British Policing: A Comparative Analysis

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British policing is based on ‘policing by consent,’ a philosophy where the authority of the police originates from the people they protect. Thus, the cooperation of the public is essential for any police activities. In the scientific article Extra Sensory Perception, newly developed sensors extended our abilities to perceive (Dublon), while peer and social pressures caused attitudes towards historians to change completely in The Historian as a Participant (Schlesinger). Both of these identify how our world view is extremely subjective and outside elements can shape us and the ways in which we interact in life. Shifting perceptions are unavoidable and must be addressed for policing because they can affect the police’s ability to function. Thus, three questions arise “To what extent are UK citizens’ perceptions of the police skewed” How have the resulting perceptions affected police cooperation?” and “If the perceptions are skewed, what can be done to enhance cooperation?” Citizens’ perspectives …show more content…
In cop and detective shows, violence is excessively portrayed to captivate viewers, despite most real-life crime being mundane. Often including frightening reconstructions, these shows directly lead to wrong impressions of the real extent of such crimes (Courtauld). Furthermore, media and worse-than-actual crime perceptions have a proven correlation. According to a television violence study by the University of Pennsylvania researchers, “heavy users of TV (over 4 hours a day) had higher levels of fear of crime ... especially physical attacks or muggings” (Gerbner). The same correlation was also found in a similar study by the UK government (Grace). Moreover, when asked what people thought contributed to crime, 25% said television violence (McDonald). Thus, there is an evident connection between television, especially violent television, and increased perceptions of violence. Again, the police appearing incompetent against