AJS 270 Wk 8 Example Research Paper Sir Robert Peel PDF

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Sir Robert Peel’s Peelian Principles and Their Contributions to Community Policing Research Paper;

Fall 2012 Name

Ruiz 1 Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………...2 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………2 History of Sir Robert Peel………………………………………………………………………2-3 The Nine Peelian Principles…………………………………………………………………….3-4 Peelian Principle One……………………………………………………………………………..5 Peelian Principle Two…………………………………………………………………………...5-6 Peelian Principle Three……………………………………………………………………………6 Peelian Principle Four……………………………………………………………………………..7 Peelian Principle Five…………………………………………………………………………….8 Peelian Principle Six…………………………………………………………………………….8-9 Peelian Principle Seven……………………………………………………………………………9 Peelian Principle Eight…………………………………………………………………………...10 Peelian Principle Nine………………………………………………………………………..10-11 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….....11 Works Cited…………………………………………………………………………………..12-13

Ruiz 2 ABSTRACT Sir Robert Peel—the Father of Modern Policing—is the founder of Metropolitan Police and is known for his Peelian Principles that serve as the very most basic foundation of modern day policing. These principles have contributed to community policing in such a way that history exemplifies how they have supported today’s era of policing or how our mistakes went against them. They have become more important now since the establishment of the police force in 1829. INTRODUCTION The very basic principles of today’s community-oriented policing are integrated from Sir Robert Peel’s—the Founder of Modern policing—nine principles, called the Peelian Principles. The succession of modern day policing is because of Sir Robert Peel’s significant contributions that have served as a basis for policing itself since the establishment of the Metropolitan Police Act in 1829. “The old system of law enforcement in England began to collapse as London had grown into a large industrial city with problems of poverty, disorder, ethnic conflict, and crime” (Katz & Walker, 2008, p. 25). Through the years, Sir Robert was able to develop guidelines for the new police force to follow as their community changed. As society evolved so did the strategies, techniques, and structure of policing. Although community policing is a whole new era, so far it has been successful today as Peel’s principles continue to serve as their very most basic foundation. HISTORY OF SIR ROBERT PEEL Sir Robert Peel was born into a wealthy family in Bury, Lancashire in 1788; Robert Peel was able to receive an education at Harrow and Oxford because of his father’s fortune as a manufacturer. Here “he attained a Double First in Classics and Mathematics”, and it was through his intellectual abilities and the financial support from his father that bought him a seat in Parliament as a Tory in 1809 at the age of 21. Making an instant impression, he was later appointed the Under

Ruiz 3 Secretary of War and Colonies and later served as chief secretary for Ireland (“Sir Robert Peel”, 2008). Before Peel’s time, “London had grown into a large industrial city, with problems of poverty, disorder, ethnic conflict, and crime” (Katz & Walker, 2008, p. 25). Because of this sudden industrialization, the Gordon riots began between Irish immigrant and English citizen in 1780; a fifty year debate was triggered until Peel became a member of England’s elite social and political class to improve the basic structure of law enforcement he has been fighting for over thirty years (Katz & Walker, 2008, p. 25). With public safety as his main concern, he finally persuaded English Parliament to create the London Metropolitan Police in 1829—also known as the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829, which established a police force called the “Bobbies” (England) or “Peelers” (Ireland) in Sir Robert Peel’s honor. According to Katz and Walker, the London police introduced three new elements that became the foundation for modern policing: mission, strategy, and organizational structure; they also stated that the entire mission of the newly discovered police force was crime prevention, or deterrence only achieved through a strategy of preventive patrol. As mentioned, Sir Robert was an exceptionally bright person; he organized the police force from a military structure that included uniforms, rank designations, and the authoritarian system of command and discipline— this “quasi military style prevails in American police administration to this day” (Katz & Walker, 2008, p. 25). THE NINE PEELIAN PRINCIPLES Keep in mind that the new police force was obviously not flawless or even close to being completely formed all at once. It took years to formalize and develop as society evolved. Interestingly, the police “worked seven days a week with only five days unpaid holiday a year during the very beginning of the Victorian police” (Bolton, 2009). Their lives were completely controlled that they were not allowed to vote in elections and required permission to marry or share food with

Ruiz 4 a civilian; uniforms were a mandatory dress code on and off duty (Bolton, 2009). Obviously, community policing does not even have regulations such as these; once again, as society evolves, policing follows along. With that being said, Sir Robert didn’t form all nine principles at once; it was through changes in the society that allowed him to “define ethical requirements police officers should follow in order to be effective” (Bolton, 2009). The nine Peelian Principles are: 1) the basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder; 2) the ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon the public approval of police actions; 3) police must secure the willing co-operation of the public in voluntary observation of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public; 4) the degree of co-operation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately to the necessity of the use of physical force; 5) police seek and preserve public favor not by catering to public opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law; 6) police use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only when the exercise of persuasion, advice, and warning is found to be insufficient, 7) police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police & the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent upon every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence; 8) police should always direct their action strictly towards their functions, and never appear to usurp the powers of the judiciary; 9) the test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it. PEELIAN PRINCIPLE ONE Firstly, the number one Peelian Principle is very straight forward; it is in fact the number one mission for all police organizations; most of us are familiar with the phrase “protect and serve”

