Criminology task 1
Police
The police are the first responders to a crime scene; their job is to secure the scene to preserve
evidence. Aside from that, their primary responsibility is to protect human life. Because their
primary role is to protect people, their first actions as trained professionals who aim to reduce as
well as solve crime are especially important.
Because of the nature and responsibilities of the police, they do have strengths, such as specialist
units within the police, such as the Crime Investigation Department (CID), which specialises in
serious crimes to ensure they are handled appropriately. Firearms and underwater teams have been
added, allowing them to respond to all crime scenes. All departments also receive specialised
training, which makes them more efficient in dealing with crime scenes and ensures that enduring
evidence is not contaminated, giving them a better chance of apprehending the perpetrator.
Furthermore, because the police are available twenty-four hours a day, it is guaranteed that a team
will always respond to a crime scene as quickly as possible, increasing the possibility of keeping it
secure. Furthermore, depending on the location of a crime scene, the response time is often very
quick, which means there is less chance of contamination, increasing the effectiveness.
On the other hand, the police have many flaws, one of which is that funding the police service is
expensive, costing £300 million for 10,000 officers. However, due to recent budget cuts, there are
fewer police officers, as well as fewer officers who are trained in specific areas; this results in lower
availability because officers may be involved in another issue and not be able to get to a crime scene
quickly. Budget cuts have also resulted in less specialised training for police officers, and if the only
officer available is not trained to deal with a specific crime scene, this could lead to evidence
contamination, reducing the effectiveness of their role. Lack of police availability because of budget
cuts was a clear factor in the Hillsborough disaster, as a lack of officers led to overcrowding issues
among fans, proving how the police can act inappropriately in criminal investigations. Furthermore,
the inquest into the disaster found that police blunders caused or contributed to the disaster, and
that victims were unlawfully killed due to a lack of availability. A lack of ability was also clearly
proved in the case of Stephen Lawarence, as the Mcpherson report published about the incident
claimed that the police had institutional racism, implying that they did not carry out their duties
properly. For example, when the police arrived at the crime scene, they did not administer first aid,
indicating that they did not fulfil their first duty, which is to save lives. These cases prove how a lack
of funding, training, and officers can tarnish the police and cause harm to victims, limiting their
effectiveness.
The scenario also depicts the role of the police. When the officers arrived at the crime scene, they
took Yasmin to the Police station to be interviewed, this demonstrates how they did not cordon off
and protect the crime scene from contamination, as the offender was taken away from the scene
and they believe they have enough evidence as her boyfriend, Lee, has significant injuries including
broken bones. However, this unfortunately demonstrates a lack of effectiveness on the part of the
police, as they are not performing their primary function. In addition, the police trusted the words of
a close neighbour and this can be seen as unethical due to a potential bias as we do not know
whether the neighbour has a relationship/bond with the offender. However, the fact that the police
took witness statements at the scene of the crime occurred because of their training and ability to
conduct criminal investigations.
Police
The police are the first responders to a crime scene; their job is to secure the scene to preserve
evidence. Aside from that, their primary responsibility is to protect human life. Because their
primary role is to protect people, their first actions as trained professionals who aim to reduce as
well as solve crime are especially important.
Because of the nature and responsibilities of the police, they do have strengths, such as specialist
units within the police, such as the Crime Investigation Department (CID), which specialises in
serious crimes to ensure they are handled appropriately. Firearms and underwater teams have been
added, allowing them to respond to all crime scenes. All departments also receive specialised
training, which makes them more efficient in dealing with crime scenes and ensures that enduring
evidence is not contaminated, giving them a better chance of apprehending the perpetrator.
Furthermore, because the police are available twenty-four hours a day, it is guaranteed that a team
will always respond to a crime scene as quickly as possible, increasing the possibility of keeping it
secure. Furthermore, depending on the location of a crime scene, the response time is often very
quick, which means there is less chance of contamination, increasing the effectiveness.
On the other hand, the police have many flaws, one of which is that funding the police service is
expensive, costing £300 million for 10,000 officers. However, due to recent budget cuts, there are
fewer police officers, as well as fewer officers who are trained in specific areas; this results in lower
availability because officers may be involved in another issue and not be able to get to a crime scene
quickly. Budget cuts have also resulted in less specialised training for police officers, and if the only
officer available is not trained to deal with a specific crime scene, this could lead to evidence
contamination, reducing the effectiveness of their role. Lack of police availability because of budget
cuts was a clear factor in the Hillsborough disaster, as a lack of officers led to overcrowding issues
among fans, proving how the police can act inappropriately in criminal investigations. Furthermore,
the inquest into the disaster found that police blunders caused or contributed to the disaster, and
that victims were unlawfully killed due to a lack of availability. A lack of ability was also clearly
proved in the case of Stephen Lawarence, as the Mcpherson report published about the incident
claimed that the police had institutional racism, implying that they did not carry out their duties
properly. For example, when the police arrived at the crime scene, they did not administer first aid,
indicating that they did not fulfil their first duty, which is to save lives. These cases prove how a lack
of funding, training, and officers can tarnish the police and cause harm to victims, limiting their
effectiveness.
The scenario also depicts the role of the police. When the officers arrived at the crime scene, they
took Yasmin to the Police station to be interviewed, this demonstrates how they did not cordon off
and protect the crime scene from contamination, as the offender was taken away from the scene
and they believe they have enough evidence as her boyfriend, Lee, has significant injuries including
broken bones. However, this unfortunately demonstrates a lack of effectiveness on the part of the
police, as they are not performing their primary function. In addition, the police trusted the words of
a close neighbour and this can be seen as unethical due to a potential bias as we do not know
whether the neighbour has a relationship/bond with the offender. However, the fact that the police
took witness statements at the scene of the crime occurred because of their training and ability to
conduct criminal investigations.
