April 15, 1829 and completed all its stages within two months: the first policeman appeared on the streets of London on September 29, 1829. Due to public fear that The "new" style of police is intended for espionage and is considered a standing army for the government, efforts have been made to ensure that the new police do not resemble soldiers. To have an air of authority, they were given top hats reinforced with an iron ring on the crown, blue non-military uniforms, and tailcoats with minimal decoration. Each new gendarme also had his personal number on his collar as well as the letter of his division, which made him identifiable to the public. The gendarme's tools were limited to a rattle, handcuffs and a wooden baton which were worn on a heavy leather belt. Cutlasses were available for patrolling dangerous areas and in emergencies and inspectors were issued with a pocket pistol. (Clive Emsley, 2012: 26) The agents had to cover aregular route at a constant measured pace of around 2.5 miles per hour and the areas they patrolled were generally small, so in accordance with Pelian principles they had become locally familiar and members of the public would not have to look far to find a police officer. Having an officer in an area would also help deter the commission of crimes. Unlike parish constables and wardens, constables were not allowed to enter pubs while on duty, nor to gather in groups and chat with the public. Many new officers had difficulty adjusting to the strict police discipline and many resigned after a few days. Dismissals were often quite high and of the 2,800 constables in May 1830, only 562 remained in service. The new image of the police was to be of a high standard and the commissioners would crack down on anything that might tarnish that image or reputation of the police. Public perception of the police Despite the expected high standards and strict police discipline of the new police force, many critics still rejected the new organization for various reasons. Some still thought they were too much like a military group and felt threatened by this new uniformed force while others criticized them as government spies. Many were also unhappy with the intervention that the new force represented, as evidenced by the murder of Robert Culley. It took many years for the new police force to gain public acceptance. During these years, the police faced many challenges, such as protest. at Coldbath Fields in May 1833, during which the police were criticized for their heavy-handed handling of the large crowd which turned into violence and unfortunately Constable Robert Culley was killed by a member of the crowd. Although it is still unclear whether it was the police As for the protest group that incited the violence, the aftermath largely pointed the finger at the police, with the jury returning a verdict of justifiable homicide regarding the murder of Agent Culley. The jury held that the police actions incited the crowd to violence. The Court of Kings Bench overturned the jury's verdict, but did not order a new inquest. Afterwards the jurors were feted by large crowds of the public, with crowds lining the riverside to cheer as the jurors involved walked up the river to Twickenham. Although this appears to be a very anti-police attitude from the public at the time, it is important to show that the public's attitude has drastically changed for the better. In light of the tragic death of PC Andrew Harper, who was a constable for Thames Valley Police. PC Harper was killed in the line of duty in response to a burglary in progress in August 2019. There was widespread condemnation of his death and his killers across the UK, who were found guilty by a jury. Hundreds of people lined the street for PC Harper's funeral procession, and many tributes were paid to him by the public. (BBC, 2019) Both cases are tragic deaths of police officers, but you can see the two completely different public reactions to their deaths, it shows that the public is more accepting of the police now than when she began patrolling the streets. first women in uniform The idea of women as police officers was often roundly rejected, but with the outbreak of the First World War the number of male recruits to the police declined and, as the war dragged on, the numbers of thepolice force decreased and workload increased. remaining officers. In response to this, Woman filled the gaps left in many professions and trades. Women served as police officers during this era, but their duties were largely limited to cases involving women and children. Most of them had never taken an oath and therefore had no power of arrest. Before the outbreak of war, women were generally employed as police matrons to supervise and search arrested women. In 1907, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Edward Henry employed a woman to take statements from girls involved in sexual assaults. the Police Fund and various charities. But regardless of the work these women did, proposals to appoint female police officers to these roles were routinely rejected. During this period, a group called the "Women's Police Service (WPS)" whose goal was to put women on an equal footing with men. andinvolve women in regular policing. They helped train more than 1,000 women as volunteer officers between 1914 and 1920 as part of this goal. Through the determination and continued efforts of the WPS, Edith Smith, born 21 November 1876, would become the first woman appointed as a police officer in England, gaining full powers of arrest in 1915. (Clive Emsley 2009: 180) Smith was then posted to Grantham, where she spent most of her career dealing with prostitution which was on the rise thanks to the nearby Belton Camp military base. A report written by Smith said: "Forty silly girls warned, 20 prostitutes dismissed from Grantham, two fallen girls helped, five bad women warned." » (Edith Smith: Blue plaque for a female police officer of the First World War, 2011) Smith retired from her role as a constable citing fatigue, and although her policing career only lasted 3 years, thanks to Her determination and success in policing the Grantham girls proved that women can be just as capable police officers as men. First black man at the Met. Another milestone in modern policing history was the appointment of Norwell Roberts, who on 3 April 1967 became the first black police officer in the Metropolitan Police. Considered a milestone and positive change in modern policing, at the time of his appointment, before and during he faced racial discrimination from almost every angle, including within the Metropolitan Police itself. To better understand the magnitude of this turning point, one must briefly examine the racial tensions that existed at the time, in the 1960s, to understand the difficulties that a police candidate with an immigrant background would face. After World War II, the 1948 British Citizenship Act stipulated that all Commonwealth citizens could have a British passport and work in the United Kingdom. The reasons for people to emigrate to England are not limited to: a severe labor shortage in the UK after the war, high levels of unemployment in their home countries and a poor labor service. newly created national health. Immigrants to the United Kingdom were received harshly as some Britons believed their jobs and homes were being stolen by immigrants and it was the norm that they were treated as second-class citizens, excluded from certain businesses or jobs. (BBC review) In December 1963, the Met's position on recruiting black members of the public was outlined in an internal memo which said that in a predominantly white population, the.