NCJ Number
115824
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 62 Issue: 1 Dated: (January-March 1989) Pages: 56-58
Date Published
1989
Length
3 pages
Annotation
An educator who accompanied patrol car officers on their tours of duty on Saturday nights in Melbourne, Australia and London, England describes the approach to policing used in each city.
Abstract
Both areas were densely populated, with large numbers of prostitutes and drug addicts. The efforts of the Australian police officers focused on trying to restore some decency and dignity to the area. The police arrested two drunk people, cautioned many prostitutes, and checked many people and individuals. They acted with firmness, politeness, and fairness. They did not receive any radio calls for service. In contrast, the radios of the London police never stopped during the 8 hours of duty. The patrol officers responded to fights in the street and a pub, disturbances at three locations, a robbery at a service station, several offenses by youths, and an automatic alarm. Prostitution, drug offenses, and drinking were all reasons for problems requiring police attention. The drunk people in London seemed more violent than those in Australia. Thus, the pace of life is more intense in London, and traffic makes it difficult for police to respond. The police stations in both cities had an atmosphere of camaraderie. The police are concerned about the well-being of law-abiding citizens and deserve greater assistance from the general public, the press, the government, and the courts.