P.A.J. Waddington

When people witness occasions when police use their powers to investigate crime and arrest offenders, how do those members of the public assess what they have seen? This book reports research in which a variety of groups from the West Midlands watched short video-clips of such real-life incidents and then discussed their appraisal amongst themselves. What emerges from those discussions is that the practice of policing is deeply controversial. On most issues, group members were divided and strongly, often passionately arguing their case. There was no 'blank cheque' for the police, neither was there unremitting criticism, even though some of groups comprised young offenders or the homeless. People worried about whether or not the police on the video-clips had justification for their suspicions; how they managed situations to prevent them getting out of hand; and whether any use of force was justified. Allowing the reader to 'hear the voices' of dissension that were analysed, the authors present implications which are profound for the police and for all those who are policed - suspects, victims, bystanders, and the public at large - as well as practical proposals for police officers and police governance.

This book, first published in 1983, examines in detail the training of the key group of people within the British prison system: prison governors. It shows how problems, endemic to the prison system, influences their training; how staff seek to construct a coherent training course and how recruits struggle to come to terms with their ambiguous new role. It describes how attitudes towards the job changed during the training period and argues that the lack of a clear role-image prevented the adoption of a common occupational culture.

This unprecedented behind the scenes analysis of public order policing, first published in 1994, investigates the impact of increased police powers and equipment on basic democratic freedoms, describing and analysing police operations from protest marches to riots, and from royal ceremonials to street carnivals. When confrontational government policies stimulate inner-city riots and violent protest, the state response is all too often to equip the police with enhanced legal powers and the paraphernalia of riot control. In Britain such developments prompted debates about a drift into authoritarianism. Here the policing of political protest is examined within its political and broader ‘public order’ context, and the text draws on extended and detailed observation of actual events.

This book, first published in 1983, examines in detail the training of the key group of people within the British prison system: prison governors. It shows how problems, endemic to the prison system, influences their training; how staff seek to construct a coherent training course and how recruits struggle to come to terms with their ambiguous new role. It describes how attitudes towards the job changed during the training period and argues that the lack of a clear role-image prevented the adoption of a common occupational culture.

This unprecedented behind the scenes analysis of public order policing, first published in 1994, investigates the impact of increased police powers and equipment on basic democratic freedoms, describing and analysing police operations from protest marches to riots, and from royal ceremonials to street carnivals. When confrontational government policies stimulate inner-city riots and violent protest, the state response is all too often to equip the police with enhanced legal powers and the paraphernalia of riot control. In Britain such developments prompted debates about a drift into authoritarianism. Here the policing of political protest is examined within its political and broader ‘public order’ context, and the text draws on extended and detailed observation of actual events.

The threat of violence concerns most people most profoundly. It has long been a topic of intensive academic, practical and political debate. In recent years the workplace has emerged as a recognized site of violence, threat and menace and this book will make a significant contribution to the growing literature on workplace violence. Using innovative research methods, this book uniquely examines four of the most violence-prone occupations: the police; Accident and Emergency staff; social workers; mental health professionals. The Violent Workplace identifies similarities and differences between these occupations that are far from intuitive. It examines the diversity of experiences that shelter under the concept of 'violence and threats'; promotes the importance of the 'moral dimension' in experiences of violence; analyzes the impact of appearance and reputation in creating fear; discusses the importance of context in creating a sense of menace; and concludes by considering the practical implications of this research for handling violence and managing those who have suffered it.

This text provides an accessible, up-to-date and thought-provoking introduction to policing for all those undertaking degrees and foundation degrees. It aims not only to inform students and prepare them for their course, but also to expose them to some of the challenges they will face as they begin their studies and/or policing careers. This book is the essential foundation for the Policing Matters series, explaining what policing is, what the police do, the context for policing and what are the main issues it faces and challenges it poses.

The threat of violence concerns most people most profoundly. It has long been a topic of intensive academic, practical and political debate. In recent years the workplace has emerged as a recognized site of violence, threat and menace and this book will make a significant contribution to the growing literature on workplace violence. Using innovative research methods, this book uniquely examines four of the most violence-prone occupations: the police; Accident and Emergency staff; social workers; mental health professionals. The Violent Workplace identifies similarities and differences between these occupations that are far from intuitive. It examines the diversity of experiences that shelter under the concept of 'violence and threats'; promotes the importance of the 'moral dimension' in experiences of violence; analyzes the impact of appearance and reputation in creating fear; discusses the importance of context in creating a sense of menace; and concludes by considering the practical implications of this research for handling violence and managing those who have suffered it.

This analysis of policing throughout the modern world demonstrates how many of the contentious issues surrounding the police in recent years - from paramilitarism to community policing - have their origins in the fundamentals of the police role. The author argues that this results from a fundamental tension within this role. In liberal democratic societies, police are custodians of the state's monopoly of legitimate force, yet they also wield authority over citizens who have their own set of rights.

This analysis of policing throughout the modern world demonstrates how many of the contentious issues surrounding the police in recent years - from paramilitarism to community policing - have their origins in the fundamentals of the police role. The author argues that this results from a fundamental tension within this role. In liberal democratic societies, police are custodians of the state's monopoly of legitimate force, yet they also wield authority over citizens who have their own set of rights.

Have the British police abandoned their commitment to `policing by consent'? The sight of armed and riot police on the streets has led to this question being asked repeatedly over the past decade. However, the secrecy that has surrounded the policy governing armed and public order policing has previously made this a topic of arid speculation rather than informed debate. During his three years' extensive research into the Metropolitan Police, P. A. J. Waddington was given unprecedented access to the hitherto secret world of armed and riot policing. Here he provides a detailed description of police policy, tactics, and weaponry, examining such issues as the selection and training of armed officers, the lethality of police firearms tactics, the growth of paramilitarism, methods of dispersing rioting crowds, and the causes of riots. Dr Waddington's study of the difficulties and dilemmas that arise from the need to ensure effective public order policing while retaining public consent throws new light, from a uniquely informed perspective, on the issues that have aroused public anxiety.