12 Summary of Week 2

During this week you have considered data showing a diminution in trust in the police in recent years, seeming to challenge a long tradition of ‘policing by consent’ in Britain. You have investigated the historical validity of the notion of ‘policing by consent’ and have learned that trust and acceptance of the police have varied considerably over time. While the period from the end of the Second World War to the mid-1960s was a period of high confidence in policing, at most other points policing has been contested and contentious. Fluctuating levels of legitimacy and trust in the 2020s are, therefore, not surprising. You have also considered a range of factors which influenced levels of trust in the police historically, drawing from these points for contemporary consideration.

You should now be able to:

• appreciate why the idea of ‘policing by consent’ is so important in Britain
• discuss the development of policing in Britain and the fluctuating levels of trust in the police historically
• analyse ways in which knowing about police legitimacy in the past is still relevant to day-to-day policing and public debate.

The legitimacy of the police with the public is fundamental to the maintenance of law and order. The next two weeks will consider aspects of this in more detail, starting with current controversies over the policing of Black and Asian citizens.

You can now go to Week 3 [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .