Modern England

• What are the dates we study in Modern England?

  1900-present
• What did new technology bring?


  Changes in crime.
• • More households have telephones, so it is easier to report crime.
• • People need to report crimes in order to claim compensation from their insurance company.
• • Violent crimes and sexual offences are reported more, and police training improved.
• • The police now record crime more consistently due to advances in technology.
• Name the continuity from the 20th century.

  • Crimes against the person continued, including murder and assault.
  • Crimes against property continued, including petty theft, shoplifting and vandalism.
  • Crimes against authority continued, including treason, terrorism and rioting.
• What major change occurred in Modern England?

  Developments in technology, in particular computers, have given criminals new ways of committing the old crime of theft.
• What was the new crime of identity theft?

  When someone’s personal data, such as their bank account details or a credit card number, are stolen and used to purchase goods online or take money from a bank account.
• Computer Copyright theft (new crime)

  When the internet is used to illegally copy and share music and films.
• What is the new crime of cybercrime?

  Carried out using the internet, often on a large scale, to steal data, records and information from large companies, security services and governments.
• What is extortion?

  Using the internet to make someone pay money by using threats and/or blackmail. Some criminals extort money by threatening to hack or share information they have hacked from large businesses and databases unless the victim pays a ransom.
• What is computer fraud?

  Imitating people or businesses to get hold of their banking information and passwords in order to steal their money.
• In modern Britain, smuggling involves mainly drugs, alcohol, and people-trafficking, whereas in the past it mainly involved brandy, tea, and cloth
• Developments in transport since c.1900 have made smuggling increasingly difficult to prevent due to the high volume of people traveling by land, sea, and air
• Smugglers typically buy goods in other countries at a cheaper price, avoid paying required taxes, and then sell the goods in Britain at a cheaper price, leading to increased demand
• Some individuals benefit financially from ignoring the smuggling of goods like tobacco and alcohol
• Terrorism involves the use of violence and threats of violence to achieve goals and publicize actions, often influenced by extremist ideologies
• The Terrorism Act of 2000 defines terrorism as 'The use or threat of action designed to influence the government, intimidate the public, and advance a political, religious, or ideological cause'
• Counter terrorist police units in the UK collaborate across forces and with the intelligence community to prevent, deter, and investigate terrorist activity
• Types of terrorism in the UK include:

  • International terrorism that goes beyond national boundaries
  • Northern Ireland related terrorism, involving loyalist and republican paramilitary groups
  • Right wing terrorism motivated by factors like racism and extreme nationalism
• Various terrorist groups in Britain have different motivations, including political, religious, or single-issue focuses
• Driving Crimes in Modern England

  • speeding
  • joyriding
  • drink driving
  • parking without a valid ticket
  • failing to stop at traffic lights
  • driving without a licence
  • not wearing a seat belt
  • using a mobile phone while driving
• What is race-related crime?

  As modern Britain has become more multicultural, new laws have been needed to ensure that people from minority groups are treated equally and fairly. The 1968 Race Relations Act made it illegal to refuse jobs, housing or public services to people based on their race, ethnic background or country of origin.
• What is a hate crime?

  A hate crime is a criminal act motivated by prejudice or bias against a particular race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or other protected characteristic.
• What is protected under hate crime?

  • race
  • religion
  • disability
  • sexual orientation
  • transgender identity
• What was the decriminalisation of homosexuality?

  Changing attitudes in society towards homosexuality led to the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which decriminalised homosexual sex between two men, both over the age of 21, in England and Wales. Further changes to the law took place in the UK in the following decades. The age of consent for private homosexual sex acts in the UK was lowered to 16 in 2001, the same as the age of consent for heterosexual people.
• What is drug-related crime?

  The 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act made many drugs illegal.
• What is Domestic Violence?

  New laws made violent and abusive behaviour in relationships a crime.
• Why was domestic violence became a crime?

  Changing attitudes and women were equal in society.
• Why was abortion legalised in England?

  Public and government attitudes towards abortion relaxed in the 1960s, which resulted in the passing of the 1967 Abortion Act. 
• Changes in policing since c.1900:

  • Police in modern Britain catch criminals using their power to question, search, and arrest suspects
  • The role of the police has developed to work on preventing crime
  • Specialist units in modern Britain's police force include: drug squads, counter-terrorist squads, dog handlers, fraud squads, and bomb squads
  • A national police training college was established in 1947, providing around 18-22 weeks of classroom-based training for police recruits before serving as officers
• Developments in science and technology since c.1900 have influenced policing in modern Britain:

  • Use of fingerprints and chemical analysis of blood samples
  • Two-way radios for communication
  • Introduction of the 999 emergency number
  • Use of police cars, motorbikes, and helicopters
  • Implementation of pepper spray, CS gas, DNA evidence, CCTV recordings, breathalysers, speed cameras, and ANPR cameras
• The Police National Computer, established in 1974, collects information on fingerprints, motor vehicles, and missing people, providing police officers access to information 24 hours a day
• Representation in the police force:

  • Sislin Fay Allen became the first black woman to join London's Metropolitan Police Force in 1968
  • Women were present in the police force during World War One in volunteer and matron roles
  • Sofia Stanley became the Metropolitan Police’s first official female recruit in 1919
  • Harry Daley, an openly gay police constable, played a key role during the Blitz in World War Two
• Data from March 2020 showed that in England and Wales:

  • 31.2% of police officers were female
  • 92.7% of police officers were white, with 7.3% from Asian, black, mixed race, or other ethnic backgrounds
  • The number of police officers from diverse ethnic backgrounds had increased from the previous year
• The role of the police force has evolved to focus on preventing crime alongside catching criminals, managing non-crime-related issues, controlling crowds, and keeping order at public events
• The increase in reported crime since c.1900 has led to additional forms of law enforcement, including:

  • Community law enforcement, which involves voluntary community involvement
  • Neighbourhood Watch, established in 1982, aims to prevent crime by members remaining vigilant, reduce the fear of crime through community support, report crime patterns to the police, and support communication between the police and the community
• Changes in crime and punishment in Britain from c.1900 to the present day resulted from developments in technology and changes in societal attitudes, including the abolition of the death penalty
• Community law enforcement in modern Britain has seen a return to voluntary involvement, with initiatives like Neighbourhood Watch aiming to prevent crime by encouraging vigilance, reducing fear of crime, and supporting communication between the police and the community