Our writers can help get your essay back on track, take a look at our services to learn more about how we can help. Essay writing service essay marking service place an order for the purpose of perspective, we shall adopt a discernibly analytical approach to the problem of examining the role and function of the contemporary police force in the uk, charting the evolution of reform and change from a chronological standpoint. As a consequence, our conceptual starting point must begin with a brief yet concise overview of the traditional role, purpose and function of the police force in order to establish important ideological frameworks in which the remainder of the discussion can effectively take place. Rawlings 2008 acknowledges us that the birth of the modern police force in britain coincided with the triumph of representative democracy and the growth of the centralised state. Sir robert peel's early metropolitan police force was, therefore, an extension of the powers and the principles of the modern state apparatus with professional, trained police officers being charged with maintaining the law and the order established at a central governmental level. Thus, where, prior to the advent of the modern police force, maintenance of law and order was seen as being the responsibility of local authorities, after the ratification of the metropolitan police act in 1829, the twin concepts of the police and policing were conceptualised in fixed terms incorporating the maintenance of order, the control of disorder, and the prevention of crime and the detection of offenders.

Persuasive Essay on Christopher Columbus

Rawlings, 200 as a result, it is important to note that the official creation of the modern police force was in many ways a continuation of the old ideals pertaining to the maintenance of law and order and the detection of criminality. The major changes that occurred after 1829 concerned, firstly, the professionalization of the police force as a single, cohesive organisation and, secondly, the intrinsic ideological link that bound the police force to the rise of the nation state. Henceforth, the police force would always be thought of in terms of the law enforcing agency of the state an institution charged with maintaining the civilised law and order characteristic of all liberal western democracies emsley, 2008. We should also be careful to underscore the important class issues which dominated the early debates on the role and function of the police force from the inception of the metropolitan police force in 1829 through to the mid twentieth century. As clive emsley observes, the police force were interpreted as an instrument for controlling and disciplining a burgeoning and increasingly self confident and non deferential working class. Emsley, 200 the class issue pervading the birth and development of the modern british police force is an important point to note and one that ought to be borne in mind throughout the remainder of the discussion. As we shall see, the idea of maintaining law and order amongst the marginalised working classes remains a key feature of the general public's idea of the role and function of the police force in early twenty first century society.

However, as smith 19 notes that since its inception, the police force has primarily been seen as an intrinsic part of the state apparatus whose fundamental role and function has to been to maintain the law and order of central government at both a local and national level. Author also argues that the police force has historically been seen as the only agency of central government charged with maintaining law and order at a local and national level and there has, also, been no overlap between the police force's powers and the authority of other non state agencies such as, for instance, private sector security and insurance organisations with a deep seated interest in the maintenance of law and order. Smith 19 suggest that the enormous significance of the subtle shift that occurred with regards to the role of the state and central government during the second half of the twentieth century and the impact that this had for the function of a wide variety of public sector agencies.

Bipolar Disorder Research Paper Apa Form

As a result, where public sector work was once interpreted as being the sole responsibility of the state, in the modern era there has been a subtle yet powerful shift in the very concept of responsibility consequently, private citizenry has been increasingly charged with maintaining the facade of health, education, local government and law enforcement of the modern welfare state. As far as the latter is concerned, there has been a wholesale revolution in the way in which the police force has been envisaged at a central governmental level brought about by the perceived crisis in british policing during the 1980s where, for instance, the brixton riots, local communities openly rebelled against the police force as an institution of repression and state sponsored prejudice smith, 19. As josie gregory and bill harding declare that there is no doubt that these two aspects of policing the general way the community approached the community particularly minority groups and the issues raised in specific investigations which led them to being labelled miscarriages of justice had a profound effect on the way the police as a professional organisation was viewed by critics and by the public. There is also little doubt that the events were a stimulus for a range of initiatives designed to bring about change gregory and harding 2003. The first canadian police officers recorded in the history books worked in quebec city in 1651 and their duty was to act as night watchmen for the community.

Today, policing in canada is carried out at three levels: federal, provincial and municipal. The rcmp operate at the federal level in all provinces and territories griffiths amp verdun jones, 1994. At the provincial level, the ontario provincial police, the quebec police and the newfoundland constabulary operate as provincial police services.

