76 • Our chief law enforcers — the police

dangerous criminal, or enter the home of someone who has been murdered, or handle the case of a child who has been badly abused, or attend the scene of a horrific road accident to unravel its causes. It is worth remembering that the police regularly receive commendations and awards for outstanding bravery and service to the community—from tackling and arresting armed criminals, to carrying out difficult and dangerous undercover operations; from rescuing the victims of serious crime, to saving the lives of those threatening to commit suicide.

The British people tend to have a love-hate relationship with their police. This is, perhaps, inevitable having regard to their role as chief law enforcers in the country. This role is, however, a crucial one, and the police force is as necessary and important an element in the administration of justice as any other that we will be examining in this book.