Policing

There is a large difference between the policing in London and policing in the United States. Police in London have a strong presence, with a very authoritative role; this may have to do with the fact that majority of the force does not carry a gun. Only six police officers on shift can carry a gun, and they have special training to do so. This is a big contrast, since in the United States every police officer is issued a gun. When asked what an unarmed police officer does to protect themselves if they encounter a person with a gun, the response was to either run and hide, or try to swat it away. One remarkable thing that was learned about the police, is that they do not have the same rights as civilians when it comes to personal protection. Two officers from the Lewisham police department told us a story of how a colleague was stabbed by a pair of scissors, and had his baton taken away and was getting beaten by it. The officer said that her only defense was to throw the baton over the fence, and try to detain the man with as little force upon him as possible. The majority of the police do not even place cuffs on anyone during a stop and search, for fear they will impede that person’s human rights. London police all wear body cams, but this seems to be for their protection against claims of violating human rights, since the number of complaints have gone down significantly. 

The Metropolitan Police force is the major police force in greater London, established in 1829. It is separated by boroughs. It has a strong emphasis on community policing. During an interview with two female officers from the borough of Lewisham, they told us that the Metropolitan Police force in London consists of about 30% female officers and 20% minorities. The police are required to pass physical tests to maintain their position as officers. They seem to receive some self-defense training, however the officers referred to the training as laughable. Police tend to go on single patrols in order to stretch out their area of influence with fewer personnel. This is similar to a lot of parts in the United States. A difference in how cases are built in England than in the United States is that officers themselves gather most of the evidence and statements, then submit it to the crown prosecutors. This happens usually through electronic means; the officers rarely interact with the judicial branch unless requested to testify. The majority of calls the Metropolitan Police receive on a daily basis are mental health related calls. The officers said most recently there are calls of school children being robbed at knifepoint. A similarity is that media can have an unwanted effect on policing in England, just like it can in the United States. The officers explained that moped crime increased by 600% when the media reported that police cannot chase the suspects. Moped crime is usually young people stealing scooters or motorcycles, and driving around stealing items out of pedestrian’s hands and then dumping the vehicle. The police cannot chase these perpetrators due to liability reasons.

The other police force in London is the City of London Police. This police force was established in 1839 to police the square mile of the City of London, fearing they would lose its independence from the greater London area. A plaque in the City of London Police Museum explained that in 1839 policing was established by Parliament with a set of rules and regulations. The Court of Common Council created the role of police commissioner and a police committee to administer the policing in the City of London. City of London police officers can be identified wearing red and white checkered bands on their hats.

The City of London Police also have a Mounted Police unit, that is the last working branch in the country. They help with public order, community engagement, and ceremonial events.

The crime scene investigation section of the police is interesting, people join with no prior experience and are trained in a specific areas of forensics and specialize only in that part. They use the modern techniques of forensics that is used by the United States. They do not have “state crime labs”, but use private labs to process their forensic evidence.