At the municipal level, as of 1994, there were 570 police services in operation canadian centre for justice statistics, 1996, p. In addition to these police services, there are several others operating in canada. The native harbours board police, the canadian pacific railways police and a variety of native police services are just a few of the many policing services in canada. Although perceptions of the role of police are changing, crime control and order maintenance are still viewed as primary police roles by the public and the officers themselves.

Despite this widely held perception, a considerable amount of research indicates that crime control activities generally occupy less than 25% of police officers' time, and for most officers, this percentage is considerably lower griffiths amp verdun jones, 1994, p. Community based policing represents not so much a new policing alternative as a re emergence of the original approach to urban public policing practised in 18th century england. The central principle underlying community based policing is that it involves a full partnership between the community and its police in identifying and ameliorating local crime and disorder problems rosenbaum amp lurigio, 1994 grinc, 1994. Crime and disorder, in other words, are the joint property of both the community and the police, and this joint effort is carried out within an interactive, cooperative and reciprocal relationship. Many police administrators are attracted to the idea of community based policing, however, the biggest issue in police management today lies in the implementation and operation of community or neighbourhood policing.

The edmonton neighbourhood foot patrol program represents a return to the tradition of the earliest days of policing where citizens are expected to police themselves. The program was started in 1987 in 21 of edmonton's busiest neighbourhoods ministry of the solicitor general, correctional services of ontario amp ministry of the solicitor general of canada sg, cso amp sgc , 1993, p. The program's objectives are to reduce calls for service, improve public satisfaction, increase officers' job satisfaction and solve community problems griffiths amp verdun jones, 1994 sg, cso amp sgc, 1993. An evaluation of the program, conducted between 1991 and 1993, found that property related offences decreased 26%, insurance claims for break and enters decreased 17%, calls placed to the dispatch centre decreased 39% and the number of reports taken over the phone decreased from 54,0 to 11,0 cassels, 1994, p.

The program evaluation also made several recommendations, including that the foot patrol program be expanded into high crime areas, the store front stations be kept open longer by staffing them with volunteers and that constables be provided with training in volunteer coordination and problem solving techniques. The increasingly multicultural nature of canadian society is having an impact on canadian policing. Complaints about the police by members of ethno cultural and visible minorities include over policing of their communities, random stops and searches, discrimination in the use of police power, 147 blaming the victim 148 when the victim is a member of a minority group and underrepresentation of minorities within police organizations griffiths amp verdun jones, 1994. The federal government has embarked on a number of initiatives that address police minority relations.

These initiatives include, but are not limited to, the 1984 multiculturalism directorate, cross cultural training for rcmp officers and the 1989 rcmp sponsored conference, policing for a pluralistic society. Canadian policing could be described as having reached an intersection consisting of three critical variables: social behaviour, criminal behaviour and police infrastructure. In order to understand how these variables might determine the future of canadian policing, it is important to determine what resources and technology will be available and what behaviours will be considered criminal in the future rossmo amp saville, 1991. One of the more recent proposals, police challenge 20, addresses issues surrounding the future of policing. Police challenge 20 considers issues ranging from proactive policing and problem oriented practices to the changing role of the police and community.

The future of canadian policing, according to this initiative, is in the direction of community based policing in which the community and police have equal roles in crime prevention. Here is your essay on the role and responsibilities of indian police ! robert reiner rightly remarked that policing is an inherently conflict ridden enterprise. Therefore, the police have a professional responsibility demanding from them the highest standards of conduct, particularly those of honesty, impartiality and integrity. Image source: hindustantimes.com it is rather unfortunate that the police in modem indian society is looked with fear, suspicion and distrust by the people. This public apathy towards the police demoralises them to such an extent that policemen lose self confidence and are hesitant in taking firm step to prevent violations of law because of the apprehension of public criticism. Yet another potential cause which shatters public confidence in police is the increasing interference of politicians in the working of the police.

Once the politics enters this department, it paralyses the police arm for the enforcement of the law, thus putting merit to near incompetency and dishonesty to the front. The political pressure and compromises by the police officials are bound to make them corrupt, dishonest and inefficient. At the same time, it shall make the fearless administration of law and justice an impossibility. Thus the impediments on the police due to political pressure or other like influences make it difficult for the policemen to perform their duties honestly. It is no exaggeration that the present deterioration in law and order situation in india is primarily due to these forces which have demoralised the indian police. Instances are not wanting when serious violations of law have occurred right under the nose of the police and the latter have preferred a role of silent spectator rather than initiating action because of the fear of public criticism.