Policing - A vision from the past - Sir Robert Peel's Policing Principles

Sir Robert Peel

 I was recently reading a book on current Policing and mentioned in the book were the Principles of Policing as set out by Sir Robert Peel, I was struck by their relevance to Policing today and how these Principles could refocus our Police forces back to the Customer. I believe our modern Police forces have lost their way, they are top heavy with admin staff and are so concerned with managing the paperwork and all the demands of politicians that they have forgotten the real objectives, a re-balancing of the Policing priorities back to the Communities that they serve would be welcomed.  If elected this is what I would work for.

Sir Robert Peels Principles of policing

1.    The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder.

2.    The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon the public approval of police actions.

3.    Police must secure the willing co-operation of the public in voluntary observation of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public.

4.    The degree of co-operation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately to the necessity of the use of physical force.

5.    Police seek and preserve public favour not by catering to public opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law.

6.    Police use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only when the exercise of persuasion, advice, and warning is found to be insufficient.

7.    Police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent upon every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.

8.    Police should always direct their action strictly towards their functions, and never appear to usurp the powers of the judiciary.

9.    The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it.