Explain and Evaluate the role of the Police in achieving social control - AC3.1 - 3.4

Question 1

What are some of the roles of the police?

Answer 1

There are many different units of the police, eg. drug squad, scene of crime officers, firearms squads, etc.
Independent to the cps
Police powers - permission to use reasonable force but there is no definition of reasonable force. - Sarah Everard
gross negligance - Hilsborough disaster.

Question 2

What does social control mean?

Answer 2

Social control refers to the mechanisms society uses to shape, supervise and regulate an individuals behaviour.

Question 3

Who summed up the philosophy of the police?

Answer 3

Sire Robert Peel (1829)

Question 4

What was Peel’s main reason for setting up the police?

Answer 4

Wanted to control riots and wanted to reform the criminal justice system and to enforce the laws that he had reformed, also punishments were too extreme as some people were being hanger for simply stealing something.

Question 5

Why was the setting up of the police controversial at the time?

Answer 5

The public had feared a ‘standing army’ (police force) and thought that it was because the government had wanted a stronger bold on the public to control them easier.

Question 6

What are some of the philosophy points about the police?

Answer 6

Prevent crime and disorder
Police ability to perform duties depends on the public’s cooperation and approval
Use of physical force as a last resort
Police are the public and the public are the police

Question 7

Where can police philosophy be found?

Answer 7

In the police code of ethics

Question 8

Why is it important to have a police code of ethics?

Answer 8

So they don’t abuse the power they are given
Standardised behaviour - all act the same
easy to identify if anyone goes against the code of ethics
lead to less miscarriages of justice

Question 9

How does the police code of ethics link to Robert Peel’s original vision of the police?

Answer 9

It makes sure they only control crime and not the public

Question 10

Case Study - Sarah Everard. What does this case suggest about police’s ability to achieve social control.

Answer 10

Wayne Couzens had abused his police power and arrested, kidnapped and killed Sarah. This had cast doubt upon the police because they allowed someone like Wayne to join the force.

Contradicts Robert Peel’s initial view of the police because it causes the public to not trust the police.

Question 11

Case Study - Hillsborough Disaster. What does this case suggest about police’s ability to achieve social control.

Answer 11

Police was unable to control the public at a football stadium so just let everyone through - gross negligence. After a disaster happened they had blamed the public on ‘football hooliganism’ and altered the witness statements to avoid suspicion.

Police were not acting with honesty and integrity by blaming the public for their misconduct.

Question 12

Case Study - David Carrick.

Answer 12

Former Met Police constable and pleaded guilty to 24 counts of rape and dozens more sexual offences, he had used his police powers to prey on women.
The MET police admits that on 9 separate occasions it and other police forces were made aware of David Carrick’s off duty incidents, but nothing was done about it.

Question 13

What does David Carrick’s case suggest about the police’s ability to achieve social control?

Answer 13

Public had lost the trust of the police because when other police forces were told about his actions they did not do anything - they either did not care about the protection of the public or thought that this was something they can just ignore.

undermining the philosophy of the police as this case goes against the police code of ethics.

Question 14

What are the different aims and objectives of the police?

Answer 14

Keep peace and maintain order
Protect life and property
Prevent, detect and investigate crime
Bring offenders to justice

Question 15

How does the police meet the aim of ‘keep peace and maintain order’?

Answer 15

They can use reasonable force when it is necessary and proportionate to the offenders actions.

Question 16

How does the police meet the aim of ‘ protect life and property’?

Answer 16

They are the first people on the crime scene and they assist and aid those who are injured and vulnerable.

Question 17

How does the police meet the aim of ‘prevent, detect and investigate crime’?

Answer 17

The police and criminal evidence act in 1984 allow police to stop and search, make arrests, question suspects and interview witnesses and suspects.

Question 18

How does the police meet the aim of ‘bring offenders to justice’?

Answer 18

Secure crime scene and ensure no contamination occurs. they work with other agencies as well.

Question 19

What is the Norfolk Safer Schools Partnership?

Answer 19

Helps to keep young pupils safe, reduces the risk of young people getting drawn into crime.
Improves safety of the school site and builds a positive relationship between pupils and the police

Question 20

Why do the police try to work with pupils?

Answer 20

Pupils ages are the most susceptible to crime - easily influenced by other external factors to commit crimes

Question 21

How could Norfolk Safer Schools Partnership help with enforcing social control in the long run?

Answer 21

By enforcing social control at a younger age they will be more likely to follow the law as they get older.
It is also easier to change their mindset at a young age and send them down a crime free path.

Question 22

Are the police aims and objectives working?

Answer 22

Survey evidence from the 2017 annual report of HM inspector of police shows that 2/3 of domestic abuse practitioners felt the police’s approach had improved in the previous 3 years.

Question 23

What evidence suggests that police fail to investigate large numbers of offences reported to them?

Answer 23

In 2018 police dropped 3X as many cases the day they were reported as they had done in 2013.
Over a 6 year period police had dropped a total of 525,000 crimes reported on the same day.
2015, 14% of cases resulted in someone being charged and this dropped to 7% by 2020.

Question 24

How does dropping cases undermine the aims and objectives of the police?

Answer 24

Not maintaining peace and order - not investigating cases, public is not being protected.
Not investigating = not bringing offenders to justice
Allowing crime to continue - not enforcing social control.

Question 25

How does the presence of moral panics undermine the police's aims?

Answer 25

Keep peace and maintain order by ensuring their responses are proportionate to the crime. But moral panics lead to disproportionate punishments to the offence being committed. For example: Tottenham 2011 riots, 2 people using Facebook to incite disorder were charged with 4 years imprisonment, even though they did not commit any crimes.

Question 26

How many police forces are in the UK today?

Answer 26

39 in England 4 in Wales 1 in Scotland 1 in Northern Ireland

Question 27

Why is it important to have such a large reach of police forces?

Answer 27

To ensure social control all across the UK So they can communicate and work together to enforce social control Covers all areas so they can prevent, detect and investigate crime everywhere.

Question 28

What does HM revenue and Customs deal with?

Answer 28

Tax evasion and tax fraud.

Question 29

Where does the police's funding come from?

Answer 29

government local council tax Charging services eg. policing football matches

Question 30

What is the police's funding limitation?

Answer 30

Between 2010 and 2018 the police's funding had fallen by 19%, which led to the fall of 20,000 police officers. - less police officers to help enforce social control.

Question 31

What issues are raised due to the lack of police funding?

Answer 31

Not enough police to answer calls closure of some police stations Resources are very stretched - can take up to 48 hours to talk to a victim Theres been an increase in crime and a decrease in police officers - unable to control the public. - recorder crime has risen up 32% in 3 years and charges are down 26%.