Topic > The history of policing and its milestones in the UK

IndexIntroductionThe advent of the new policePublic perception of the policeThe first women in uniformFirst black man in the MetConclusionReferencesIntroductionSince it was founded in 1829, starting with the Metropolitan Police, "Modern" the police have continued to grow and evolve over the years, growing 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Each police force is usually made up of a number of dedicated teams such as community policing, response and criminal investigation units, as well as a number of specialist departments such as crime scene investigators (CSIs), canines and mounted sections, and specialized police equipment and vehicles available to all forces. In today's modern world it is difficult to imagine that there is no police force, in this essay we will look at the beginning of the creation of the police force in England and Wales and read further about some of the milestones of policing and also how some aspects have remained the same but they have evolved, like the police uniform and equipment and the police themselves. The earliest form of policing was Parish Constables (also known as petty constables) who were generally unarmed, unpaid part-time workers and, from 1617, were appointed by the local constabulary judge. 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 and these were the Bow Street runners, named after the street from which they operated. Although they were nicknamed “runners,” they investigated crimes and located offenders, they did so in exchange for fees and expenses. The group was founded by magistrate Henry Fielding in 1749 but was eventually disbanded in favor of the Metropolitan Police. The rise of the new police When Sir Robert Peel became Home Secretary in 1822, he was determined to tackle the policing problems London was facing internationally. times and so they set about establishing a police force to replace the disorganized system of parish policemen and wardens. The Metropolitan Police Bill was introduced by Sir Robert Peel on 15 April 1829 and went through all its stages in two months: the first policeman appeared on the streets of London on 29 September 1829. Due to public fear that the "new" style of police were intended for espionage and would be regarded as a standing army for the government, efforts were made to ensure that the new police did not look like soldiers. To have an air of authority they were equipped with reinforced top hats with an iron ring on the crown, non-military blue uniforms and swallow-tailed coats with minimal decoration. Each new policeman also had his personal number on his collar and also the letter of his division, these made him identifiable to the public. The policemen's tools were limited to a rattle, handcuffs and a wooden truncheon which were carried on a heavy leather belt. Cutlasses were available for patrolling dangerous areas and for emergencies, and inspectors were issued a pocket pistol. (Clive Emsley, 2012:26) Officers had to travel a regular route at a constant measured pace of around 2.5 miles per hour and the areas they patrolled were usually small, therefore in line with the principlesPeelians, they became familiar locally and members of the public would not have to look far for a police officer. Having an officer in an area would also help deter the commission of crimes. Unlike parish constables and watchmen, police officers were not permitted to enter pubs while on duty, nor were they permitted to gather in groups and gossip with the public. Many of the new policemen struggled to adapt to strict police discipline, and many resigned after a few days. Dismissals were often quite high and of the 2800 policemen 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 anyone who might tarnish that image or the reputation of the police. Public perception of the police Despite the expected high standards and strict discipline of the new police force, there were still many critics who rejected the new organization for various reasons. Some still thought they looked too much like a military group and felt threatened by this new uniformed force, while others criticized them believing they were government spies. Many also resented the intervention represented by the new force, as demonstrated by the murder of Robert Culley. It took many years for the new police force to be accepted by the general public, during these years there were many challenges to the police, such as the protest at Coldbath Fields in May 1833, in which the police were criticized for their heavy on the large crowd who turned to violence and unfortunately Officer Robert Culley was killed by a member of the crowd. While it is not yet clear whether it was the police or the protest group that instigated the violence, the aftermath largely points the finger of blame at the police, with a jury returning a justifiable homicide verdict regarding the man's killing. 'Agent Culley. The jury argued that police actions provoked mob violence. The Court of Kings overturned the jury's verdict but stopped short of ordering a new inquest. Afterwards the jurors were feted by a large crowd of the public, with crowds lining the riverside to applaud them as the jurors involved made their way up the river to Twickenham. While this seems like a very anti-police attitude on the part of the public at the time, it is important to demonstrate that the public's attitude has changed dramatically for the better. Taking into account the tragic death of PC Andrew Harper, who was a police officer with Thames Valley Police. PC Harper was killed in the line of duty responding to an ongoing burglary in August 2019. Across the UK there has been widespread condemnation of his death and his killers who were found guilty in court by a jury. Hundreds of people lined the road for PC Harper's funeral procession and there were numerous tributes left for him by the public. (BBC, 2019) Both were tragic deaths of police officers, but you can see the two completely different reactions of the public to their deaths, this shows that the public accepts the police more now than when they started patrolling the streets . first women in uniformThe idea of ​​women Police officers were often completely rejected but with the outbreak of the First World War, the number of male recruits for the police decreased and as the war dragged on the police numbers also became thinner and the load of work increased for women. remaining officers. In response to this, Woman filled the gaps left in many professions and trades. Women served as police during this period, buttheir duties were largely limited to matters involving women and children; most of them had never taken the oath and therefore had no powers of arrest. Before the outbreak of war, women were generally employed as police guards to supervise and search women who were arrested. In 1907 Metropolitan Police Commissioner Edward Henry hired a woman to take statements from girls involved in sexual assaults. the Police Fund and various charities. But regardless of the work these women performed, proposals for female police officers for these roles were routinely rejected. During this time, a group called "Women's Police Service (WPS)" whose goal was to put women on an equal footing with men. Eco-involve women in regular policing. They helped train over 1000 women as volunteer officers between 1914 and 1920 as part of this objective. Thanks to the continued determination and efforts of the WPS, Edith Smith, born on 21 November 1876, would become the first female police officer appointed in England with full powers of arrest in 1915. (Clive Emsley 2009:180) Smith would be sent to Grantham, where she spent much 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 foolish girls warned, 20 prostitutes sent out of Grantham, two fallen girls helped, five wicked women warned." (Edith Smith: Blue Plaque for a First World War Female Police Officer, 2011) Smith retired from her role as an officer due to fatigue and, although her police career lasted only 3 years, thanks to her determination and her success in policing the girls in Grantham demonstrated that women can be as competent police officers as men. The first black man in the Met Another milestone in the history of modern policing was the appointment of Norwell Roberts, who on April 3 In 1967 became the first black police officer in the Metropolitan Police. Although this was seen as a milestone and as a positive change in modern policing, upon his appointment, before and during, he encountered racial discrimination from almost every angle, even from within the Metropolitan Police itself. To help understand how big this turning point was, we need to look briefly at the racial tensions of the time in the 1960s to understand the difficulties a police applicant from an immigrant background would have faced. After World War II, the British Nationality Act 1948 stated that all Commonwealth citizens could hold British passports and work in the United Kingdom. The reasons why people 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 the new National Health Service. Immigrants to the UK were received harshly as some Britons believed their jobs and homes had been stolen by immigrants and it was common for them to be treated as second class citizens, being excluded from certain businesses or employment. (BBC review) In December 1963, the Met's position on the recruitment of black members of the public was set out in an internal memo which said that in a predominantly white population, black police officers would be at a serious disadvantage and it would be unreasonable expect them to carry out their duties effectively. They were also convinced that ethnic groups were well aware that the police do not recruit men of ethnic origin, but that.