The Best Police in the World: An Oral History of English Policing from the 1930s to the 1960s / Edition 1

by Barbara Weinberger

Overview

Based on interviews with former police officers, this book addresses two main issues. Firstly, the question of how the police themselves viewed the priorities of the job and what they considered their role to be. This is the first study to consider this question and its implications for the style and content of police work. Secondly, it challenges the view of the prewar period as a "Golden Age", and shows that policing from the 1930s to the 1960s was not as unproblematic as has often been assumed. Police violence and the fabrication of evidence were more prevalent than the cosy image of the British TV series Dixon of Dock Green would have us believe. The fact that this image often went unchallenged has much to do with prevailing concepts of masculinity and with the greater moral certitude of the police within a more stable and stratified society.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781859282236
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/16/1995
Series:	Oral History of English Policing from the 1930s to the 1960s
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Contents: Introduction; Origins and Sources; The Daily Round; Prospects and Careers; Policing the Motorist; The CID; Policewomen and Wives; Policing in Wartime; Policing Crime; Policing Public Order; Police Scandals; Conclusion; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

'The author...has presented a solid analysis of the sources...She has provided a very useful and fascinating study....' Albion

From the Publisher

Investigates the reality behind the traditional view that the period between the 1930s and the 1960s was a golden age of policing in England, drawing on interviews with police officers who served during the period, as well as archival sources. Deals with motivation and attitudes among police recruits; the change from preventive to reactive policing; the position of women in the force; and the response to policing scandals of the period. Includes b&w photos. Distributed by Ashgate. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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