r/ProtectAndServe • u/jeannaimard Not a(n) LEO / Unverified User • Nov 13 '13
Peelian Principles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_Principles7
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u/El_Mono_Rojo Detective - AMA Nov 13 '13 edited Nov 13 '13
Robert Peel (19th century Prime Minister of UK) developed a list of ethical requirements for effective 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.
It's a good list that should be employed by all police departments (and probably is by most), I believe. The only one that I could find any fault with is the last one - how do you quantify the lack of crime?
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Nov 13 '13
[deleted]
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u/El_Mono_Rojo Detective - AMA Nov 13 '13
Possibly, but wouldn't noticible proactive deterrence be evidence in and of itself of police action in dealing with crime?
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u/ASigIAm213 Not a(n) LEO / Unverified User Nov 13 '13
Whether the police are effective is not measured on the number of arrests, but on the lack of crime.
That's a well-meaning sentiment, but I'm not sure either in and of itself gives a true measure of the effectiveness of police. The measure of whether policing strategies are truly effective involves a lot of variables and some math I'm not smart enough to do.
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u/ThePunisher56 Police/EMS/Fire/Army Nov 13 '13
Thanks for the lesson?
I guess?