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'Road Wars' was on the TV nearly every evening when I'd come home from work. The sirens, profanities, screechings as getaway cars drift down the motorway - it makes the Police force appear to be an organisation that encompasses true adventure at high speed. The British Crime Survey, or BCS, reports astonishing statistics - on the very basic line; a lot more crime goes unnoticed or unreported than that which is dealt with. Is this a reflection of a poor, ignorant Police force? Are the public lacking in faith in their constanbularies?
To answer these questions, I think the best thing to do is to compare the unsubstantial authority of the Police in the UK with the evident respect officers receive in the States. Yes, the Police force in the UK is weaker. Yes, the public are reporting crimes less and less not only because of an elevated lack of trust but also because of the vast variation across the country with regards to the severity of an offence, or even the quanitity of paperwork coupled with a particular crime.
'Dark Figure', the undiscovered crime, is something that needs to be targeted by politicians. You can see it on the streets - drunk kids swearing at patrolling officers, if not spitting or being physically violent. Often, those same, disrespectful individuals get away with it - at most they will receive a warning - for officers are too careful, too lenient and patient with such a savage youth.
If they are not disciplined or intimidated at that age, what's to stop them testing the system in the future? Won't they stretch it as much as they can, comfortable knowing that it will be a long while before it snaps?
Disrespect for the law and the authority of its representatives is not necessarily limited to the UK, and will be alive and about all over the planet. However, what I have noticed from observations of the US officers is that they are much harsher, much less ready to accept an apology or give out second chances. They play with their title, uniform and equipment to ensure the public, and its criminals, know not to step out of line. I would like to see the reactions of some of the people they pick up here to the commanding assertiveness of your typical American officer.
It's not just the Police force, isolated, that suffers from a loss of power. The way the system works and balances has affected all sectors of civil service. We have to be too careful in every situation to avoid a potential law suit. Everyone is out to protect themselves, no longer to protect the community spirit that we represent.
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