Crime in the UK is falling and remains low. According to figures produced by the Home Office in 2007, crime fell by 9 percent, including a 17% drop in robberies and a 16% reduction in serious violence. 

The UK police are known as around the world as ‘British Bobbies’, and are recognised for their distinctive British police uniforms, topped with a hard top-hat. They were introduced in the 1800s by Prime Minister Robert Peel, which is why they are called ‘Bobbies’ (Bob is short for Robert).

Regional Forces

Each region in the UK has its own police force, so if you are in Birmingham you will encounter the West Midlands Police, and if you are in London you will find the Metropolitan Police (often called ‘The Met’). This is because, unlike many other countries, the UK does not have one big centralised British police force. They prefer to operate on a local level, believing that this creates better community relations, and they are proud that they remain one of the few forces in the world who do not carry guns.

The UK was one of the last European countries to establish a police force. Many people thought that it would be a danger to their civil liberties, therefore local police forces sprung up in different places where they were most needed, such as London where a rapidly expanding population meant more crime.

Emergencies

You can call 999 free from any phone to get an immediate response. An operator will ask you which service you require – Police, Ambulance or Fire – and you should tell them which one you need, you will then be put through to the appropriate service. 
However, make sure the problem is a real emergency. In 2007 it was reported that four out of five calls made to police using 999 should have been made to the local police station.

The police advise you to only call them using 999 when an immediate response is required - if a crime is in the process of being committed, or someone is in immediate danger. Remember that your call will be recorded and kept on file, and if they catch you making unnecessary calls they may prosecute you.

Local Police

Anything from noisy neighbours to a stolen laptop or mobile phone will require you to contact the local police station.

The national police website provides a service where you can click on your area, on a map of the UK, and it will direct you to your local police force’s website and contact information.

Organisational Structure of UK Police

The modern police force is split into two departments - uniformed officers and ‘plain clothes’ officers in the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) who deal with more serious crimes.

Police in uniform start off as a Constable and get the chance to be promoted after spending two years working in the local community (known as ‘the beat’). They can then progress to Sergeant, Inspector, Chief Inspector, Superintendent, Chief Superintendent, Assistant Chief Constable, Deputy Chief Constable, and Chief Constable.

The local ‘Bobby’ used to be a sight around every neighbourhood in the UK. But over time, police use of cars meant that fewer officers were to be seen on the streets. Recent governments have tried to change this, and we now have Police Community Support Officers who patrol neighbourhoods in an attempt to reduce small-time crime, at the same time as making people feel safer.

Community Support

Community Officers in the UK don’t have the same powers as Police Officers, but there are 16,000 of them patrolling communities around the country and challenging low-level disorder and anti-social behaviour. They can stop people and search them if they think that they are in possession of drugs, or a weapon, and have the power to seize drugs and alcohol and issue fines, but they do not have the power to make an arrest.

There are the also the national police forces, such as the Port of Dover Police who deal with border control, and the British Transport Police, responsible for keeping the highways and public transport safe. And finally there is SOCA (Serious Organised Crime Squad) which deals with big threats to the UK like drug-trafficking and terrorism.


By Matt Taylor and John Hillman

To be listed here click

USEFUL WORDS

police force = all police officers
policeman/woman/constable/officer
copper/bobby/the fuzz/the pigs/the boys in blue = slang words for the British police
plain clothes officer = a police officer who wears regular clothes rather than a uniform
law enforcement = making sure that people obey the law
patrol = to go around an area or building to check that it is safe and there is no trouble
be on the beat = to patrol around the same area regularly
investigate a crime = to carefully examine the facts surrounding a crime to try to solve it
report a crime = to tell the police about a crime
arrest someone = to take a person to the police station and keep them there to ask them questions about a crime
stop and search = to stop someone in the street and ask to see in their pockets, bag etc.
siren = the loud sound that police cars make
truncheon = a short, thick stick that police officers carry as a weapon

Crime/Dishonesty Idioms

He's lying through his teeth = saying something that is not true at all
She's been leading you up the garden path = making you believe something that isn't true
They pulled the wool over my eyes = tried to trick me
Under false pretences = pretending to be something you are not in order to gain some advantage for yourself
You've been taken for a ride = cheated or tricked
He stabbed him in the back = said or did something to someone who trusted him
I think you're being economical with the truth = lying
She's on the fiddle = doing something dishonest to get money