Police

• AC 3.1 - Explain the role of agencies in social control
• Social control

  Within sociology, refers to many ways in which our behaviour, thoughts and appearances are regulated the norms, rules, laws and social structures of society
• Social control

  Social control is a necessary component of social order as society could not live without it
• How is social control achieved

  Through ongoing, lifelong process of socialisation that each person experience. Taught norms, rules and behavioural and interactional expectations
• Two main types of social control

  Informal and formal
• Name three government sponsored agencies who enforce social control

  Police, military and federal agencies
• What happens if people fail to comply with the laws that define formal social control?

  They get arrested
• The police - Sir Robert Peel founded Metropolitan police in 1829
• The police

  • Basic mission of the police is to prevent crime and disorder
  • The police's ability to perform their duties depends on the public's cooperation and approval
  • use of force is the last resort
  • police's duty is to impartially serve the law
• The police

  • Police are the public, and the public are the police
  • Police are just citizens in uniform paid to do full time what all citizens must do, that is, to uphold the law
• Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
• Aims of the police are to:

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

  2020/21 total police budget was £15.9 billion coming from three sources:

  • about 2/3 from central government
  • most of the rest comes from local council tax
  • A small amount comes from changing services such as policing football match
• Funding has fallen in previous years, EG between 2010 and 2018, it fell by 19%, led to a fall of 20,000 in police numbers
• Types of criminality/offenders

  • The police deal with virtually all types of offences and offenders
  • Some specialist law enforcement agencies do deal with certain kinds of crime and criminal activities
  • EG HM Revenue and Customs deal with tax evasion and tax fraud
• Reach

  In the UK there are:

  • 42 Regional police forces in England and Wales
  • 1 for Scotland
  • 1 for Northern Ireland
• Specialist police organisation which are nationwide:

  • National crime agency
  • The British Transport Police
  • Border forces
• Specialist policing include:

  • Covert operations
  • Special Branch
  • Fraud and drugs squad
• Unarmed policing - With the exception of specialist units, the police are largely unarmed. This reflects peel's philosophy that use of force is a last resort if upholding the law
• Special constables - unpaid, part - time volunteers. Who undergo some training and have the same legal powers as paid officers
• Police community support officers (PCSOs) - Limited powers, often dealing with anti - social behaviour on the streets

  EG issuing fixed penalty notices for littering on confiscating alcohol underage drinkers
• Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) - Elected representation of the people that are covered by a police force. This gives local population a voice in policing by being directly accountable to the electorate.

  They set policing priorities and their budget, and hold the Chief Constable accountable for the force's performance