The Size and Scale of Policing Functions
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X9907200206 |
| Author | Simon Wright |
| Published date | 01 April 1999 |
| Date | 01 April 1999 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
SIMON WRIGHT
Police Sergeant, Greater Manchester Police
THE SIZE AND SCALE
OF POLICING FUNCTIONS
In December 1993 the Review of Police Core and Ancillary Tasks
[Posen] was established. The Review had two main aims: (i) to see
whether there are tasks which it is no longer necessary for the police
service to carry out, and (ii) to see whether there is scope for using
money and manpower more effectively to carry out tasks, which
everyone agrees are for the police service.' The Independent Committee
of Inquiry into the Role and Responsibilities of the Police was
conducted in August 1994. This was a joint initiative of the Police
Foundation and the Policy Studies Institute and was also known as the
"Cassels Report". This discussion document highlighted the
considerable muddle about the role of the police in public opinion and
the fundamental importance to establish what are the major functions of
the police. The document went on to ask how the apparently insatiable
demand by the public for more policing was to be satisfied, given that
there was a need to continue limits on public spending. Additionally, it
recognized that what the public demands of policing may not have a
significant impact on levels of crime; and that further expansion of
police powers and the reach of law could themselves have unwanted
consequences.'
It is a complex problem that has not and will not diminish unless it
is adequately addressed; fundamentally before the problem can be
addressed the size and nature of it should be fully understood. In 1973
Punch and Naylor conducted some research into law enforcement and
service) using police message books and telephone logs in three small
towns in Essex collected over 14 days in May 1972.
Over the two-week period 981 calls were recorded, analysed and
then divided into two categories: "Law enforcement" or "service". Law
enforcement meant all reports of crime, burglary, thefts, woundings and
reports suggesting that specific laws such as parking regulations had
been broken, reports of unnecessary obstructions or suspicious
circumstances. Calls not included in this category were family quarrels,
noisy parties or potential breaches of the peace. At that time these
incident types rarely resulted in any prosecution and required
predominantly the use of social skills, so were placed into the service
category. Within this service group Punch and Naylor had seven sub-
groups:
• Domestic occurrences, reports of annoyance or nuisance, noisy
parties.
April 1999 The Police Journal 131
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