The Police Learning Intention Describe the different branches

The Police

Learning Intention Describe the different branches and methods used by the police. Explain how the police have tried to stop crime

We know there are lots of different types of crime. As such there is not only one type of police officer; there are many police departments, each of which has a specific role in tackling crime.

Different types of police Community Police- Local police who work in a specific area. Dog Branch- use dogs to search for drugs, bombs etc. Air Support Unit- Helicopter which helps police from the air. C. I. D- Investigate specific crimes such as murder or theft. Forensics- look for clues at crime scenes e. g. fingerprints Traffic Police- Responsible for keeping roads safe and well run Water Search Unit- search for anything found in the water e. g. a body

The Role of the Police On April 1 st 2013 Scotland's 13 police forces joined into a single police force i. e. Strathclyde police to Police Scotland. The main role is to tackle crime effectively. In order to tackle crime, the police have a number of powers

ta u o h t a i r w a r g e n h di ey ce o l i u f th an ne b a t i urb eo a r te rran dist som ted n E Wa ious sing mit e ser e cha s com crim ar o ha ous i wh ser Issue Fixed Penalty notices Det has ain an 24 comm yone t hou itte hey rs ( d a crim think but usu e ally for 12) Powers of the Police Search someone they have arrested Sto p the and offe y thi searc nsiv nk is h an yon e w car r eap e yin g etc on or an. dru gs Arrest someone who reliable witnesses tell them committed a crime Arrest someone they see commit a crime

ne o e m to o s n if ke t e d e ta no i c De ill b t or w our c Ma ke the cou laws o f th ntr y e Decide if someone is guilty of a crime What the police CAN’T do Use unr forc easona ew b arre hen le stin deta g or som ining eon e Enter private buildings without a warrant, except for a small number of circumstances

Role Arrest Explanation Patrol In order to maintain law and order, as well as protect the public and property the police patrol local areas. Part of the duties of the police is to gather evidence of crime and wrongdoing. Give Evidence Respond to emergencies Example Police duties include the power For example the police can to detain or arrest and charge arrest someone for assault. anyone who breaks the law. For example the police can patrol on foot or in police cars called mobile patrol. For example the police have to present evidence in court and are seen as reliable witnesses Police are trained to deal with a For example the police have wide range of situations and to respond to road accidents, have a duty to respond. fights and robberies.

Policing Strategies As well as having different departments, the police use various strategies to stop crime. A strategy is when the police have a plan to target a specific type of crime, making it less likely to occur.

Community Policing is the most common police strategy. This is when police officers work in the same area and get to know people e. g. by attending local events, visiting community centres and so on. This helps to cut crime as the more people who see and trust the police, the more likely they are to speak to them about problems. This might include letting them know about suspicious events in the local area.

Publicity Campaigns The police also organise publicity campaigns to make people aware that some of their actions are illegal and can be punished. This might involve adverts in newspapers or on TV. If people see this they may be less likely to commit the crime. For example Police Scotland ran a festive domestic abuse campaign in 2015

Violence Reduction Unit Scotland has a big problem with young men being killed by knives. To stop this Police Scotland set up a violence reduction unit in Glasgow. This works specifically in stopping knife and gang crime. It does this by having specially trained police work with the gangs, arrange education events in schools and work with local groups to identify trouble before it starts.

Stop Underage Drinking One of the major causes of crime and complaints to the police is underage people drinking. This causes crime such as assault and vandalism. The police use different methods to stop this. These include sending underage young people to buy alcohol to check which shops sell it and having each shop in certain areas stamp their alcohol bottles so the police can check were any underage drinking is being served.