Policing! So how would you do it?

The Police, How would you do it! 

The Policing of any society must be one of the most important questions that affects society today.  It is a fundamental requirement of good order, yet when done badly can have the totally opposite effect bringing with it both disorder and corruption of the worst kind.

I am seeking to write a book on the History of Policing in the United Kingdom, but before doing so would like to understand how members of the Caravan club feel about Policing today.

I should qualify my experience to write such a document by declaring that I served as a Police Officer in the United Kingdom between 1966 and 1999. During that time I experienced extremely rural Policing in Somerset on Solo patrol, without the benefit of radio. The Policing of Inner Cities and with the effects of Rioting in Bristol and Liverpool in the 70’s and the  Miners Strikes of the 1980’s.

Yet, Policing in the UK has probably changed more fundamentally in the past four years than at any time in the last 100 years. Indeed Policing itself is relatively young not having started until the days of Commissioners Rowan and Mayne in London in 1829.   They were charged by Home Secretary Robert Peele to bring order to a City ravaged by crime following the discharge from the armed services of thousands of troops after the cessation of the wars against France & Spain. They became known as “the Peelers” or “The Bobbies” and several much worse names.

Policing steadily evolved over essentially recognisable stages over the next nearly 200 years until about 4 years ago when the changes became much more dramatic.  Prior to that no dramatic change to Policing had been permitted unless following the findings of a specifically appointed Royal Commission.

But now, the spending on Police budgets was dramatically curtailed and as a result Police Numbers plunged and Police Stations were closed.  The link with the local democratic process was altered by the dissolution of Police Authorities, who in turn were replaced by the establishment of Police and Crime Commissioners.  These new Commissioners despite being untrained in such matters, were empowered to hire and fire Police Chief Constables.

The Police Service had retained the same semi military rank structure since its commencement and prided itself in the knowledge that all supervisory  ranks in the service up to that and including the Rank of Chief Constable had started as basic constables and worked their way up to the top.  But now it was announced that very senior Ranks in the Service that of Superintendent would be subject to direct recruitment from outside industry and without prior training or experience.

By 2015 there are less Police Officers on our streets than at any other time in our history!  Some say that Morale is at an all time low.  Yet Govt figures will show that crime is falling!  So is that the answer?  Reduce still further the numbers of Police?  Or could the reduction in crime be explained by the fact that as the Police Stations have closed and the numbers of Police Reduced it is now much more difficult to report a crime?   What do you think?  How would you do Policing?

The Japanese for example with almost the lowest crime rate in the world have gone the other way with large numbers of Police Stations covering a small patch.  There are many, many more Police Officers per 1,000 head of population than in the UK.

Several members in the past have made it clear to me their total distain for policing in general, and police officers specifically.  I have to accept that they have a right to such views, but I ask what would they do instead to bring order to society?

A great contemporary author on Policing T.A. Critchely once said  “Society eventually gets the sort of Policing it deserves”  So what would you do?

TF