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Sir Robert Peel 's Nine Principals

Decent Essays

In this paper, I will consider Sir Robert Peel’s nine principals and how they stand in our society today. I will explore how well police departments follow the principals today, or attempt to determine whether one or more have fallen out of favor. Perhaps a principal is not even relevant in today’s society. The structure of this paper will be similar to The Commentaries on the Dhamapada, in that I will list the principal and then proceed to offer my thoughts.
A few quick notes: Having lived all my life in Seattle, I have limited direct experience with the multitude of police departments in America. However, as a (somewhat) educated individual who regularly reads articles written by different sources, I will attempt to offer an unbiased …show more content…

Peel, and the British Parliament, would not accept use of the military as a suitable method of protecting London streets. As the first “police chief” in the city of London, Peel sought to establish a “social control mechanism with the strength and discipline of the military, but the heart of the public.” In other words, Peel wanted to create a police force that would work with and assist the public in preventing crime. The police cannot be a military, but according to Peel, they should have characteristics (uniform or ranks) and the discipline that is found in the military.
1st Peelian Principal : (police exist) To prevent crime and disorder, as an alternative to the repression by military force and severity of legal punishment. The first principal establishes the mission of any police department: to prevent crime and disorder. However, the police are not the military, or any other type of occupying force. Sadly, many departments forget this fact and adopt a corrosive mentality which believes that “it is the police vs society.” The repercussions of this idea are severe. Police will treat citizens as threats rather than people. Police will be quick to respond with excessive force. Police will purchase military vehicles to protect themselves from these threats. Police will respond to protests with violence, brandishing military grade

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