Trends and Changes to Modern Policing

What is policing like in the modern period?

Over the course of the 20th century, modern policing saw some continuity but also many changes. It developed crime-fighting methods, improved the use of technology and became increasingly specialised.

What hasn't changed about the police in the modern period?

Policing has remained the same since 1900 in 2 key ways:

• ❖ The powers of the police to question, search, arrest or fine suspects, or report them to the courts, have changed little.
• ❖ The police are still overseen by the Home Secretary.

What problems did policing have at the start of the modern period?

By 1900, each area of Britain had its own local police force, but there were still 7 key problems:

• ❖ Police officers were badly paid and poorly trained. Training was similar to that of soldiers and featured military drills.
• ❖ Most of a police officer's time was spent on the beat, walking around his local area and covering up to 20 miles per day.
• ❖ A policeman operated alone, on foot, with just a whistle to call for help and a wooden truncheon for protection. Pistols were kept for emergencies and locked up at the police station.
• ❖ There were more than 200 local police forces. Each had its own rules and ways of working, with little cooperation between the forces' 42,000 officers.
• ❖ Local record keeping was poor and there was no centralised system to store information about criminals. It was unusual and difficult for neighbouring forces to work together.
• ❖ Their main duties were dealing with petty theft and drunkenness, but their only crime detection tools were their eyes, ears and witness statements.
• ❖ All police officers were male.

How has the police force changed in the modern period?

Over the 20th century and to the present day, the police force has become broader and more representative in 3 key ways:

• ❖ In March 2015, the total number of officers was 126,818. These were spread across 43 local forces - down from about 200 - that worked together on many aspects of law enforcement.
• ❖ Female officers first appeared in 1920. The proportion of female officers in England and Wales increased from 7% in 1977 to around 28% in 2015.
• ❖ The proportion of officers from ethnic minorities is still low, but has risen from 1% in 1989 to around 5.5% today.

What is police work like in the modern period?

The role of the police has become wider and more varied in the modern period in 3 key ways:

• ❖ Police officers deal increasingly with non-criminal incidents such as anti-social behaviour, drunkenness, missing persons and incidents linked to mental health where someone may be at risk.
• ❖ Officers also keep order at demonstrations, football matches and other large gatherings.
• ❖ As crime has become more varied and complex, many highly trained specialist departments and units have been developed.

What developments did policing have in the modern period?

The 20th century saw the introduction of 8 key new developments in policing:

• ❖ Weapons.
• ❖ Transport.
• ❖ Crime detection.
• ❖ Training and recruitment.
• ❖ Communication.
• ❖ Duties.
• ❖ Record-keeping.
• ❖ Crime prevention.

What weapons are used by police in the modern period?

The weapons used by the police changed over time in 5 key ways:

• ❖ To distinguish them from soldiers, police in 1900 were not armed.
• ❖ Nowadays, specialist police can be issued with guns when necessary.
• ❖ Ordinary police officers do not carry firearms but still have batons or truncheons.
• ❖ Pepper spray or CS gas can be used to control violent suspects.
• ❖ Some officers are trained in the use of tasers to temporarily disable a suspect.

How has police transport changed in the modern period?

Police transport saw 3 main innovations in the 20th century:

• ❖ Since the 1930s, cars and motorbikes have improved police response times. By the 1970s, these had effectively replaced the foot patrol or 'beat'.
• ❖ Police helicopters track suspects and support officers on the ground.
• ❖ Today, many forces have reintroduced foot or bicycle patrols to build better community relations.

What new policing methods are there in the modern period?

There are 4 main new methods and technology for improving the detection of criminals that have developed over the 20th century:

• ❖ In 1901, the existence of blood groups was discovered, so chemical analysis of blood samples could help in detection.
• ❖ Also in 1901, the first national register of fingerprints was set up to help identify suspects.
• ❖ More recently, DNA samples have been used as evidence.
• ❖ Security video recordings and national TV programmes have helped in identifying criminals.

What is police training like in the modern period?

Since 1947, new recruits have undertaken 14 weeks of basic training at the National Police Training College. Local forces have their own specialists to continue training.

How did police communication change in the 20th century?

Police communication technology improved in the 20th century in 3 key ways:

• ❖ In the 1920s, Morse code transmitters were first installed in police cars. Police telephone boxes were set up to provide a way to call for help.
• ❖ In the 1930s, two-way radios were introduced to police cars and the 999 emergency telephone number was launched.
• ❖ Today, all officers carry a two-way radio for instant communication with their police station or headquarters.

How has the police force grown in the modern period?

Over the 20th century, the police force has developed 8 key units that specialise in a specific technology or crime:

• ❖ Dog units.
• ❖ Fraud squad.
• ❖ Bomb squads.
• ❖ Drugs squads.
• ❖ National Hi-tech Crime Unit.
• ❖ National Crime Agency.
• ❖ Crime recording.
• ❖ Crime prevention.

How do police record crime in the modern period?

Since 1974, the police national computer (PNC) has collected together several databases, including fingerprint, motor vehicles, and missing person details. Officers have access to national and local information 24 hours a day.

How do police prevent crime in the modern period?

In the 2000s, police focus has shifted more towards crime prevention in 7 key ways:

• ❖ In the 21st century, police forces have increasingly focused on preventing crime by clamping down on factors that often lead to it.
• ❖ Every force appoints a crime prevention officer (CPO), who advises local people on crime prevention and security.
• ❖ Police community support officers are used to stop anti-social behaviour and reduce the fear of crime. They can confiscate alcohol and remove abandoned vehicles.
• ❖ They work with schools to educate young people about avoiding risks that can lead to them becoming victims of crime, and encourage them away from committing crime.
• ❖ They give people advice on making their homes more secure against burglary.
• ❖ They are involved with Neighbourhood Watch schemes.
• ❖ They make risk and threat assessments - predicting where crime might occur, and profiling types of people who might be more likely to commit crime.

How have police costs changed in the modern period?

Policing changes during the modern period have added greatly to the cost of policing, which is now far higher than it was in 1900.

Why has the police's reputation got worse in modern times?

The reputation of the police was in decline by the 1980s due to 4 key reasons:

• ❖ Rising crime put police work under the spotlight, and police methods were called into question.
• ❖ A series of scandals involving faked evidence, forced confessions and alleged racism eroded the reputation of the police.
• ❖ The change of tactics to make the police more technological meant the force also became more impersonal. Rapid-response teams in panda cars became a symbol of 1980s policing.
• ❖ On television, police officers were often presented as tough and sometimes violent, likely to cut corners to meet targets or get ahead.