NCJ Number
189210
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 41 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 2001 Pages: 252-265
Date Published
2001
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Part I of this two-part article traced the emergence of a prominence since 1945 of an "elite police voice" in Great Britain with a significant symbolic power to represent and identify social problems; Part II provides a sociological interpretation of the stages in this historical trend.
Abstract
Part I traced the transition of chief police officers from powerful but essentially local figures (1945-1972), through the emergence of maverick, culturally salient "police heroes" (1973-1986), to the establishment (from 1987 onwards) of a more corporate and generally liberal police outlook. In developing a sociological interpretation of these shifts in elite police influence, Part II of the article discusses contemporary transformations in the professional ideology of police elites, the relation of these elites to the structure and programs of government, and the changing social and cultural conditions within which the police voice has developed and been transmitted and received during the post-war period in Britain. The authors conclude that the net result of the post-war transitions in the symbolic role of the police elite in analyzing social issues has acquired an embedded yet contested place within contemporary English culture and society. Such power has been embedded to the extent that chief officers' entitlement to speak on matters of crime, justice, and authority has come to be taken for granted. Even if opposed by other groups, they are among those who can gain media and the public's attention when they make claims and assertions about society's problems. Still, a plethora of competing voices persistently challenge the police view of social problems in Britain, and this may explain why police leaders have adopted a less strident and dogmatic tone in identifying, classifying, diagnosing, and offering solutions to Britain's social problems. 46 references