Read the following text. Following the title of the text brainstorm words you expect to find in it. Write the vocabulary list of possible words that you could find in that text. Draw a vocabulary spider gram (mind map). Add any new words you find in the text.

Make sure you understand the meaning of the following words and word-combinations:

law enforcement

a jurisdiction

regional police forces

primary duty

preservation of the peace

prevention and detection of criminal offences

a constable

a watchman

identification number

an appointment

an organised crime

a constabulary 

Law enforcement in the United Kingdom

Law enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.  Most law enforcement is carried out by police officers serving in regional police services within one of those jurisdictions. These regional services are complemented by UK-wide agencies, such as the National Crime Agency, and specialist units which are part of certain regional police forces, such as the Specialist Operations directorate of the Metropolitan Police.

Police officers are granted certain powers to enable them to execute their duties. Their primary duties are the protection of life and property, preservation of the peace, and prevention and detection of criminal offences. In the British model of policing, officers exercise their powers to police with the implicit consent of the public.

In the 18th century law enforcement and policing was organised by local communities based on watchmen and constables; the government was not directly involved in policing. The City of Glasgow Police, the first professional police, was established following an Act of Parliament in 1800. London had a population of nearly a million and a half people in the early 19th century but was policed by only 450 constables and 4,500 night watchmen. The concept of professional policing was taken up by Sir Robert Peel when he became Home Secretary in 1822.

The Peelian Principles describe the philosophy that Sir Robert Peel developed to define an ethical police force. The principles traditionally ascribed to Peel state that:

Every police officer should be issued an identification number, to assure accountability for his actions.

Whether the police are effective is not measured on the number of arrests, but on the lack of crime.

Above all else, an effective authority figure knows trust and accountability are paramount. Hence, Peel's most often quoted principle that "The police are the public and the public are the police."

Since the 1940s, police forces in the United Kingdom have been merged and modernised.

There are three general types of law enforcement agency in the United Kingdom, the first is mostly concerned with policing the general public and their activities and the others are concerned with policing of more specific matters:

Territorial police services, which carry out the majority of policing. There are 45 territorial police services as of 2013 that cover a police area (a particular region) and have an independent police authority (England and Wales) or local authority or joint police board (Scotland). The Police Act 1996, the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 and the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, prescribe a number of issues such as appointment of a chief constable, jurisdiction and responsibilities for police forces in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. Since the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners in November 2012 the police services in England and Wales no longer have a police authority and this work is done by the police and crime prevention commissioners who are elected every four years. Certain territorial police services have units within them which have a national role, such the Specialist Operations directorate of the Metropolitan Police.

National law enforcement agencies, including the National Crime Agency and British Transport Police (the latter which operates only in England, Scotland, and Wales). The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 refers to these as "special police forces". The National Crime Agency operates across the United Kingdom (but in Scotland or Northern Ireland requires the agreement of the domestic prosecuting authority to do so) against organised crime and acts as the UK point of contact for foreign agencies. There are also non-police law enforcement agencies whose officers, while not police constables, enforce laws such as the Serious Fraud Office and HM Revenue and Customs.

Miscellaneous police services have a responsibility to police specific local areas or activities, such as ports and parks and before the passing of recent legislation such as the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 were often referred to as "special police services"; care must therefore be taken in interpreting historical use of that phrase. These constabularies are not within the scope of the legislation applicable to the previously mentioned organisations but can still be the subject of statutes applicable to, for example, docks, harbours or railways. Until the passing of Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, the British Transport Police was such a force.

Questions to discuss:

1. How is the law enforcement in the United Kingdom organized?
2. Most law enforcement is carried out by police officers serving in regional police services within one of those jurisdictions, isn’t it?
3.  Are police officers granted certain powers to enable them to execute their duties?
4.  What are their primary duties?
5.  When were law enforcement and policing organised by local British communities?
6. Why should every police officer be issued an identification number?
7. How many territorial police services are there in the UK?
8. What are the main responsibilities of various police agencies in the UK?