General Police Work - Open Exam Revision "The English police: a political and social history" by Clive Emsley, pp 1-64: · Calls police the "bureaucratic and hierarchical bodies employed by the state to maintain order and to prevent and detect crime" (1) - rare it's defined, may seem obvious, but is still important. Stresses England and Wales as opposed to Scotland which has a separate and distinct legal system so should be looked at individually. . Many critics tend to call the police an "instrument" (1-2) · Uses the word state very broadly to cover national, country and municipal authorities. (2) . "The policing of political demonstrations and of industrial disputes are the most obvious examples of potentially contentious policing tasks" so a simple definition of the police's role and job shouldn't be accepted. (2) . "Until the 1970s police history in England was largely informed by a Whig view which saw history in relatively simple terms of progress and presupposed the emergence of a broad consensus in politics and society from the Victorian period" (4) with those writing this history often done by former civil servants of policemen themselves. . Traditional and revisionist histories of the police portray the development of the police in terms of "rational solutions to genuine problems" (5) sometimes linked to 'great men' e.g. Sir Robert Peel. . "The police have always enforced a dominant ideology; they have the power of coercion, but they have generally preferred to act by consent." (5) · General thesis identified by Emsley is that, since the 19th century, there's been a growing centralisation of the police in England and this is because of an evolving process to three different kinds of pressure and incident. (6) . Notes how, for a time after, the use of troops to crush descent and restore order was "disliked and resented" being reminiscent of Cromwell's short-lived experiment at deploying major-generals as administrators across the country to keep order. (14) . Major focus on London during the 18th century in relation to crime & policing. (17) · Notes importance of Gordon Riots - led to some calls for a co-ordinated police system in London. (20) However, related proposals were attacked strongly in Parliament with the City of London disliking the idea of losing their independence as well as pushback from those who thought it would look like something French. (21) . "The parliamentary select committee which Peel appointed to investigate the policing of the metropolis when he became Home Secretary in 1822 concluded that a large, centralised police force would be inconsistent with the traditions of English liberty" (23) . "In September 1829 the first constables of the Metropolitan Police began patrolling their beats" after Peel ordered another select committee which supported him in his push for the development of the force. (23) . Notes prevention of crime as being the Met Police's first duty. (25) . "the uniform, the discipline, and the organisation of the new force suggest that Peel had imported into London