An American's View of the British Police
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X6704001210 |
| Published date | 01 December 1967 |
| Author | R. Paul McCauley |
| Date | 01 December 1967 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
R.
PAUL
McCAULEY
Mr. McCauley attended ato-week C.l.D. caurse
earlier this year at the Liverpool and Bootie
Police Training Centre, and also accompanied Mr.
James Haughton, Chief Constable of the force,
on a visit to the Police College, Bramshill
AN
AMEBI(JAN'S
VIEW
OF
THE
BRITISH
POLI(JE
When I was asked to write an article for
The
POLICE
JOURNAL
I eagerly accepted the invitation. However, I never imagined the
subject selected to be so broad.
The
topic could have been, traffic,
utilization of civilian personnel, the university policeman, or any
number of relatively confined or single-phrase problems.
That
wasn't adequate. They wanted my views on the British Police,
and, I assure you, that is a
"Texan's
job."
Nevertheless, I have committed myself and, although not cover-
ing every complexity of the police service, will express my views
on the experiences which I have thus far met. .
Police Problems are Universal
After travelling some 3,000 miles from New York City to Lon-
don, a change of scenery is to be expected, at least to the tourist.
To a police officer, it is somewhat different. The trees, the new
and old buildings, are for some strange reason overlooked and
the fast moving, or perhaps the idle traffic first attracts his atten-
tion. The bewildered traffic officer, the blowing horns, the seem-
ingly confused signal lights, followed me across the Atlantic.
Obviously the answers which are being sought in Los Angeles,
Chicago and elsewhere in the States, are equally needed in Lon-
don, Liverpool and throughout the world.
I feel it is safe to say,
"police
problems are universal." Man-
power, equipment, budget, juveniles, experimentation and the like,
are as complex in Britain as they are in the United States or
Tokyo. Unfortunately, answers to these increasing problems are
obscure. Certainly I have opinions, but to say they are the abso-
lute formulae to solve these frustrating equations, is not to be con-
sidered. However, if my comments can help towards sound think-
ing and intelligent arguments, in an effort to move the Police
Service towards professionalism, then such comments will be of
some merit and any forthcoming criticism will be favourably
received.
December 1967
567
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