“1992 and All That…”
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X9206500202 |
| Author | Brian Johnson |
| Published date | 01 April 1992 |
| Date | 01 April 1992 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
style side-handled baton - the "nightstick" - appears sensible and tests
shouldbe held to assess its suitability.
Anotherform of protection can be providedby the courts by whom
assailants are convicted. An immediate custodial sentence should be
passed for all attackson police officers, other than for those of a minor
naturefor which a heavyfine would be moreappropriate. The certainty
of
condign
prisonsentences wouldineluctablycausemanyto havesecond
thoughts beforeventing theirspleenonpoliceofficersandat thesametime
serveas a boost to moralefor all members of the Service.
BRIAN
JOHNSON
Chief
Constable
of
Lancashire andPresident
of
theAssociation
of
Chief
Police
Officers.
"1992 AND ALL THAT..."
'Next year will be better' - an oft expressed
hope,
especially in the
policeservice-allthemoresoaftersomeof theterriblepublicityandtragic
eventsofthelast12
months.
Soitwouldbeeasyatatimelikethistomouth
theusualplatitudes aboutthechallenges of the year
ahead.
Butthe issues
are tooimportantfor that. May Ijust outline whatI see as the threemost
important ones?
First - Europe. The second halfof the year sees the U.K.Presidency
of the ECand Chairmanship of the Trevi
Group.
In 12 monthstime the
SingleEuropean Act takes effect. In policing
terms,
it is crucialthat we
get the act together. A good start has been
made,
in the
U'K,
with the
setting up of
NCIS,
the National Criminal Intelligence Service which
begins work in
April,
and in Europe with the agreement to set up a
'Europol' Intelligence
Agency.
But competing systems and political
priorities areendangering thesafetyofthe
Community.
Thereisan urgent
need for improved practicalpolice co-operation and a rationalization of
administrative systemsin Europe, in a waythat willproperlyinvolve the
revitalized Interpol.
Next-our Criminal Justice
System.
ThePolice Serviceevidence has
nowgone intotheRoyalCommission and although the outcome willnot
be known for some 18 months, 1992 will see an increasingly intense
debateon the whole subject. The battleis only now being joined. One
alreadysensesa 'rush tojudgment'on wherethedefectsin thesystemare.
Thereis anobvioustrend
towards
blamingthepoliceforeverything - that
is nonsense and must be resistedand we must take every opportunity to
demonstrate that the criminal justice system is an interlinked series of
systems, all of whichneed improvement - eventhe legal profession may
not be abovethe occasional constructive criticism!
Theresultsofthe Commission willsetthepatternforinvestigation and
trial for a decade and more. There is a danger that increasing police
professionalism, forexample inthe fieldof interviewing practices, could
be lost in a tide of over-reaction.
April
1992 The PoliceJournal 97
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