police

• strengths

  • vital role in cjs
  • main agency in tackling crime
  • successful in many cases
  • a lot of work in anti-social behaviour
  • many specialisms and expertise
  • tried to tackle underreported crimes
• vital role in cjs

  • maintains law and order
  • protects public
• one of the main agencies for tackling crime

  e.g identify crimes, investigate, prevent, protect
• 2017 annual report by HM inspector of police

  found 2/3 of domestic abuse practitioners felt police's approach had improved in last 3 years

  a03 - found shortcomings regarding domestic abuse

  • arrest rate falling
  • not using bail conditions
  • staff shortages
  • body-worn cameras not always used
• criticisms of the police

  • racism and bias
  • ethnic minorities underrepresented in police force
  • stop and search used disproportionately on minority ethnic groups
  • underfunded
  • dark figure of crime
  • selective investigation into cases
• racism and bias 


  macpherson report into muder of Stephen Lawrence showed police were institutionally racist

  e.g took a while to go to the crime scene
• dark figure of crime

  •  the unknown mass of unreported and unrecorded offences
  • police leave many reports unrecorded or not investigated
  • ONS 2017 found 48% of cases dropped without a suspect
• puppy farm murder 


  Surrey police heavily criticised for returning a killers shotgun and firearm certificate

  John Lowe then murdered his wife and step daughter (Christine lee and Lucy Lee)
• crime survey for England and Wales

  • suggests crime is falling or remaining stable
  • 7% fall in crime
• strengths - made improvements to records of crime

  recording reports of domestic abuse has improved due to ONS criticise police for this in 2014
• police statistics

  • crime is increasing
  • gun and knife crime increased by 20%
  • homicides by 26%