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MODULE III. Law and Responsibility
Topic 3.2 Crime and Punishment
The British Police
The British police officer - sometimes called the "bobby" after Sir Robert Peel, the founder of the police force - is a well-known figure to anyone who has visited Britain or who has seen British films. Policemen are to be seen in towns and cities keeping law and order, either walking in the streets ("pounding the beat") or driving in cars (known as "panda cars" because of their distinctive markings). Few people realize, however, that the police in Britain are organized very differently from many other countries.
Most countries, for example, have a national police force, which is controlled by central Government. Britain has no national police force, although police policy is governed by the central Government's Home Office. Instead, there is a separate police force for each of 52 areas into which the country is divided. Each has a police authority - a committee of local county councilors and magistrates.
The forces co-operate with each other, but it is unusual for members of one force to operate in another's area unless they are asked to give assistance. This sometimes happens when there has been a very serious crime. A Chief Constable (the most senior police officer of a force) may sometimes ask for the assistance of London's police force, based at New Scotland Yard - known simply as "the Yard".
In most countries the police carry guns. The British police generally do not carry firearms, except in Northern Ireland. Only a few police are regularly armed - for instance, those who guard politicians and diplomats or who patrol airports. In certain circumstances specially trained police officers can be armed, but only with the signed permission of a magistrate. All members of the police must have gained a certain level of academic qualifications at school and undergone a period of intensive training. Like the army, there are a number of ranks: after the Chief Constable comes the Assistant Chief Constable, Chief Superintendent, Chief Inspector, Inspector, Sergeant and Constable. Women make up about 10 per cent of the police force. The police are helped by a number of Special Constables - members of the public who work for the police voluntarily for a few hours a week.
Each police force has its own Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Members of CIDs are detectives, and they do not wear uniforms. (The other uniformed people you see in British towns are traffic wardens. Their job is to make sure that drivers obey the parking regulations. They have no other powers - it is the police who are responsible for controlling offences like speeding, careless driving and drunken driving.)
The duties of the police are varied, ranging from assisting at accidents to safeguarding public order and dealing with lost property. One of their main functions is, of course, apprehending criminals and would-be criminals.
TASK 1. Read the text and answer the questions below.
1. Who was the founder of the British police?
2. Is there one police force, organized by central Government?
3. In what situations can the policemen carry arms?
4. What are the ranks of the policeman?
5. What are the duties of traffic wardens?
6. What is Scotland Yard and what does it do?
TASK 2. Read the text and fill in the gaps - with the appropriate words from the previous text.
In Britain different areas have different (a)___. For instance, the Metropolitan police operate in London, but there are different police forces in the counties outside London.
The top man in each police force is (b)____. He is appointed by the local Watch Committee, which is a (c)____of the local government. The Watch Committee can dismiss him, too, if the central government agrees. The Chief Constable appoints all the (d)___below him in his force.
Things are slightly different in London. The top man is known as the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and his appointment is arranged through the central government.
British police are normally not (e)___. In special cases, when their work becomes dangerous, they can be given (f)____however.
As is well known, the (g)____of the British policeman is blue, with a tall helmet. These days, though, you can see a different uniform in the streets.
This is the uniform with the yellow hatband worn by (h)_____.
Their job is simply to control traffic and (i)__
The most famous name connected with the British police is (j)
It is the headquarters of the London police force. Besides dealing with local police matters, the London police also help all over England and Wales with difficult crimes. They do this at the request of the local police.
TASK. 3. Work in the groups. The text has 7 paragraphs, marked A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Read the text and decide which paragraph:
1) gives the information about the founder of the British police;
2) names the kinds of policemen;
3) characterizes the cooperation among the police forces;
4) defines the CID
5) gives the ranks of the policemen.
6) describes the problem of carrying guns.
7) depicts the duties of the traffic wardens.
TASK. 4. Write a list of the British policemen.
TASK. 5. Ask each other the questions, using the task 4.
TASK. 6. Say if the following statements are right or wrong. Check yourself up on the basis of the text.
1. The founder of the British police was sir Robert Peel.
2. All the British policemen can carry firearms.
3. The police of London is New Scotland Yard.
4. The most senior police officer is Constable.
5. The Chief Constable asks to give assistance the Chief Constable of the other police authority.
6. There are no women policemen.
7. The Duties of the police are varied.
TASK. 7. Make up the situations of your own, devoted to the British police.
TASK. 8. Discuss in the groups:
1) the problems of the police activities in Great Britain and Russia;
2) the independence of the police offices;
3) the problem of the corruption in police and the versions to get rid of it;
4) the technical equipment of the modern police;
5) the methods of work of the police offices today.
TASK. 9. Write the essay on the basis of the discussion problems, offered in the task 8.
TASK. 10. The Role play.
The situation. A young man, so-called, hacker, broke the computer protecting system and stole some secret banking information.
After that he disappeared. The administration of the Bank appealed to the police in order to find the criminal.
The Characters: The bank director, the police offices, the witnesses.
The aim of the role play to find the criminal.
3.2.2 The British Police
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