Reflections on British policing

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Staffordshire, England, Police Force. As part of the celebration, the Jackson, Michigan, police chief and four members of the Jackson Honor Guard, including me, traveled to Staffordshire for a week-long visit. This visit was a tremendous personal and professional experience for all of us. We not only learned about the English police constable's (PC) job, but we also gained a new sense of pride and admiration for law enforcement officers in England and the United States.

English Demeanor

The English have a reputation for being reserved, and the PCs exemplified this trait. In fact, one of the first things we noticed about them was their remarkable patience, which was not just a show for the visiting Americans.

Numerous booking video tapes of violent and disorderly persons demonstrated the PCs' tremendous restraint. Furthermore, the media's coverage of current events and our observations to the PCs on the beat reinforced this image. Without question, the PCs generally reacted calmly to even the most explosive situations.

Unlike most well-equipped American police officers, the PCs carry only a short truncheon (nightstick), handcuffs, and a portable radio. Their lack of equipment presents a problem when assaults do occur. Oftentimes, PCs face several attackers and have to rely solely on their own physical strength for protection. As a result, serious injuries often occur. It makes one wonder how American police officers would fare facing the same challenges with so few tools.

Although the English constables are interested in updating their equipment, they have trouble doing so. After explaining belt-carried chemical agents to several PCs and commanders, the Jackson officers created a great deal of interest. However, the British Government, which provides 51 percent of each police force's funding, makes the decisions. As an example, a police committee in England considered replacing the short truncheon with the sidehandled nightstick, but halted its review after incidents in the United States spotlighted the excessive force issue.

Yet, even though the government influences the purchase of equipment, less political interference exists in England than in the United States, just by the nature of the police organization. In England, there are only 43 police forces and 43 police chiefs, who are chosen by the police authority for each force. Each police chief serves until retirement and can only be removed for a serious act of misconduct. The police authority cannot vote to remove the chief from office. Consequently, the chief can make decisions based on department and community needs, with less regard for political considerations than in the United States.

Community Policing

Many American police departments only recently embraced community policing, but in England, it is a time-honored tradition. The PCs' continued use of foot patrols best exemplifies the community policing concept.

A common misconception is that PCs patrol only quaint little villages. Quite the contrary; many of their assignments are in council estates, the equivalent of low-income housing developments found in most American cities. Here, the PCs do not face residents with firearms, as American police officers might. They do, however, encounter many of the same situations as American police officers--drug dealing, violence, theft, child abuse, and domestic disputes. Yet, they still exhibit understanding and dedication to their assigned areas.

The PCs recognize the need to build a relationship between the police and the community, and they do exactly that. Even in council estates. I witnessed the residents constantly recognizing and acknowledging the PC on patrol. One resident even gave the PC good information on the location of an escaped prisoner.

The residents of these neighborhoods have many of the same concerns as Americans--loud parties, illegal parking, theft, and public order. Unfortunately, due to limited resources, more serious crimes sometimes supersede these problems. By informing the public of the department's priorities, the PCs maintain community involvement.

Multicultural Society

During our visit, a volatile racial incident in Staffordshire demonstrated the parallels between the English and American police administrators. When a group of white residents attacked the drivers of an Asian-owned and operated taxicab company, the taxicab drivers armed themselves with baseball bats. Although the potential for violence was very high, the PCs kept order while the Staffordshire Command directed a very rapid and effective response. The command incarcerated the offenders and met with the victims to address their concerns. Thus, the department lowered tensions and diffused a very difficult situation.

Reciprocal Learning

The above incident exemplifies the changes currently taking place in English society. The influx of emigres from former English colonies has changed England from a homogeneous to a multicultural society. This also has created challenges for the PCs. Consequently, the Staffordshire command officers reacted enthusiastically to a program on policing a multicultural society, presented by the Jackson chief of police, who is an authority on the subject. The program created an opportunity for a wide-ranging discussion.

As another means of exchanging information, two members of the Jackson contingent conducted a second seminar on the American experience with crack cocaine. Crack only recently surfaced in Staffordshire, although it poses a more serious problem in other English cities. However, due to the size of England's geographical area and its excellent transportation system, the potential for an American-style epidemic exists. Currently, the high price of the drug helps to control the demand for it.

Crack notwithstanding, street drug dealing continues to present problems with wide-ranging ramifications in England. The visiting American officers outlined the aggressive, high-profile enforcement approach used in Jackson, and while the PCs agreed that the neighborhoods affected by drug dealing need rescuing, the methods used in Jackson raised a few eyebrows. Again, the natural British restraint became evident, although the PCs acknowledged that they are gradually having to adopt more aggressive approaches.

As with the sparsity of equipment, a lack of funding affects the PCs' drug enforcement efforts. And, whereas in the United States, forfeiture proceeds go back into local department, in England, the national government receives the proceeds. This takes away a source of funding from the PCs and forces them to work with a limited budget.

Conclusion

The benefits derived from our trip to Staffordshire cannot be expressed easily. The media attention made us recognizable to the citizens who, in turn, showered us with tokens of good will and good wishes. But the greatest gift we received was the understanding and respect that developed between us and our English counterparts.

The nature of our profession can often lead us to believe that we are fighting a losing battle alone. The fortitude and professionalism we saw in England renewed our faith in our profession. It is an honorable profession--one that is invaluable to society and one that employs those who are committed to making a difference.

COPYRIGHT 1993 Federal Bureau of Investigation
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group