Care and control: The future of British policing

The paper focuses on the interplay of care and control functions within the British police. There are several areas of police activity, such as child sexual abuse investigations, sexual assault, and the handling of the mentally ill, where there is already an operational mixture of care and control functions. Recently, the police have emphasised the service and care nature of their work. Indeed, there are good operational and ethical reasons to do so. However, the government's priority, expressed through such documents as the White Paper on police reform, the report of the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice, and the Sheehy Report, appears to be one of enhancing the police's control functions. An emphasis on a combination of care and control would, however, result in greater benefits than a focus predominantly on control alone. The paper highlights the obstacles that the police service must overcome to realise that combination.