The primary objective of the police in the UK is to maintain law and order, prevent crime, and protect the public. Over time, this mission has evolved, reflecting changes in societal expectations, legal frameworks, and the nature of crime itself.
For those who served in the Metropolitan Police Service some years ago, you could expect to be tasked with learning ‘word perfect’ the following paragraph:
- “The primary object of an efficient police is the prevention of crime: the next that of detection and punishment of offenders if crime is committed. To these ends all the efforts of police must be directed. The protection of life and property, the preservation of public tranquillity, and the absence of crime, will alone prove whether those efforts have been successful and whether the objects for which the police were appointed have been attained.”
The above quote is attributed to the first commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in London, Sir Richard Mayne (source).
The modern UK police force was established with the creation of the Metropolitan Police in 1829 by then Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel (quotes). The principles he introduced, known as the Peelian Principles, are often cited as the ethical basis for policing by consent, a philosophy where the police’s authority is derived from public cooperation rather than fear or force. While Peel himself did not formally document these as a single set of rules, they were developed based on his ideas and the practices of the newly formed police force.
The Nine Peelian Principles:
- The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder.
- The central role of the police is crime prevention rather than merely responding to crime.
- The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions.
- Police effectiveness relies on maintaining public trust and confidence.
- Police must secure the willing cooperation of the public in voluntary observance of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public.
- The police rely on public cooperation and lawfulness to succeed in their role.
- The degree of cooperation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately to the necessity of the use of physical force.
- The more force police use, the less public cooperation they will obtain.
- Police seek and preserve public favor not by catering to public opinion but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law.
- Police must act impartially and serve justice without bias or favoritism.
- 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.
- Force should be a last resort after other methods, like persuasion, have failed.
- 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 are members of the community they serve, and the public shares responsibility for maintaining law and order.
- Police should always direct their actions strictly towards their functions and never appear to usurp the powers of the judiciary.
- Police should not overstep their role by acting as judge or punisher.
- The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it.
- The effectiveness of the police is measured by the lack of crime, not by how often they have to respond to it.
Evolution and Influence:
- These principles reflect a community-centered approach to policing, emphasizing public trust, minimal use of force, and impartiality.
- They are still highly influential today and shape policing philosophy in many democratic countries around the world, including the UK, the US, and Canada.
Sources and References:
- “Policing by Consent: Understanding the Peelian Principles”, College of Policing, UK Government. This source outlines the importance of these principles in modern British policing.
- “Peel’s Principles of Policing”, The Police Foundation (US), a resource often cited in discussions of community policing and law enforcement philosophy.
- “The Peelian Principles: A Legacy of Ethical Policing”, articles and studies within academic and policing journals, such as those from the Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, often reference these principles in historical and contemporary law enforcement contexts.