NCJ Number
115480
Journal
Police Volume: 21 Issue: 3 Dated: (November 1988) Pages: 24
Date Published
1988
Length
1 page
Annotation
The report by McCabe, Wallington, and others regarding the policing of the miners' strike in the United Kingdom provides an evenhanded factual account of the strike, but its conclusions and recommendations reflect a lack of historical perspective.
Abstract
In contrast, Jane Morgan's book analyzes historically how industrial disputes and protests about unemployment have been policed and shows that the miners' strike was merely the latest example of a developing trend that originated early in the 20th century. McCabe and coauthors recognized that some pickets acted violently and that intimidation of working miners was a problem. They provided an extended discussion of the rights of workers to defy pickets and the duty of police to safeguard them. They recommend greater local political control of the police. However, as Morgan points out, the undoubted influence exerted by central government on local police was not a new phenomenon, nor was the police use of force to suppress disorder. Morgan's historical perspective calls into question the analysis of the other authors. Although greater local accountability may be justified in principle, it is clear that it simply will not happen. Central governments will not passively allow strikes to cause national chaos. The growing involvement of government in industrial affairs has complicated the role of the police, who cannot easily maintain a stance of neutrality. A thorough examination of these issues would be desirable. Photograph.