Ruiz 5 (Nazemi, 2010), whether we’ve seen it in our favorite television show like COPS, on a local police department’s website, or written on a police car. Not only has this slogan been incorporated in police associations, fire departments also have a combination of community-oriented policing skills required to perform their job appropriately and successfully. “Community policing is entirely based on Peel’s concept of prevention; it has been embraced by many law enforcement organizations across our country and is based on its goal to prevent crime and promote better police-community partnerships” (Larrabee, 2007, p. 1). College graduate student, A.K. Larrabee, states that once “Peel established the police, beats were performed as a form of patrolling” (2007, p. 2); she also justifies that “our law enforcement agencies still have police patrolling the streets with the goal of preventing crime” (2007, p. 2), but in order for police to succeed in their number one mission, they must be able to communicate and form trust relationships or community partnerships so that they’re able to identify and solve public safety issues, but in order to do so is dependent upon public approval. PEELIAN PRINCIPLE TWO Peelian Principle number two is said to be more important now that is was in 1829 (Nazemi, 2010). Public approval towards the government doesn’t seem to be increasing today. In some instances, the police don’t get the citizens’ support because they have to abide by the government’s laws and regulations, or the country’s amendments with numerous policies included underneath them. Take into consideration how the government can expect to gain the trust of their people by taking advantage of their authority? In policing, sometimes people feel that cops take advantage of their authority, therefore giving cops a stereotypical image of a person who is unjust and unable to be trusted. It only takes one person to ruin it for everyone; one mistake can ruin a person’s trust relationship with you and can take years to gain it back—that’s why it only takes ten seconds to

Ruiz 6 make an impression. Therefore, community policing strongly emphasizes “partnerships between the law enforcement agency and the individuals and organizations they serve to develop solutions to problems and increase trust in police” (U.S. Department of Justice, 2009, p. 3). PEELIAN PRINCIPLE THREE Peelian Principle number three asks for the police to secure the willing co-operation of the public as well as maintain the respect. “In our diverse society, it is necessary for police to understand the different cultures that make up the communities that they patrol. This can be accomplished through multi-cultural training and education” (Larrabee, 2007, p. 2). Being a police officer, or even just being in the field of policing does not guarantee that every person will cooperate with you, hence the “willing co-operation of the public.” Although community oriented policing in today’s modern society is clearly defined as “a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies, which support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques, to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime” (U.S. Department of Justice, 2009, p. 3), not every person will comply. Whether they make the job more difficult than it really is, an officer must always find alternative ways to remain professional, even if at the time it seems impossible. The media, however, “allow communities to be made more aware of laws and the reasoning behind them” (Nazemi, 2010) and strongly encourage the support of the public, but also can portray the ugly truth about officers who give their entire department a bad name. PEELIAN PRINCPLE FOUR Peelian Principle number four discusses how the use of physical force can diminish; so depending on the amount of physical force and if it was used at the appropriate time can affect the co-operation of the public. Society is extremely diverse that disputes or debates will arise in which

Ruiz 7 everyone’s opinion is different. Not every person will agree or disagree with certain actions of a police officer or police department, but these actions can disrupt a citizen’s trust with police. An example of excessive use of physical force is the Rodney King beating where “four officers were acquitted of videotaping him and sparked riots resulting in arson, looting, assault and murder” (Nazemi, 2010). Statistics show that those who remember the Rodney King beating were angered or disagreed with the amount of excessive force they had towards this man; according to other statistics after the trial, the percentage of those who were angered somewhat dropped or decreased once they found that King refused arrest after a car chase, but now most people still agree that regardless of the crime that a person commits no person should deserve a beating. “Profiles were examined by psychologists of certain officers that were at risk for abuse of police force. It is thought that some personality traits make some officers more susceptible to the use of excessive force than others, which include personality disorders, previous traumatic job-related experience, young inexperienced or macho officers, officers who learn inappropriate patrol styles, and officers with personal problems (Mangan). In order for a person to successfully communicate with the public in community policing, police departments, agencies, and organizations should always conduct thorough backgrounds check and provide them with training that will prevent them from using over-excessive force like Rodney King’s. PEELIAN PRINCIPLE FIVE Peelian Principle number five clearly states that the police aren’t there to cater to the public, but to demonstrate absolute service to the law. “Community policing requires a large investment in training with special attention to problem analysis and problem solving, facilitation, community organization; communication, mediation and conflict resolution, resource identification and use, networking and linkages, and cross-cultural competency” (Larrabee, 2007, p. 3). For people

