Description
Book SynopsisSince its inception in the late nineteenth century, the prevailing ethos of the police institution in Britain, has been said to rest on Sir Robert Peel’s mantra of 1829 that ‘the police are the public and the public are the police’. This refrain, of policing by consent, has constantly been challenged and no more so than in recent years. Whilst public views of policing in Britain maintain a constant level of trust, according to opinion polls, little attention is given as to why 40% of the population remain mistrustful of policing services. Though much of this book is confined to police operations in the United Kingdom, especially with regard to the narratives of those whose interviews were transcribed as case studies, the extent to which the modern police service sets itself apart from the public (and is therefore non-consensual) is shown in policing practices across the globe, from the United States to Australia. With stories from people on the front line, who have been targeted by police, Dr. Eccy de Jonge examines how police agencies’ self-referential attitude – their “inner uniform” – may lead to bias in policing investigations, a breakdown in social order, and a lack of public trust. This is exacerbated by police officers using their power of discretion to subdue a right to criticism. Victims and complainants are routinely discredited by policing agencies around the globe and the inner workings of this public institution are failing those who rely upon it the most.
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Discrediting Victims and Complainants
Discrediting Tactics
Identifying the Subject
Hillsborough
Anti Social Behaviour: The Story of Kay
Police Attitudes
Chapter 2: The Meaning of Bias in Police Investigations
Implicit Bias
Confirmation Bias
The Reid Technique
Miscarriages of Justice and Wrongful Arrest
Avoiding Bias: Resolutions and Suggestions
Chapter 3: Covert Policing
Spycops
Covert Records and Databases
Police and Family Liaison Officers
Covert Diagnoses: Case Studies
Chapter 4: Road Deaths
Police Investigations into Road Deaths
Testaments of Victims
Policing Attitudes
Chapter 5: Police Support Networks
Coroners, Inquests and Pathologists
The Crown Prosecution Service
Case Study: A False Charge of Rape
Chapter 6: Accountability: A Grey Area
The Police Complaints System
Respondents
Public Relations
Policing Culture
Conclusion
