Reiner - Learning the blues

• • Cop sided view of police (orthodox): Sees police as rational response to twin pressures of urban and Industrial revolution, which posed new problems of order.
  • By contrast, revisionism stressed that industrialisation and urbanisation occurred within a specifically capitalist framework
  • Root of problem of order accentuated class division and conflict associated with the rise of capitalism
• What was wrong with the old policing arrangements?

  • During the 18th century, the punitiveness of the criminal code was increasingly seen as counter productive.
  • Key agents of the 'old' policing system (constables, watchmen and amateur justices) were widely criticised by 18th and 19th century advocates for police reform.
• Motives for police reform:

  • Fear of crime
  • The role of Politically motivated disorder
  • Revisionists: Need for a force that could stabilise disorder between conflicting social classes
• Who opposed the new police?

  • 6 Parliamentary committees between 1812 and 1822 considered London's policing arrangements but recommended against new police
  • The orthodox historians' only explanation for this was to impugn the intelligence and integrity of the opponents of police reform
• • Social impact of the new police
  • Orthodox: Unequivocally benign: Solving the problem of order
  • Revisionist - Modern professional policing created a 'Policed society'