First year

• Police powers


  The authority provided to law enforcement officials to carry out their tasks efficiently
• Police powers


  • They were purposely limited in the early phases of professional police to ensure that officers showed restraint and followed the principles of consent-based policing
  • The idea emphasized the need for public collaboration and assistance in maintaining the legitimacy and efficacy of policing
• Police powers


  They are founded on both common and statutory law, with common law acting as a foundation and statutory laws, including local legislation, reinforcing these powers
• The Metropolitan Police Act of 1839 allowed constables to stop, search, and detain anybody suspected of holding stolen or illegally obtained items, but there was no uniform national framework
• The increase of authority placed onto police personnel presented difficulties. It blurred the line between cops serving as public officials and regular individuals, raising worries about potential overreach and violations of individual rights
• Reforms addressing these problems were motivated by alleged wrongdoing, such as allegations of rule breaking by detectives and the abuse of stop and search powers, notably in ethnically mixed cities
• These changes sought to more effectively control police interventions, ensure accountability, and promote the idea of policing by consent
• Stop and search


  A policing strategy in which law enforcement authorities can hold and search someone they suspect of committing crimes or carrying banned things, such as guns or narcotics, without an arrest warrant
• Stop and search became popular in the 1970s, especially in reaction to increased street crime, such as 'mugging,' in metropolitan areas
• This method was frequently criticized for creating a schism between the police and the communities they served, particularly in multi-ethnic inner-city districts
• The 1824 Vagrancy Act gave the legal basis for these stop-and-search powers, which were frequently used indiscriminately and based on racial prejudices, notably against black teenagers
• By the 1980s, the controversial nature of stop-and-search procedures had been called into question, particularly following inner-city riots in 1981, which were partly blamed on perceived policing inequities
• The Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) of 1984 was passed, to address concerns about the arbitrary use of stop and search powers while also restoring the notion of policing by agreement
• Stop and search


  A police technique in which officers stop people in public places and search them for illegal things. The officer must notify the subject about the cause of the search and the possible outcomes, even if nothing is discovered
• Transparency is crucial for accountability and justice. Those stopped should be given a receipt, but it is up to the individual to accept it. If the officer is not in uniform, they must display their warrant card, particularly for detectives or plainclothes cops, to demonstrate their authority
• In England and Wales between March 2022 and 2023, there were total 547,003 stop and searches. Furthermore, the police may stop and search any person or vehicle if they have reasonable grounds to do so. They have to be based on behaviour or intelligence/information
• In London, 18.5% of stop and searches were conducted on white people compared with 66% for black people. So, race has something to do with this as well
• 32% of all stop and searches took place in the Metropolitan Police force area in London, There were 20 stop and searches for every 1000 people in London, the highest rate out of all police force areas was Merseyside at 37. London has the highest stop and search rates for all ethnic groups
• Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs)


  A police power based on legislation such as The Criminal Justice & Police Act 2001 to address certain public order violations without resorting to arrest. They function similarly to fixed-penalty notices for traffic violations
• PNDs are often given for "fairly serious" public order violations such as criminal damage, cannabis possession, or low-value theft
• By issuing PNDs, law enforcement may deal with these minor violations quickly and effectively, without the need for formal arrest processes
• Individuals who obtain a PND are normally required to pay a penalty fine of £80 within 21 days
• The quantity of PNDs granted varied throughout time, reflected by the irregular pattern seen in Sanders and Young's 2012 research
• This approach of using PNDs aims to relieve strain on the courts by treating lower-level offences outside of the official legal procedure, enabling the courts to focus on more severe criminal cases
• To combat crime on the streets, the police have more than only the authority to arrest people. The Home Office underlined these capabilities in 2018, including tactics such as volunteer attendance at police stations and the adoption of community resolutions
• There are also difficulties connected with making arrests, such as the administrative load of documentation. As a result, policemen may be encouraged to give warnings rather than arrests
• This method has implications for law enforcement dynamics, as it may mean that people who would have been prosecuted remain on the streets
• There is worry that growing crime rates coincide with an increasing number of investigations being abandoned. This pattern has the potential to weaken trust in the judicial system, particularly among victims who may feel ignored by law enforcement and the legal system as a whole
• Police culture


  The rules, beliefs, and practices within law enforcement agencies, including officer seclusion, self-defence, secrecy, and internal unity
• This culture is frequently the result of perceived hostility in the environment, fostering a closed-rank attitude and normalising violence, particularly against oppressed groups such as Black people
• Police culture acts as a coping strategy for the strains and dangers of police employment, responding to tensions from both external and internal sources. It is passed down through generations and is resistant to change, regarded as a sensible response to job needs
• Police forces with lack diversity and representation can create a schism between police and their communities, leading to prejudices and misunderstandings
• The gender and racial makeup of police personnel in England and Wales shows a lack of diversity in law enforcement. The underrepresentation of women and BAME people can have an impact on discretion, resulting in more nuanced and equitable decision-making
• Prejudice and bias in police


  Discriminatory attitudes, beliefs, or acts within law enforcement organizations that hurt specific groups, notably Black people, because of their color or ethnicity
• Acknowledging the reality of racism, prejudice, and bias in police does not imply that all officers or the entire organization are fundamentally racist. Instead, it stresses the need for a better level of police owing to its important function and capabilities in society
• Despite specific prohibitions against racism and prejudice in policing codes of conduct, these difficulties continue, demonstrating a disconnect between professed values and actual behavior
• Disparities in policing results, like as arrest rates or use of force, may not necessarily be due to deliberate prejudice. However, it is essential to analyze and address the root causes of these differences to ensure that they are not unwarranted, and to adopt reforms where needed to improve justice and equality in law enforcement processes
• Connecting this to the case of George Floyd's death, the reference serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of unchecked prejudice and bias within policing
• Detention


  The amount of time a suspect is held in police custody after their capture. This period begins when the suspect enters the police station and ends when they are charged with a crime or discharged uncharged
• Custody officer


  • Oversees the suspect's treatment and ensures that the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) is obeyed
  • Makes key decisions, such as whether to charge the defendant, keep them for further interrogation, or monitor the situation in the detention suite