Ruiz 8 who have officers as friends, some feel that they have benefits than the average person; yes it’s a network and a form of a friendship, but the disadvantages of that could possibly tempt or cause the officer to enter corruption, sometimes without knowing; it starts off as a small favor and can potentially lead to a bigger issue if an officer decides that their friend can be an exception. PEELIAN PRINCIPLE SIX Peelian Principle number six justifies that police can use excessive force, but only if persuasion, advice, and warning was found to be insufficient. January 18, 2004 is considered one of the longest prison hostage situations in history. What started as a normal day ended up to be a fifteen day standoff. “Inmate Wassenaar prepared for this incident by cutting his hair earlier in the week and shaving his beard, thus falling into compliance with officer grooming standards. Now he put on the correctional officer's uniform; thinking that he was seeing a correctional officer at the gate, one of the two correctional officers on duty in the tower let Wassenaar through the gate and into the tower. Wassenaar overpowered subdued both correctional officers before they could realize that he wasn't a correctional officer himself” (Ranzau, 2009, p. 1). Officers and food workers were held captive and once the director of the Department of corrections and Governor Janet Napolitano were notified of the critical situation they wanted to end it peacefully. “The many hours of negotiations finally paid off with the release of both officers and both inmates taken back into custody. Many things were learned through the events over these 15 days and many changes were brought about. This is not to say that there could be more changes to protect officer safety but the department of corrections is reactionary instead of proactive” (Ranzau, 2009, p. 2). Cops want to use excessive force as a last resort, but no matter the situation they try to find alternative ways to come to peaceful negotiations by being proactive. PEELIAN PRINCIPLE SEVEN

Ruiz 9 Peelian Principle seven has one of Sir Robert Peel’s most famous quotes, “the police are the public and the public are the police” with police officers being the only ones getting paid for their services full time. According to Sir Hugh Orde, the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, “argues that policing is split into too many forces. He is scathing about the fetish of numbers that passes for political debate” (“The Public and the Police”, 2009). Although this is from the United Kingdom, he has a point that can still apply to the United States form of policing. U.S. police have split into different forces, departments, agencies, and organizations that it seems they’re not with the public, but against them. The higher the numbers of men and women as an officer the better the public are outnumbered. Obviously, the economy we’re in no longer is hiring as many men and women interested in becoming a police officer, but it also puts more stress amongst police officers. Both large and small agencies have advantages and disadvantages. I believe Peel meant for officers to be able to understand the public and that “communicating with diverse populations and groups is one of the most crucial fundamentals of community and problem oriented policing” (Larrabee, 2007, p. 4), that way police are now the public and the public are the police; both sides are able to communicate with each other as equals. PEELIAN PRINCIPLE EIGHT The second to last principle states that cops should never act as a judge. All people have the right to a jury and are innocent until proven guilty (Nazemi, 2010). When arresting a person who is suspected of a crime an officer should always state their Miranda rights; it’s part of their function of an officer. “Judicial power is the power of a court to decide and pronounce a judgment and carry it into effect between persons and parties who bring a case before it for decision” (“ Characteristics and Attributes of Judicial Power ”, 2005). The definition of police power is “The authority conferred upon the states by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and which

Ruiz 10 the states delegate to their political subdivisions to enact measures to preserve and protect the safety, health, welfare, and morals of the community…but does not specifically refer to the right of state and local government to create police forces, although the police power does include that right. Police power is also used as the basis for enacting a variety of substantive laws in such areas as zoning, land use, fire and building codes, gambling, discrimination, parking, crime, licensing of professionals, liquor, motor vehicles, bicycles, nuisances, schooling, and sanitation” (Farlex, 2010). Therefore police are there to enforce the laws; by law they are given the authority to arrest a person. PEELIAN PRINCIPLE NINE The final principle supports the mission of preventing crime. Cops can always enforce the laws, but if they’re not effective in reducing or preventing crime, then they’re not being successful in their mission. “Police departments today are striving to evaluate crime statistics more efficiently and focus on areas of crime prevention where the most attention is needed” (Nazemi, 2010). Programs like G.R.E.A.T. and D.A.R.E. are reaching out to adolescents from elementary schools all the way up to high school to educate students about drugs and gangs, thus decreasing the changes of a kid becoming involved in crime. The police are also creating partnerships and slowly gaining the trust within neighborhoods, especially those who lost the bond with them and are regaining it back or those who are barely beginning to form one. The broken windows theory may even be possible to end crime because of zero tolerance policies that most agencies have; cops always exercise more caution in neighborhoods that have abandoned buildings, abandoned cars, littering, etc., but these are the types of places that police need to try to create a trust bond that way they can contribute to improve neighborhood watches. If this is done, then the police can reduce and prevent crime from neglecting and controlling that neighborhood.

Ruiz 11 CONCLUSION In conclusion, the very foundation of modern day policing—community-oriented policing—is based off of Sir Robert Peel’s Peelian Principles. They have served as the very most basic guidelines that all officers have served and continue to abide by them. Since the very discovery of the Metropolitan Police, these rules have increased in importance and are the very key for the success of a police officer and their organization. As society continues to evolve, so does policing, but these principles are the very elements that have remained practically the same because “they require ethical behavior of law enforcement and the public” (Nazemi, 2010). Just as the Const...